The surrounding crowd sighed inwardly, yet they inevitably felt a desire to draw closer to this new Star Seed. After all, when there were benefits, he truly shared them, and when there was trouble, he genuinely shouldered it.
Wei Zhenghong's gatherings had never been this frequent before. Sometimes, there would only be one every month or two. However, since a lot had happened recently, he had hosted quite a few more.
"Qin Tianlin seems prepared to seize the position of Sixth Tier Champion."
After Zhang Hengâwho had transformed his talent to Star Amber earlier than Chu Ranâarrived, he revealed this piece of news, attracting the attention of many.
"He has already prepared to use the Fortune Bronze Core to fulfill a specific Special Profession requirement. Once that is done, he will likely aim to seize the champion's seat."
"Is that guy confident?" Chu Ran leaned in, expressing his surprise.
"He should be confident. It has already been over half a year since he last updated his ranking, and he wasn't far from the champion's seat to begin with," Zhang Heng nodded, then added, "Moreover, the Qin Family is currently unsettled, and they desperately need something to boost their morale."
Boost their morale... The crowd finally came to a sudden realization.
The Qin Yun Faction had indeed been suffering from a streak of bad luck recently. The death of their general, Hu Qi, had caused a massive upheaval, and Qin Yun himself had disappeared in the Lost Starfire for several months, leaving everyone in a state of panic.
After enduring the theft of the Spirit Fire and the death of Meng Shiyu, Qin Yun had now returned, only for Fan Zhao to be arrested.
To think that a lineage which should have occupied half of the Faction now actually needed to boost its morale?
Thinking about it carefully, many people subtly shifted their gazes toward Su Chen.
It seemed that ever since this Star Seed arrived at the Faction, the Qin Yun Faction had been on a continuous downward spiral...
Zhang Heng could not help but sigh. "Even though my talent has been upgraded to Star Amber, it only makes me feel even more that Qin Tianlin is truly favored by the heavens."
"Heh," Chu Ran curled his lips.
Su Chen swirled the wine glass in his hand, listening quietly. On the Holy Hall Ranking, the number of Tier 7 Professionals was very small, limited to only the top ten.
Qin Tianlin was currently ranked 17th. The Sixth Tier Champion was named Yi Xiangzhou, possessed a Single Star-Per talent, and was nearing forty years old.
He was not on Chu Lingyuan's side, nor was he on Qin Yun's side. He belonged to the type of person who ignored everything happening outside and focused solely on developing his Profession.
Excluding Shen Yi'an and Wei Zhenghong, the strongest in their small group should be Zhao Ming, a Veteran Sixth Tier Professional whose ranking was even higher than Qin Tianlin's, sitting at 14th.
"Old Zhao," Chu Ran looked over. "Do you reckon that after successful employment, Qin Tianlin can beat Old Xiang this time?"
Zhao Ming frowned. "Since he is preparing to make a move, he is probably eighty or ninety percent certain. A Special Profession, if it is combat-oriented, will have a massive impact on his strength."
Speaking of which, he added with a hint of helplessness, "Besides, it is a Divine Dawn grade talent after all. Seizing the championship is only a matter of time."
"Alright then," Chu Ran said. Although he did not want to see it happen, he did not find it unimaginable either. His eyes rolled slightly before his gaze fell on Su Chen, and he teased, "Old Su, when are you going to knock him down?"
"Enough, why don't you go do it yourself?" Wei Zhenghong's deep, resonant voice rang out.
Su Chen was rather surprised as Old Wei walked in from outside the door, his face dark as he scolded, "You never take anything seriously all day long. You even specifically convened this gathering just to show off your talent."
Only then did Su Chen realize that this gathering had mainly been organized just so Chu Ran could show off his talent.
Many people present had been unaware. Chu Ran had sent them a notice, and they had simply shown up. Who would have known there was such an underlying reason? Their expressions inevitably turned a bit strange.
Chu Ran gave a sheepish laugh, not daring to argue back.
Su Chen was secretly speechless.
However, this gathering was not entirely without gains.
After Jiang Mufeng arrived, he revealed a piece of news: "It has been confirmed. The Prison-Suppressing King cannot awaken."
