Chapter 109: Four Skillstones and a deadly trump card

"Ding!"

[Congratulations, Host!]

[You have obtained the following Skill Stones:]

[Spirit Rank Low Grade Secret Art: Scarlet Flame Blood Burning Technique × 1]

[Spirit Rank Middle Grade Combat Skill: Cloud Piercing Eighteen Hands × 1]

[Spirit Rank Middle Grade Secret Art: Water Puppet Technique × 1]

[Spirit Rank Middle Grade Combat Skill: Thunderclap Thrust × 1]

[Scarlet Flame Blood Burning Technique: A self-damaging enhancement secret art that can be learned by any Bloodline type. Upon activation, it ignites the body’s interior, burning two-thirds of the user’s essence blood to temporarily and significantly increase their strength, potentially allowing them to fight across entire realms.]

[It increases the user’s strength by at least two minor realms and at most one major realm. However, the side effects are severe. Mild consequences include depleted Origin Energy and blood loss, which can cause a decline in cultivation. More serious consequences include a cultivation drop, accelerated aging, and a shortened lifespan.]

[Cloud Piercing Eighteen Hands: A combat skill capable of advancing through multiple realms. With a single move, it unleashes up to eighteen palm shadows, each carrying the force of the user’s body, delivering a combined impact equivalent to eighteen times their physical strength.]

[The technique has three realms. The Skill Stone grants mastery of the first realm, while continued use allows the user to gradually advance further.]

[First Realm: Unleashes ten palm shadows in a single move, possessing Spirit Rank Low Grade power.]

[Second Realm: Unleashes fifteen palm shadows in a single move, possessing Spirit Rank Middle Grade power.]

[Third Realm: Unleashes eighteen palm shadows in a single move, possessing Spirit Rank High Grade power.]

[Water Puppet Technique: A clone-type secret art that can be learned by those possessing a Transformation Type Water Attribute Bloodline. It condenses and compresses water attribute energy to create water ghost puppets.]

[A maximum of three water ghost puppets can exist simultaneously. By implanting basic Mental Awareness commands into them, the user can direct the puppets to attack enemies autonomously. Each puppet possesses 60% of the user’s basic strength.]

[Thunderclap Thrust: A charge-type combat skill that can be learned by those possessing a Transformation Type Thunder Attribute Bloodline. Upon activation, the user’s right hand hangs naturally at their side as a massive amount of lightning gathers in the palm and fingers before being intensely compressed and charged.]

[A full charge requires ten breaths. Without completing the charge, the technique possesses Spirit Rank Middle Grade power. After ten full breaths, its power rises to Spirit Rank High Grade, unleashing a concentrated, surging force.]

[Upon release, the user surges forward in a straight line like a thunderclap, piercing through every enemy in their path with a lightning-charged hand.]

POOF!

The Boundless Creation Furnace suddenly expelled four Skill Stones into the air, each radiating brilliant light in a dazzling display of colors.

"Excellent! Aside from Water Puppet Technique, I can use almost all of these. It’s a pity Cloud Piercing Step was refined into Water Puppet Technique. Now, I’m missing only a movement skill."

Ryan’s face lit up with delight as he reached out and caught the four Skill Stones one after another.

He urgently needed to increase his strength, and the fact that most of the treasures produced by the Boundless Creation Furnace were now usable filled him with satisfaction.

Although none of these skills could propel him through an entire major realm, even a minor increase in strength was valuable enough.

"Since I’ve already mastered Primordial Annihilation Lightning, I can learn most of these skills. I should also be able to learn that Profound Rank Low Grade Lightning Ball now."

Having made his decision, Ryan quickly composed himself and placed the Water Puppet Technique Skill Stone into his spatial ring.

He then retrieved the Lightning Ball Skill Stone and infused each of the remaining Skill Stones with a trace of Origin Energy.

CHII!

Flashes of white light erupted from the Skill Stones as countless skill projections flooded into Ryan’s mind like a surging river. Every movement, technique, and subtle detail was imprinted in his consciousness with astonishing clarity, as though each had been carved directly into his soul.

In an instant, Ryan mastered four powerful combat skills and secret arts: Scarlet Flame Blood Burning Technique, Cloud Piercing Eighteen Hands in its First Realm, Thunderclap Thrust, and Lightning Ball.

His overall strength had advanced by leaps and bounds!

With this qualitative improvement in his strength, the unease he had felt since encountering a powerful practitioner above the Empty Realm last night finally eased somewhat.

He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

As expected, strength was the foundation of survival in this world.

"Ha! Let’s try out Lightning Ball."

Eager to test his newly acquired skill, Ryan raised his right hand, turning his palm upward before rubbing his five fingers together.

"Profound Rank Low Grade Combat Skill, Lightning Ball!"

CRACK!

Two fist-sized balls of bright red lightning materialized above his palm, crackling with unstable energy.

Ryan extended his index and middle fingers and flicked them forward.

The two lightning balls shot toward the practice room wall.

ZZZZT! ZZZZT!

Wrapped in brilliant red electrical arcs, the lightning balls streaked through the air at astonishing speeds, their erratic trajectories resembling fiery red fireflies.

A moment later, they struck the wall.

BANG!

A violent explosion reverberated through the room, causing the entire practice chamber to shudder several times. When the dust settled, two perfectly rounded holes had been blasted straight through the sturdy wall.

Tiny crimson electrical arcs scattered across the surrounding surface, their residual energy scorching the stone into intricate, firework-like patterns.

"Haha! Primordial Annihilation Lightning really is powerful. Even a simple Profound Rank Low Grade Lightning Ball can punch straight through such a sturdy practice wall!"

Ryan grinned at the destructive result, thoroughly pleased.

