Chapter 401 - 260: New Talent, Mingyi’s Foundation Establishment
Chapter 401: Chapter 260: New Talent, Mingyi’s Foundation Establishment
「In the secret chamber.」
On the Cold Jade Bed before Lin Changheng lay a dazzling array of Luminous Essence Blood. The deep blue light reflected on his face, giving it an air of profound mystery.
After a quick glance, Lin Changheng took two portions of the Essence Blood and initiated a preliminary Spirit Stealing to observe the results.
[Cold Jade Crystal Scorpion Treasure Species - Spirit Stealing Metamorphosis]
[Spirit Stealing: 1/100]
[Utility: A Profound Spirit Demon Beast Bloodline, innately possessing the three attributes of Water, Gold, and Ice. It holds the Lifebound Talents: Extreme Cold Poisonous Fiend, Vajra Scorpion Tail, and Water Shadow Stealth. Upon successful Spirit Stealing, one may be chosen and Refined into the user.]
He began to quickly scan the three Talents, but his gaze stopped short, immediately drawn to the phrase "three attributes of Water, Gold, and Ice."
This was the first time Lin Changheng had encountered the unique ’Ice’ attribute.
He had encountered dual-attribute Demon Beast Essence Blood before, but a third attribute had never appeared.
’Could it be... that Water and Gold merged and mutated to create Ice?’
He based this speculation on the knowledge that an Ice-attribute Anomalous Spirit Root could, under special circumstances, form from the intermingling of Water and Gold dual Spirit Roots.
Not dwelling on it, Lin Changheng turned his attention to the [Extreme Cold Poisonous Fiend] Talent.
It was not a simple freezing ability.
Combined with the information from Cheng Suling, Lin Changheng realized the essence of this ’Extreme Cold’ was not only a form of control, but also an extreme low temperature that attacked and stripped away life and vitality.
The ’Poisonous Fiend,’ on the other hand, originated from the turbid qi and killing instinct sedimented in the demon scorpion’s bloodline—a virulent poison that defiled the physical body and corroded Magical Power.
When combined, their effect was far greater than the sum of its parts.
In his detailed analysis, he deduced that if he successfully refined this Talent, a mere thought in battle would allow him to unleash a formless, intangible stream of Extreme Cold Poisonous Fiend qi from his fingertips or a Magical Treasure.
This qi might not be as swift as a Flying Sword, but its strength lay in its insidious and unpredictable nature, making it difficult to defend against. Once it hit, the damage was comprehensive.
It could instantly freeze a person’s Qi and Blood and Spiritual Power, causing an opponent’s movements to become stiff and sluggish, as if they were trapped in a quagmire. This was the initial manifestation of ’Extreme Cold’.
Meanwhile, the Poisonous Fiend qi would seize the opportunity to infiltrate, like maggots burrowing into bone, and frantically corrode the opponent’s meridians and Dantian Magical Power. This would disrupt their Magical Power circulation and poison their physical body—such was the sinister viciousness of ’Poisonous Fiend’.
According to Cheng Suling’s summary, this Talent of the [Cold Jade Crystal Scorpion] was exceedingly difficult to handle. It had not only slowed down the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, but had also made them suffer immensely.
’This Talent is a strong contender!’
...
He then looked at the [Vajra Scorpion Tail].
This Talent could be described as an innate physiological trait of the [Cold Jade Crystal Scorpion].
Unlike the insidious and domineering nature of [Extreme Cold Poisonous Fiend], the impression the [Vajra Scorpion Tail] left on Cheng Suling and her companions was on another level entirely—sheer, unadulterated destructive power!
This Talent wasn’t a complex application of energy. Instead, it highly compressed and condensed the [Cold Jade Crystal Scorpion]’s Gold Element Evil Qi, Ice Element chill, and physical strength into the very tip of its tail.
A flick of its long tail could shatter any defense, and its speed was absolute.
Driven by will, the tail’s strike could create afterimages. The moment it was willed, the attack had already landed! Its speed surpassed that of a typical Flying Sword, resembling more of a teleporting, disconnected strike!
Even more terrifying was its ’Breaking Aura’ property. While it relied on overwhelming brute force, it also possessed a ’Piercing’ attribute.
It was as if most energy shields and physical defenses in the world had natural ’fissures’ before it, and the Vajra Scorpion Tail’s attack could precisely find and tear them open to strike directly at the core!
A Tier One [Cold Jade Crystal Scorpion], due to the vast difference in level, couldn’t break through the defenses of Cheng Suling’s group even with this property. A Tier Two scorpion, however, was a different story entirely.
They even suffered considerable losses because of it.
The third member of their party, the Luo Cultivator, was overwhelmed and had his Magical Power Shield breached, his arm pierced through by the scorpion’s tail.
Fortunately, he managed to save his arm in the end. Otherwise, a crippled limb would have undoubtedly hindered his cultivation path.
’Unfortunately, I lack such a deadly tail. Otherwise, this would be an excellent choice.’
However, he also keenly perceived this Talent’s ’flaw’: its extreme condensation meant it had a limited area of effect. It was better suited for pinpoint kills than for clearing a wide area.
Furthermore, it required time to build up power and couldn’t be unleashed at a moment’s notice.
...
The final Talent was [Water Shadow Stealth].
The words "Shadow" and "Stealth" in its name directly indicated this Talent was related to Invisibility, Hidden Form, and underwater Escape Techniques.
Like [Extreme Cold Poisonous Fiend], it was a composite of different Magic skills.
Lin Changheng deduced it was based on an affinity for and the ability to mimic Water-attribute Spiritual Power.
With a mere flicker of thought, one’s aura would begin to assimilate with the ubiquitous water vapor in the environment, making it difficult to quickly discern.
One’s physical form would also naturally distort and refract through the interplay of light and water vapor, achieving a rudimentary visual Concealment.
More subtly, even one’s body temperature, Magical Power fluctuations, and faint aura of life could be perfectly enveloped, masked, and diluted by the water vapor, making it difficult to lock onto with Divine Sense.
"The greatest good is like water, which benefits all things and does not compete... Thus, it is close to the Way."
A line from a Tao Scripture of his past life surfaced in Lin Changheng’s mind. This [Water Shadow Stealth] seemed to have captured the very essence of water’s gentleness, mutability, and stealth.
It was especially proficient in stealth and escape.
In water, using this skill would allow him to hide within the current, using undercurrents to move swiftly and silently, approaching targets or retreating from danger without a trace.
In rain or fog, the effect was just as good. He would be like a fish in water, his form unpredictable and elusive.
Even in a seemingly dry place, as long as there was the slightest moisture in the air, he could utilize it to create momentary visual distortions and aura disturbances, allowing him to break a target lock or create an opening to strike.