His expression was solemn. In the small room, the crowd listened to his detailed explanation. The Bronze Sect had also sent someone to the Royal Court to ascertain the Prison-Suppressing King's conditionâit was Zhang Zhenfeng, the Head of Seat of Huanshan.
"According to the news from Head of Seat Zhang, the Prison-Suppressing King's body is wreathed in a type of purple flame. Ordinary Professionals cannot even get close to it. It is constantly draining the Prison-Suppressing King's lifeforce. If the Royal Court had not been maintaining him with special methods, he probably wouldn't have lasted this long."
Hearing this, everyone's expressions changed slightly.
Wei Zhenghong could not help but say, "If even the Prison-Suppressing King was reduced to such a state, how exactly did Qin Yun survive?"
Naturally, no one could answer him.
Zhao Ming then pressed further, "Since it's confirmed that the Prison-Suppressing King cannot awaken, how have the other Factions reacted?"
"We don't know for now." Jiang Mufeng shook his head helplessly. "But Head of Seat Zhang mentioned that he vaguely sensed the other four Factions and the Royal Court discussing things in secret, deliberately excluding him."
"That is not good news..."
Wei Zhenghong let out a long sigh, and Chu Ran's good mood dissipated significantly, his brows locked tightly together.
The gathering did not last much longer before Wei Zhenghong dismissed it.
"Wreathed in purple flame, his life or death unknownâ" Su Chen was still muttering to himself about the matter on his way back. "To think that guy was reduced to such a state. The world is truly unpredictable; he was a Morning Star Tier entity, after all..."
Walking all the way back to his Floating Island, Su Chen subconsciously glanced at the empty space to his left. The forging furnace that had been placed there was already removed.
As early as two days ago, he had forged the last Fifth Tier Weapon.
The only requirement left was to strip the Spiritual Essence from his Mastery Secret Tools and fuse them into one. He had been experimenting with this for a few days and was already confident in succeeding.
Returning to his Training Room, Su Chen retrieved his Mastery Secret Tools from his Storage Space one by one and laid them out before him: the Formless True Blade, the Purple Gold Armor, the Metal Mask, the Battle Boots, and the Crystal Skull.
Following the method Luo Shuhang had taught him, his mental energy gradually spread outward, blanketing the five weapons and sensing their Spiritual Essence.
Because they were his own Mastery Secret Tools, this step was relatively easy for him.
Under his control, his mental energy transformed into an invisible, sharp blade, carefully peeling a lump of hazy color away from the Formless True Blade.
Having tried it a few times before, he was already quite proficient and knew exactly how to proceed.
He did not know if it was just his imagination, but the instant it was stripped away, he felt as if the metallic luster on the surface of the Formless True Blade had dimmed slightly.
'I wonder if I can put it back after the fusion, or if there's another way to apply it,' Su Chen inevitably thought to himself. 'The Spiritual Essence of these weapons isn't completely useless.'
Moving on, he spent some time systematically stripping away the Spiritual Essence from the other four Mastery Secret Tools in order. Five clumps of spiritual mist tumbled within his mental energy, floating before Su Chen in varying colors.
Immediately after, Su Chen attempted to fuse them together. Operating this step was not difficult; his mental energy pressed down forcefully like a massive, invisible palm.
The five clumps of mist were forcibly squeezed toward the center, colliding and blending together. Ripples fluctuated along their edges as they barely managed to condense into a semi-transparent sphere. A faint halo emanated from its surface, but the edges trembled incessantly.
Fine cracks even began to splinter across it. Dark currents surged within, emitting unstable, hissing sounds, as if it would collapse at any moment.
"...This kind of fusion probably won't last long," Su Chen's expression shifted slightly. It was a good thing he hadn't tried to fuse them right from the start.
He glanced at the requirements on his System Panel. They were already in a completed state, and the word "Employment" had appeared after Weapon Lord. Not daring to delay, he immediately began the employment process.
In an instant, the hazy Spiritual Essence that had been on the verge of collapsing suddenly shuddered. Faint sounds of clashing weapons echoed from within as it gradually stabilized, transforming into a pale golden orb of light.
