Chapter 263: Talent: Extreme Ascension
[Your body is about to begin its transformation. You have ten minutes to prepare...]
Lin Qi looked at the information on his panel and began to prepare.
He gripped the white towel in his hand. It was made of a special, exceptionally tough material that he wouldn’t easily bite through.
「Ten minutes later.」
"HUMMM!"
The moment the time was up, Lin Qi’s entire body trembled. His heart began to race wildly, as if a mysterious force had been injected into him in an instant.
It shot through every corner of his body with the speed of a thunderclap, acting like a fuse and instantly triggering a chain reaction.
"HSSS—"
In that instant, Lin Qi’s eyes flew wide open, bloodshot and strained. Veins bulged on his face.
Deep within his bloodline, where his very Genetic Sequence lay, a pair of invisible, giant hands were violently re-engineering him.
The physical manifestation of this was the transformation of his entire body. With every breath, an unending, horrific pain, like being torn apart and strangled from the inside, washed over him.
"THUMP-THUMP!!"
His heart pounded wildly, but then it felt like it was rupturing. An intense, stabbing pain forced Lin Qi to bite down hard on the towel, enduring the agony.
"ARGH!!"
He felt like he was dying. ’My heart is going to explode!’
But it was as if an invisible force was protecting his heart, breaking it down only to reshape it anew.
It wasn’t just his heart; his blood vessels, muscles, Great Tendons, and even his bones were being shattered and remolded.
Although the intensity wasn’t as extreme as his previous transformations, this full-body overhaul was still excruciating enough to make him wish for death.
Beads of sweat poured from him, flushing out impurities. With every exhalation, he expelled clouds of waste gas.
’It hurts. It hurts so much!’
For Lin Qi, every transformation was an ordeal of pure torture.
’I might actually die if I don’t make it through this,’ he even thought.
’That’s why I have to make it.’
His Genetic Sequence was being altered deep within him. His flesh began to transform, and his organs were all being reshaped.
This was to say nothing of his already highly-tempered muscles, Great Tendons, skin, and bones...
His very cells were changing, and he could even feel an intangible power gestating within him once more.
Lin Qi recognized it. It was the power of his Little Divine Power, Vajra Transformation.
Beyond that, his cells were constantly renewing themselves, moving frantically as they underwent a profound transformation.
He writhed in agony, forcing himself to hold on while silently observing the changes in his body to distract himself.
’That is...’
Despite his mental exhaustion, Lin Qi could feel that newly gestated power surging through his body before settling down once more.
Simultaneously, the surrounding Source Energy Particles began to surge into his body of their own accord, devoured by his cells to fuel their regeneration.
’What’s going on?’
The next moment, a piercing, scorching-hot pain flared in his chest.
His skin grew brighter and brighter, emitting a dazzling, pale golden radiance.
Just as he tried to investigate further, the intense pain wracking his body grew even stronger.
His consciousness was on the verge of giving out, but he refused to surrender.
Only Little Chan, in her blue robe, could see the golden patterns on Lin Qi’s chest glowing with ever-increasing brilliance.
「Two hours later, close to midnight.」
The spacious Martial Arts Room was silent. Lin Qi lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
The memory of the pain still echoed in his mind.
After a moment, he snapped back to his senses and focused his gaze on his panel.
The next moment, he shot bolt upright, his eyes glued to the panel.
[Template Fusion Degree has reached 20%. Your body has undergone a transformation. Your physical Talent has been comprehensively enhanced, your Comprehension has increased, and your affinity for Weapon Mastery has improved.]
[Your Genetic Sequence has been optimized. You have obtained the Talent: Extreme Ascension.]
[Due to your "Extreme Ascension" Talent, your Little Divine Power has transformed. It has become: Double Golden Gang Transformation.]
[The transformation of your Little Divine Power has stimulated the revival of an unknown power deep within your bloodline. Special Ability Awakening: 50%. When Template Fusion Degree reaches 25%, your Special Ability will be 100% Awakened...]
[Your body has involuntarily absorbed a large amount of Source Energy Particles. Your Qi and Blood Value has broken through. Qi and Blood Value +5]
[Qi and Blood Value: 80 → 85]
...
Lin Qi stared at the new messages on his panel, trying to process the massive amount of information.
Not only had he gained a new Talent, but it had actually caused his Little Divine Power, Vajra Transformation, to transform as well.
’What exactly is this Extreme Ascension Talent?’
Curious, he tapped on the Talent’s name, and information flooded his mind.
[Talent: Extreme Ascension]
[Effect: When facing a crisis or even a desperate situation, the user can instantly ignite their body’s energy to release a burst of power far exceeding their normal limits.]
[This not only turns the tide of battle but also allows the user to break through their limits on the brink of life and death, tapping into deeper reserves of power...]
...
Lin Qi thought about the description. The more he read about the Extreme Ascension Talent, the more familiar it seemed.
’It’s not just similar to a Little Divine Power—it’s practically identical.’
A Little Divine Power is also used at critical moments to grant an explosive boost to his physical stats and turn the tide of a battle.
’Except my Talent’s burst of power must be even stronger, which is why it caused the Little Divine Power to transform.’
’It became Double Golden Gang Transformation.’
He then inspected his brand-new Little Divine Power: Double Golden Gang Transformation.
Another wave of information entered his mind. Lin Qi’s eyes lit up as understanding dawned on him.
Vajra Transformation was now divided into two layers. The First Layer had the original effect: a comprehensive boost to his physical stats.
The Second Layer, however, was far more powerful. On top of the First Layer’s effects, his physical stats would receive a second, massive surge.