He hadn’t even exerted much strength. It had been little more than a casual attack.

Ordinary Thunder Attribute Bloodline users would struggle to produce such devastating results, let alone pierce the practice wall so effortlessly.

With the Primordial Annihilation Lightning Bloodline, even the simplest low-grade combat skills and secret arts could unleash astonishing power. Its destructive potential was truly formidable.

Yet beneath his excitement, Ryan couldn’t help reflecting on the situation.

Ever since he had sealed and brought the Primordial Annihilation Lightning Bloodline under control, his overall strength had increased tremendously.

However, one weakness remained painfully obvious.

His supply of Origin Energy was far too limited.

Apart from the Profound Rank Low Grade Lightning Ball, he didn’t dare casually test any of his other newly acquired techniques.

It wasn’t because he lacked the desire or the ability to try them. He simply couldn’t afford the risk.

With his current cultivation at the peak of the Ninth Stage of the Origin Sea Convergence Realm, he could barely execute a Spirit Rank Low Grade combat skill or secret art once or twice before exhausting himself.

Cloud Piercing Eighteen Hands, in its First Realm, fell within the Spirit Rank Low Grade category and was therefore barely manageable. The other Spirit Rank Middle Grade techniques, however, would place an enormous strain on his Origin Energy reserves.

Strictly speaking, despite having mastered several powerful combat skills, he couldn’t yet use most of them freely.

Without cultivation surpassing the Origin Spirit Realm, he lacked sufficient Origin Energy to execute even a Spirit Rank Middle Grade combat skill once.

Even a casual attempt at a Spirit Rank Low Grade technique could consume nearly half his reserves, leaving him dangerously close to exhaustion.

That was a risk he couldn’t afford to take.

For now, estimating the power of his other skills based on Lightning Ball was sufficient.

As for Scarlet Flame Blood Burning Technique, despite being a Spirit Rank Low Grade secret art, it was even more dangerous to experiment with.

Burning two-thirds of his essence blood could leave him with devastating aftereffects. Unless he found himself on the verge of death, he would never activate it lightly.

"That’s enough. I have sufficient life-saving techniques for now. It’s time to meet the city lord of Ashfall City."

Having reached a decision, Ryan immediately began preparing to leave.

He stored everything that needed to go into his spatial ring, while the items meant to remain in his Origin Energy Sea were properly arranged there.

Once everything was in order, Ryan took a deep breath before lightly leaping through the third-floor window.

He descended gracefully into the front courtyard of Cole Manor.

Since obtaining the Primordial Annihilation Lightning Bloodline, his movement speed had increased considerably. His body also felt remarkably lighter, making every movement more effortless than before.

Ryan smiled in satisfaction.

After asking Mira to cast Gray Light Shield on him, he hurried toward the city lord’s mansion.

The powerful practitioners above the Empty Realm who seemed to be lurking around him like tigers stalking their prey had left him with little patience for leisurely cultivation.

He needed to become stronger as quickly as possible, by whatever means necessary.

And he had plenty to accomplish today.

After leaving Winters Manor, Ryan quickly hailed a Wind Wolf Express and instructed the driver to head straight for the city lord’s mansion.

He had never met Ashfall City’s lord personally, but publicly available records stated that the man had reached the peak of the Origin Transcendent Realm long ago.

Whether he had since broken through to the next realm remained unknown.

Consequently, Ryan couldn’t be certain whether Gray Light Shield would still be effective against him.

After all, the shield could only protect him against Bloodline Fighters at or below the Origin Ascendant Realm.

This visit was fraught with uncertainty, and Ryan had no way of knowing whether it would end in fortune or disaster.

Nevertheless, if the city lord intended to manipulate or humiliate him, Ryan would not submit without a fight.

That was precisely why he had insisted on learning Scarlet Flame Blood Burning Technique.

In truth, he had acquired the technique primarily for this meeting.

Mira’s temporary secret arts consumed enormous amounts of energy, and most of them were designed for concealment rather than direct combat. She currently possessed no suitable secret art for significantly enhancing his strength.

If negotiations with the city lord turned hostile and the man suddenly attacked, Ryan might not even have the opportunity to activate a concealment technique.

Even if he somehow managed to cast one in time, the city lord would likely detect it immediately and pinpoint his whereabouts.

Furthermore, Ryan’s supply of Origin Stones was pitifully limited. He couldn’t afford to rely on expensive, energy-intensive concealment techniques for long.

If the city lord managed to trap him, the consequences could be disastrous.

Therefore, should the worst happen, Ryan intended to activate Scarlet Flame Blood Burning Technique alongside Devouring World Art.

The combined effects of burning his essence blood and unleashing the explosive power of Devouring World Art, reinforced by his two C-Grade Top-Tier Bloodlines, might give him a fighting chance to escape.

It was a desperate contingency plan, but one he was determined to keep ready.

"We’re here."

Ryan’s thoughts were interrupted as the Wind Wolf Express finally arrived near the city lord’s mansion.

He jumped down and carefully reviewed his contingency plans one final time, confirming that everything was prepared as intended.

Only then did he stride toward the mansion’s entrance.

Several guards immediately approached to intercept him.

Without saying a word, Ryan presented the green city lord token and stated the purpose of his visit.

The guards, who had initially prepared to stop him, suddenly displayed expressions of understanding.

Their attitudes changed at once.

"Please, this way."

They respectfully invited Ryan inside and took the lead.

Seeing their unexpected reaction, Ryan’s expression grew solemn.

Something about this reception felt unusual.

Nevertheless, he followed the guards through the entrance and stepped into the city lord’s mansion, his mind already preparing for whatever awaited him within.

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