At the same time, the five Mastery Secret Tools laid on the ground trembled abruptly. Pulled up by an unseen force, they began to orbit Su Chen's body.
The orb of Spiritual Essence hovered above Su Chen's head, dropping five golden threads that anchored onto the secret tools. Then, it slowly descended, sinking through the top of his head and immersing itself into his Mental Core.
Su Chen's pupils contracted sharply. He felt as though someone had just delivered a heavy blow to the back of his head. His vision went black, a faint roaring echoed in his ears, and his Mental Core trembled ceaselessly.
Shortly after, the orbiting secret tools shot straight toward Su Chen's body. The instant the cold metal touched his skin, it surprisingly gave off a warm and supple sensation.
The Formless True Blade sank into his limbs, the armor quietly seeped into his shoulders and back, the boots transformed into fascia wrapping around his ankles, and the edges of the mask fused silently into the flesh and bone of his cheekbones, spreading without a sound.
The metallic luster gradually faded. Like milk and water achieving perfect harmony, the secret tools nearly shed their metallic properties altogether, slowly merging completely with Su Chen's body.
In an instant, he felt a swelling sensation from within, accompanied by a tingling numbness. It felt as though he had eaten until stuffed. His muscles and bones twitched as his physical strength explosively multiplied, yet there was no pain at all. This greatly surprised Su Chen, who had thoroughly braced himself for agony.
The System Panel had already popped upâ[Weapon Lord Employment successful. Acquired professional ability: Weapon Lord. You can enhance your Mastery Secret Tools and fuse them into your body to obtain blessings.]
[Obtained Bonus Reward: Stamina consumption for enhancing secret tools reduced by 30%.]
Su Chen looked at the ability description, feeling the surge of power rising within his body. He could not suppress the urge to vent it.
"All secret tools can be fused into my body... This Three-in-One Profession is truly extraordinary. To some extent...
...Does this qualify as a Minor Sacred Profession?"
A thought suddenly surfaced in Su Chen's mind. Soon after, he separated the secret tools from his body to test out the enhancement ability.
With a slight shift in thought, brilliant crimson flames violently erupted from his palms. The blazing fire washed over the surfaces of the secret tools like a tidal wave.
Dyed in the crimson light, a humming sound grew from a faint whisper into a loud resonance, shaking the air slightly as waves of heat rolled outward.
The intensity of the secret tools steadily climbed amidst the flames. Once they breached a certain threshold, dark red lines resembling flowing magma surfaced across the metal.
"The higher the intensity, the greater the enhancement it will likely bring me after fusion..."
Struck by inspiration, Su Chen attempted to use his Sacred Hand Blessing to bolster his Weapon Lord ability.
In a flash, it felt as if a flood-discharge pump had been installed inside him. His Stamina violently gushed out, while all the secret tools completely turned crimson, gleaming brilliantly and thrumming without pause.
"It actually works." Su Chen sucked in a breath of cold air, staring at the array of weapons before him.
Under the Sacred Hand Blessing, he could enhance all of these weapons to the sixth tier, instantly elevating them by a full rank.
However, the energy drain was unimaginably severe. Even with the bonus reward reducing the consumption of enhancing the secret tools by thirty percent.
And coupled with the Hundred-Forged Smith's overall fifty percent reduction, the consumption still remained at a terrifying level.
He estimated that maintaining his Mastery Secret Tools at the sixth tier would be difficult to keep up for even five minutes.
But it was undeniably monstrous.
Taking a deep breath, he allowed the five secret tools to suddenly melt back into his body like flowing water.
Instantly, a scorching, frenzied surge of power erupted from within, racing through his limbs and bones. Su Chen's face immediately flushed crimson. Veins bulged on his forehead, his muscles pulled taut like iron, and boiling currents churned beneath his skin.
He even felt as if his body were a balloon about to burst apart.
"This sensationâ" Su Chen clenched his fists, producing a series of cracking pops from his knuckles. He murmured to himself, "It truly is extraordinary. Five types of sixth-tier weapons fused into my body. Just how strong... am I right now?"
