Free Web NovelChapter 1268: Chapter 83: The Unscrupulous Life Tutor
Su Xiao stood before the pitch-black portal; the darkness seemed capable of devouring all living things.
After hesitating for a moment, Su Xiao released an Alchemy Raven from his storage space and activated it, controlling the Alchemy Raven to fly into the portal. Almost instantly, Su Xiao’s spiritual link with the Alchemy Raven was severed as it was consumed by the darkness.
Su Xiao frowned. He had endured countless difficulties to reach this point, and now they showed him a mural? Is that all?
He removed the metal armguard from his left arm and took a deep breath.
"Left hand, I’m giving you away."
As Su Xiao extended his left hand into the darkness, Dragon Slash was already positioned under his armpit, ready to sever his left arm at any moment.
A force began pulling from his left arm. Just as Su Xiao intended to sever his left arm, he noticed something wasn’t right—there was no abnormal sensation from the left arm. The feeling was as if he was extending his arm into a pool of mud.
The pull became stronger, and cracks appeared on the ground beneath Su Xiao’s feet. After confirming there was nothing wrong with his left arm, he stopped resisting the pull and was sucked into the darkness.
Su Xiao entered a pitch-black space where hearing, sight, and smell lost all meaning. He could only sense his own existence, perceiving nothing else.
In the darkness, a faint glimmer slowly emerged, taking the shape of a long strip. As the glimmer grew more distinct, Su Xiao realized it was a knife.
The glimmer spread, and after an uncertain amount of time, a figure holding a long knife appeared before Su Xiao, slowly approaching until it merged with Su Xiao’s body.
The moment it merged with the glimmer, Su Xiao felt a buzz in his mind. When his vision returned, he found himself on a desolate land, the earth red, and a blood moon hanging on the horizon.
Su Xiao wished to observe his surroundings, but he was unable to control his gaze. The sensation was akin to being inside someone else’s consciousness.
It was unclear whose body this was; its owner looked down, witnessing a field of exotic beast corpses.
Boom!
Magma erupted from crevices in the earth while roars of beasts echoed from afar. The body’s owner gazed at the distant horizon, positioning the long knife horizontally in front.
Su Xiao was utterly confused. What was he supposed to see through this? Fighting those exotic beasts seemed pointless.
But soon, Su Xiao understood why he was here. As the body’s owner swung the long knife, Su Xiao immediately sensed that this person’s knife technique far surpassed his own.
Time seemed to accelerate. To Su Xiao, only seconds had passed, yet the body in which his consciousness resided had been battling for a long time. Su Xiao paid no mind to the fiercely savage exotic beasts, focusing instead on observing how this body’s owner wielded the knife.
Su Xiao now had more than just his sight. Whenever the body’s owner swung the knife, Su Xiao felt as if he were swinging it simultaneously.
Time elapsed unknown to him as all the exotic beasts on the blood-colored land were slain, yet Su Xiao was left yearning for more, his vision gradually dimming as his consciousness detached from the body.
The next moment, Su Xiao found himself within another body. As his vision returned, a roaring Black Dragon filled his view, its massive form resembling a short mountain, with bone spurs covering its back.
With his prior experience, Su Xiao now observed more meticulously, not caring about the Black Dragon’s strength, but focusing intensely on perceiving how this body wielded the knife.
Exotic beasts, Black Dragons, Glacier Giants, Parasitic Star Crabs, bizarre life forms—Su Xiao witnessed battle after battle, each sharing the common thread of specializing in the use of the long knife.
Experiencing the battles of one sword technique master after another was an opportunity. As time progressed, Su Xiao’s vision grew increasingly blurry, and his consciousness gradually clouded.
When he was engulfed entirely in darkness, he reconnected with his body.
Opening his eyes, Su Xiao instinctively raised both arms. Though the experience was thrilling, the inability to control one’s body was unpleasant.
Su Xiao retrieved his timer, noting only 10 minutes had passed, yet he’d observed battles spanning nearly ten days.
Slashing forward with the long knife, a silver thread passed, making Su Xiao feel distinctly that his understanding of the sword technique had significantly improved.
[Sword Technique Master has increased to Level 41.]
[Sword Technique Master has increased to Level 42.]
...
[Sword Technique Master has increased to Level 45.]
...
The Sword Technique increased by 5 levels, which was the benefit gained from obtaining the Stone of Extinction and passing a certain trial. To acquire the Stone of Extinction, Su Xiao had delved deep into the Xiya Temple.
Moreover, to reach here, Su Xiao was nearly surrounded and killed by the army of the undead numerous times, so describing his journey as perilous would not be exaggerated.
Among all his abilities, the heightened sensation of the Sword Technique’s advancement was the most intense, at least for Su Xiao. Therefore, a 5-level increase in the Sword Technique was not surprising to him.
Though the Sword Technique increased by 5 levels, it was through insights derived from other sword masters. The improvement was rapid indeed, but it required time to settle.
If Su Xiao were to use Soul Crystals + Paradise coins for the upgrade, it would cost at least 50 Soul Crystals (Large) + 1.25 million Paradise coins. The advantage was evident, but the downside was also significant; Su Xiao could not further enhance his Sword Technique Master until he consolidated his current understanding.
[Sword Technique Master: Level 45 (Passive Skill)]
Skill Effect: Increases sword attack power by 224% (up by 30%), with a significant enhancement in sword techniques.
Level 10 Additional Ability...
...
Due to the minor level increase, no new additional abilities appeared, but the sword attack power increased by 30%, which equates to a 30% boost in Su Xiao’s close-combat damage—a considerable improvement.
Su Xiao was still at the front of the first stone gate. The shattered stone gate had returned to its original state. Attempting again to open it with the Stone of Extinction yielded no response.
The Door of Destruction had allowed Su Xiao to enhance his Sword Technique Master by 5 levels, arousing his anticipation for the other two stone gates.
Approaching the second stone gate, it should be the Door of Magic, so Su Xiao retrieved the corresponding Stone of Magic.
The Stone of Magic drifted towards the stone gate and embedded in the recess at the center, causing the stone gate to shatter.
Seeing the scene beyond the gate, Su Xiao’s cheek twitched; beyond the gate stood a wall!!
This left Su Xiao somewhat bewildered; perhaps he needed to break this stone wall? Opening the door only to find a wall—what on earth?
A mischievous laugh burst from behind, inherently sly, Marvin Hwaltz.
"What does this mean?"
Su Xiao felt Marvin Hwaltz knew something, but this trickster refused to say, clearly meaning: ’It’s for you to understand.’
"It means you’re simply unsuitable for what’s behind the Door of Magic; you didn’t even trigger the basic test. By the way, the door tests wisdom—comprehend it yourself."
Marvin Hwaltz’s laughter remained every bit as devious.
"Unfit..."
Su Xiao’s feelings were understandable; the stone gate seemed to mock his intelligence. But to give up without trying was too disheartening, so he struck the stone wall with the knife.
With a sizzling sound, blue-white arcs surged, causing Su Xiao to retreat several steps, his body convulsing, leaving him paradoxically pleasantly awake, as if electrified, with hair nearing a stand.
An even more mischievous laugh erupted. Su Xiao, his face dark, walked towards the third stone gate.
