Chapter 770 - 469: The Mermaid King’s Treasure (Part 1)

Wisps of white steam escaped from his pores.

WHOOSH!

He slowly exhaled a breath of white vapor. The hot air condensed in the frigid atmosphere, refusing to disperse, shooting out straight like a white arrow.

Any snowflake that touched it along its path instantly melted, turning into fine droplets of water that fell to the ground, as if the breath itself held a scorching heat.

The condensed vapor traveled more than ten meters before it finally began to dissipate.

A maid in a black and white uniform, who had been waiting nearby, saw this and immediately stepped forward, offering a hot, steaming towel with both hands.

"Young Master, you’ve worked hard. Please, use this towel to wipe your face."

Fine snow settled on her lowered eyelashes, lending a unique charm to her youthful, freckled face.

As she spoke,

she stole a quick glance at Hu Qi

before immediately lowering her eyes to stare at her own feet.

Hu Qi’s face, already chiseled to handsome perfection, was further enhanced by the unique spiritual glow of a Transcendent.

Although ordinary people couldn’t perceive this mystical power, they could still feel the breathtaking aura that surrounded him.

This was to say nothing of the astonishing wealth Hu Qi displayed, or his exceptionally generous treatment of the servants.

With this triple combination, while it might not conquer every woman’s heart,

it was more than enough to make over ninety percent of ordinary women’s hearts race in this day and age.

In recent days, the maids of the manor had been gossiping about Hu Qi quite a bit in private.

Some of the bolder maids would even make deliberately revealing and suggestive gestures when they got close to him.

Regarding this behavior,

Hu Qi completely acted as if he didn’t see it.

He took the towel and wiped the sweat from his face.

The rising steam carried the faint, pleasant scent of flower dew.

He wiped his face a few times,

then handed the towel back.

"You may go."

He waved a hand without looking up, his tone serene.

"Yes!"

The maid curtsied slightly and retreated silently into the shadows.

Then she turned and left.

Hu Qi, meanwhile, watched the steadily falling snow.

A thought stirred in his mind.

He summoned the Crimson panel. A dark red screen of light unfolded before him, and his gaze locked onto a specific column of data.

——

[Class Pathway: Godslayer]

[Sequence Nine: Sword Sharpener △ (Sword Mastery, wields Sword Artifacts as extensions of your own limbs, body’s attributes are tripled, grinds down all foreign Extraordinary Traits within the body to empower oneself.

Trait One: [Eye of Tempered Blade] — Can see through the weak points of weapons.

Trait Two: [Blood Fury] — Briefly increases the blade’s sharpness after it draws blood.

Trait Three: [Sword Heart Clarity] — Mind like a clear mirror, allowing you to predict an opponent’s moves and sense killing intent to a certain degree.

(Advancement to Sequence Eight, Ten Thousand Slash Disciple. Ritual Requirement: Swing your sword with full force ten million times! [Completed])]

...

[Modification Points: 133,247 (1%)]

At this moment,

after seven days of non-stop swinging—pausing only for rest and meals—

he had finally met the requirement of ten million sword swings.

He had fulfilled the advancement condition for the Ten Thousand Slash Disciple.

"Crimson! Upgrade me from Sequence Nine Sword Sharpener to Sequence Eight Ten Thousand Slash Disciple!"

Seeing this,

Hu Qi initiated the upgrade immediately.

Instantly,

a cool stream of energy poured down from the crown of his head.

His body was strengthened once more.

The surrounding Spirituality swirled like a vortex, converging on his body.

Nourished by the Spirituality,

the Extraordinary Traits within him grew more potent.

A faint, hot sensation also bloomed within his eyes.

But this sensation, far from causing any discomfort,

was actually quite pleasant.

His gaze shifted.

He could clearly feel his power growing, the Life Level of his physical body beginning to transform.

Furthermore, the dynamic vision granted by his Eye of Tempered Blade had become even sharper.

Beyond that,

he noticed something else.

The sword in his hand, Dusk, seemed to have come alive.

It had begun to actively absorb the ambient Spirituality from the air.

A faint, dusky-yellow halo even began to ripple across its blade.