Chapter Sixty: Skill Enhancement (End of Volume)

After reading the skill description, Murong Xun was not particularly moved. Though it looked as if this skill were weak, that was not the case at all.

After all, Swordheart Clarity was only at the most basic first level right now, still in its most rudimentary state. If he wanted it to become truly formidable, he would have to strengthen it.

And strengthening a skill was quite simple. He only needed to go to the Skill Enhancement Hall that had just opened next door.

This was a function unlocked after he reached level five, one that could rapidly raise his skills.

As long as one was willing to spend, Paradise Coins could be used to push a skill upward at great speed.

Only once the skill reached higher levels would World Origin be required.

After some hesitation, Murong Xun decided to raise the skill level first.

After all, equipment was an external thing, and there would always come a time when it was discarded. Only one’s own abilities truly belonged to oneself.

Besides, if he did not raise its level, then learning Swordheart Clarity would be no different from not learning it at all. That would be a waste.

After leaving the attribute enhancement hall, Murong Xun went straight to the place that made many people blanch at the very mention of it.

The Skill Upgrade Hall.

It was said that in the later stages, each enhancement here could make even the mighty wince in pain.

The building style was much the same as the attribute enhancement hall. The Skill Upgrade Hall was also shaped like a palace, with more than a dozen towering pillars supporting the vast main chamber, giving it an air of immense grandeur and authority.

The floor was polished so cleanly that it reflected people’s images with perfect clarity.

But unlike the attribute enhancement hall, this place was not deserted; from time to time, players could be seen coming and going.

Murong Xun looked around casually and wandered about for a bit. After roughly figuring out how everything worked, he came to a place much like an enhancement pod.

When he lay down inside the skill upgrade pod, the hatch sealed shut, and a virtual screen appeared before his eyes.

[Please select the skill you wish to upgrade!]

Murong Xun chose Swordheart Clarity first.

[Upgrading the passive skill Swordheart Clarity will cost 1,000 Paradise Coins. Proceed with payment? Yes/No]

Seeing the price, Murong Xun drew a sharp breath. No wonder people spoke of this place with such dread; it was far too expensive!

And this was only a blue-tier skill, and not even a high-level one at that. If it were a purple-tier skill, would it not be even more expensive?

“Upgrade.”

Even so, he could only agree.

After selecting yes, Murong Xun felt his vision go dark, as though all the light around him had vanished and he had been cast into boundless darkness. Slowly, he even lost the sensation of his own body, as if his entire being had fully merged into the darkness, leaving only his heart still beating with force.

At that moment, his eyes lost their use. He could only sense everything around him with his heart, as if he too had become part of the darkness.

A few minutes later, Murong Xun awakened.

Looking again, Swordheart Clarity had already risen to level two.

Its numerical values had improved as well, though only by a single level, so the change was not yet obvious.

Ignoring that, he continued to raise the skill, throwing himself into darkness again and again.

[Passive skill: Swordheart Clarity has reached LV3!]

[Passive skill: Swordheart Clarity has reached LV4!]

[Passive skill: Swordheart Clarity has reached LV5!]

When Swordheart Clarity reached level five, the first branching option appeared.

[Your skill Swordheart Clarity has reached LV5. At level five, you may choose a branch option. Please select from the following.]

1. Slightly increase perception.

2. Slightly increase awareness of attacks from behind.

3. Increase the chance of detecting an enemy’s opening by 1%.

Seeing this, Murong Xun did not hesitate and chose the second option directly.

For no other reason than this: as a lone wolf, his back was his weakness, so he needed to compensate for that flaw as much as possible.

And after Swordheart Clarity reached level five, Murong Xun did not stop. He continued to push it higher.

For him, raising this skill further would be of considerable use.

[The skill Swordheart Clarity has been raised to LV5. From now on, each additional level will cost 2,000 Paradise Coins!]

Seeing this prompt, Murong Xun’s teeth hurt.

But there was nothing he could do. He could only grit his teeth and keep going. If he had not recently made a windfall, he truly would not have been able to bear such spending.

[Passive skill: Swordheart Clarity has reached LV6!]

[Passive skill: Swordheart Clarity has reached LV7!]

[Passive skill: Swordheart Clarity has reached LV8!]

[Passive skill: Swordheart Clarity has reached LV9!]

[Passive skill: Swordheart Clarity has reached LV10!]

[Passive skill: Swordheart Clarity has reached the entry-level cap. Additional rewards may be selected, and the skill may continue to be improved.]

1. Greatly increase your own perception.

2. Increase awareness of attacks from behind by 10%.

3. Increase the chance of detecting an enemy’s opening by 2%.

4. Spend 10,000 Paradise Coins to raise the skill to the proficient level!

Without hesitation, Murong Xun chose option four, upgrading the skill to the proficient tier, though its level had once again reset to one.

And this time, one enhancement actually required 10,000 coins, which made Murong Xun stare in disbelief.

[Swordheart Clarity: Proficient LV1]

[Effect 1: Greatly enhances perception and perception range. There is a 35% chance of sensing an attack from behind.]

[Effect 2: 15% chance to detect an enemy’s opening. Striking an opening will deal five times damage.]

[Effect 3: Defensive counterattack. When a defensive counterattack succeeds, it will deal ten times damage.]

After Swordheart Clarity advanced to the proficient level, Murong Xun could clearly sense everything around him even without using his eyes.

The slightest change was reflected in his heart with striking clarity. Such a sensation made him deeply unaccustomed, and the massive, chaotic torrent of information exerted a pressure upon him.

At this point, he still did not know how to filter or process all of it.

Still, this was a good thing, making his awareness of everything around him far keener.

He would need time to adapt to it slowly, so although he still had enough Paradise Coins, he did not rush to continue upgrading the skill.

He did not even raise his Blade Mastery.

Because after first strengthening his attributes and then strengthening his skills, his spirit had already come under tremendous strain. Continuing to push himself at this point would not have been wise.

So he simply chose to return to his exclusive room, sleep for a while, and let his mind relax first. There was still time, after all, and there was no need to hurry.

Lying on the soft bed, he soon fell into a deep sleep.

Earlier, while strengthening his attributes, he had remained awake the entire time. It had not only weighed heavily on his spirit, but had also consumed a great deal of his stamina.