He carefully reined in his control. The focuses of the Mastery Secret Tools were different, and so were the enhancements they provided.
The Formless True Blade delivered pure strength, the Battle Boots granted speed, the Metal Mask naturally offered phenomenal stealth capabilities, the armor provided defense, and the Crystal Skull targeted the Mental-Type aspects...
Su Chen adjusted slightly, then released the secret tools one by one. The sudden emptiness in his body left him feeling quite disoriented for a moment.
He quickly fetched a Nutrient Potion to restore himself to peak condition. After making some minor adjustments,
he couldn't wait any longer. He headed to the Nether Tower, took out the Mist Embers, and after a few attempts, successfully entered the combat illusion.
The secret tools manifested and sank into his body. The ability to use the Sacred Hand Blessing to enhance the Weapon Lord's weapons could also be utilized while they were fused with him. A faint metallic sheen shimmered across the surface of his skin, making his physique increasingly tyrannical and resilient.
He further stacked the Crimson Sovereign enhancement on top!
Boom!
Rolling aftershocks of flame and thunder exploded from the surface of Su Chen's body. Deafening crackles rang out endlessly, and blazing infernos ignited within his eyes. Fixing his gaze on the Black Buddha before him, his secret tool weapons were clearly his advantage.
The Mist Embers were not as spiritual, and his tier had not changed, but his actual combat strength had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
Bang!
A flash of Thunder Light exploded beneath his feet as the Gale Dancer ability activated. Although Su Chen's body mass had multiplied several times over due to the merged weapons,
because the Battle Boots were also fused into himâand at the sixth tier no lessâhis speed shockingly skyrocketed once again.
A streak of light flashed by, and Su Chen was already standing right in front of the Black Buddha, who had barely even managed to touch down.
A tightly clenched fist vaulted from behind, sweeping forward. The tearing strike, wreathed in Flame Thunder Light and packing a tremendous, explosive force, smashed out ruthlessly!
Boom!
The sheer physical strength detonated, sending shockwaves sweeping in all directions!
'This is way too easy...' Su Chen marveled inwardly. The feeling this time was completely different from before.
When facing the Black Buddha previously, his attacks felt as if they were hitting cotton. Even when he hacked with a blade or smashed with an axe, the Black Buddha could always transform into mist at the exact right moment.
But this time was different. He felt as though he had genuinely struck a solid object.
Bang!
The Black Buddha's figure was blasted backward like an arrow released from a bow. Black mist surged around its body, instantaneously condensing into a gigantic claw that tore fiercely toward Su Chen.
The corners of Su Chen's mouth curled into a grin. Instead of retreating, he advanced. Without him making any defensive maneuvers at all, the giant claw simply scraped sparks across the surface of his chest.
The ground beneath his feet splintered inch by inch. He sidestepped to dodge the brunt of the claw strike, clamped his left hand onto the Black Buddha's wrist, and drove his right fistâcloaked in crimson flames and roaring thunderâviciously into its chest with a tremendous boom!
A blindingly intense light flashed. The black mist was torn apart and scattered like paper confetti, only to quickly reform into a ferocious Demonic Ape.
With a flicker of his silhouette, Su Chen appeared right behind it. A spinning kick slammed into its head, followed instantly by his hands clasped tightly together into a sledgehammer. He brought them crashing down like a plummeting meteor!
The Flame Thunder Fist tore into the Demonic Ape's body from the bottom up. Crimson flames detonated, causing the black mist to hiss and dissipate. Yet, it was not completely eradicated; instead, it coiled around his arm like a living python, sending a chilling cold straight into his marrow.
"Break!" Su Chen bellowed. The blazing light around his body abruptly flared, channeling every ounce of his strength.
Rumble!!!
A blinding flash of light exploded. The aftershocks of flame and thunder spiraled backward, rocketing into the sky as the lingering threads of black mist were entirely annihilated within the brilliant blaze.
Su Chen snapped back to reality. The black tide coating his body receded entirely. The Mist Embers in his hand trembled violently, and the black mist on its surface actually began to melt and drift away, just like cold snow under the warm winter sun.
It finally revealed the crystal-clear, pristine white core hidden within.