Lin Qi couldn’t imagine how terrifyingly powerful his physical stats would become after activating the Double Golden Gang Transformation.
The drawback, however, was severe physical damage. Anyone whose physical Talent wasn’t strong enough would likely die on the spot.
Only someone with his powerful physique could withstand the side effects.
Even so, he would need to recuperate after using it, meaning he would be left extremely weak for a short period.
’But I guess a High-Level Healing Potion could shorten the recovery time,’ he mused.
He’d have to carry High-Level Healing Potions with him from now on, just in case.
"Phew—"
Lin Qi exhaled slowly, calming his racing heart. He suddenly wondered if he could use the Dual State in the Red Realm.
He knew he could use the First Layer, but what about the Dual State? Could it be activated in a dangerous situation within the Virtual World?
’I’m not sure. I’ll have to test it.’
But one thing was certain: his Extreme Ascension Talent was incredibly powerful.
It was his true ace in the hole, his confidence in the face of danger.
Next, he looked at the entry for his Special Ability. He hadn’t expected to have already awakened half of it.
Awakening a Special Ability was purely a matter of luck.
That was a commonly held belief among all Martial Artists on Blue Star.
But now, that belief was shattered. His panel could control the progress of his Ability’s awakening.
Lin Qi was thrilled. ’Once my Special Ability awakens, I’ll be an SS-level genius!’
He’d had a premonition that he might awaken his Special Ability somewhere between 20% and 30% Fusion Degree.
It looked like his premonition had been right.
’It’s already at 50% progress. I’ll fully awaken it at 25% Fusion Degree.’
’For every 1% increase in Fusion Degree, the awakening progress goes up by 10%.’
’At my current pace, it’ll probably take another four to five months. I can awaken it before my sophomore year.’
Just as he was about to read on, an intense hunger surged through him, his body practically screaming for fuel.
He immediately walked over to the side, grabbed an energy drink, and started chugging.
"GLUG, GLUG—"
He downed one bottle in a second, then a second, then a third...
Then he moved on to the Level 4 Nutritional Meals that had been kept warm, wolfing them down. He devoured a full four servings before finally stopping.
"Phew."
Lin Qi set down the empty drink bottle and noticed that his entire body was covered in a layer of sticky sweat.
A large puddle of it had formed where he had been lying.
He immediately stripped off his Martial Arts Uniform and stepped into the bathroom.
"SHHHH!!"
The hot water sluiced over his body, washing away the filth, which was mixed with a fair amount of blood.
Lin Qi continued to look over his panel’s information.
’My Qi and Blood Value never increased much during previous transformations, but this time is different.’
’My Qi and Blood Value jumped by five points in one go. At 85, I’ve officially broken into the late-stage of the Third Realm. I’m less than 15 points away from the peak of 99.’
’I’m only 10 points away from the goal Dean Xue set for me. It’s only December, so I still have over two months left. I might actually be able to hit 99.’
’With Dean Xue’s resources, I might even be able to break through to the Fourth Realm all at once.’
Lin Qi nodded to himself. ’A Fourth Realm Martial Artist before my sophomore year... That’s an insane rate of progress.’
Finally, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. The mark on his chest was clearer now, with countless fine lines and blood vessels spreading out from it.
His body had also undergone other subtle changes. His proportions seemed to have been readjusted, and the lines of his muscles looked as if they were meticulously sculpted.
His entire physique looked like a body forged for the Martial Arts.
He looked at his panel again.
[Name: Lin Qi (18)]
[Class: Martial Artist]
[Template: True Monarch Erlang Yang Jian]
[Fusion Degree: 20%]
[Talents: Stomach Enhancement, Dragon Energy and Tiger Fierceness, Steel Bones and Iron Flesh, Heart Eye, Extreme Ascension]
[Cultivation Techniques: Hunyuan Posture, Five Elements Fist (Five Elements Training), Vajra Tiger Evolution Technique]
[Secret Manuals: Spear Technique (Foundation, Mountain Collapse, Mountain Splitting, Shaking Mountain...), Thunder Light Body Technique, Thunder Shadow Instant Kill Step]
[Spiritual Power: 90]
[Qi and Blood Value: 85]
[Fist Technique: Tier Three 33%]
[Spear Technique: Tier Three 27%]
[Body Technique: Tier Three 18%]
...
This was Lin Qi’s complete status. Since awakening his Talent in September 2045, he had advanced at a rocket-like pace in less than two years.
He had surpassed countless talented experts and was now hailed as the Mountain Monarch—the strongest freshman in the entire nation.
’I’m still not strong enough. Before my sophomore year, I will become the strongest freshman in the entire world.’
Lin Qi silently set a new goal for himself.
...
「Martial Arts Calendar 2046, December 31st」
On the last day of 2046, all students at Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy were given a day off, but they were not allowed to leave campus.
「Virtual World, Disaster Beast Trial Tower」
A burly Huo Wanyang came online, still clad in his red combat suit.
The chiseled, marble-like lines of his muscles stood out, and his frame had grown even more imposing.
The aura he exuded felt scorching and explosive. He gazed up at the cloud-piercing Disaster Beast Trial Tower and thought to himself:
’After a month of dedicated cultivation, it only took me six days to master the Red Lotus Power from the Red Lotus Halberd Technique.’
’I spent two days cultivating a new Body Technique Secret Manual.’
’My Martial Arts have advanced by leaps and bounds. I will be one of the freshmen to clear the 4th Floor of the Trial Tower.’
’And my first goal: to completely surpass Lin Qi!’
He grinned, clenching his fist with a confident smile.
...