Passive Points: 1,069,462.A million more to go...Xu Xiaoshou clenched his fists. He could feel the latent power within his body, many times stronger than it had been. Yet, he had spent less than half of his passive points during this strengthening process, still having a million left!
“This is too powerful,” he thought. “How are other Grandmasters supposed to live?” After a moment of reflection, Xu Xiaoshou fell into deep thought. He could certainly upgrade all his remaining passive skills to the Throne level, but doing so would likely prevent him from participating in the lottery and awakening processes. Though his eyes burned as he scanned his major passive skills again, he managed to hold back.
He used his last 100,000 passive points, investing them in the one status-based passive skill that always allowed him to project an impressive aura: “Aura of Mountains and Rivers (Grandmaster Lv.1).” This immediately elevated it to “Aura of Mountains and Rivers (Throne Lv.1).” He had upgraded it directly to Throne level!
There wasn't much physical change since it was a subtle passive skill. Xu Xiaoshou merely felt a shift in his emotions, as if he could subtly influence the surrounding natural forces. Though the immediate impact was minimal, he knew that “Aura of Mountains and Rivers” had undergone a fundamental transformation. This unique status-based passive skill required time to accumulate, but at the Throne level, it meant that he could now use the 'Empty Fort Strategy' to affect all beings within the Throne realm, including Dao-Severing and Void-Grasping cultivators, almost solely through the accumulation of his aura. Previously, during the battle in the Royal City, he had to combine his holy power with “Aura of Mountains and Rivers” to exert oppressive influence on others. But now, at the Throne level…
“Heh heh!” Xu Xiaoshou chuckled impishly, already envisioning the even more realistic and oppressive presence he could project when using “Transformation” to disguise himself. Unlike most passive skills, which were effective primarily against opponents of similar or slightly higher cultivation levels, “Aura of Mountains and Rivers” was a skill Xu Xiaoshou typically used to deal with powerful individuals. It wasn't for direct combat, but sometimes, intimidation, pressure, deterrence, and sowing doubt were more effective in warding off enemies he couldn't defeat through sheer strength. Previously, he had to rely solely on his wits. Now, he possessed both his intellect and an even more formidable “Empty Fort Strategy” that carried a far greater sense of oppression!
“I can’t upgrade anymore, or I’ll be completely broke…” Staring at the passive skills panel, Xu Xiaoshou resisted the temptation to enhance himself further. He had to try the lottery now. If he drew something valuable, he could use his remaining passive points to impulsively upgrade to Throne level. Otherwise, he would have to settle for investing those points into his existing passive skills.
“This time, I'll spend a maximum of 500,000 on the lottery, absolutely no more!” Xu Xiaoshou inwardly vowed. The lottery was far too easy to get carried away with; once his gambler’s mentality kicked in, he couldn’t resist. If he were to gamble all his remaining 900,000-plus passive points and get nothing, he’d cry himself to death on the spot! So, he set his limit at 500,000. If he hadn't received anything by 300,000, he would allow himself one wild spree, pushing it to 500,000. But if even 500,000 yielded nothing, he might not trust the unknown lottery system for a very long time.
“Passive keys have gone up in price too; 10,000 each time—what a rip-off!” Xu Xiaoshou stared at the shop, hesitating for a moment. Then, stomping his feet and bouncing a little, he perked up. “Let’s start with a ten-pull… no, single pulls bring miracles! One must have dreams!” Perhaps this time, he could get lucky and hit the jackpot on his first try? Harboring this dream, Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth and spent 10,000 passive points to acquire his very first passive key after breaking through to become a dual-king Grandmaster.
“Spirits of heaven and earth, Taishang Laojun… Jade Emperor, Sakyamuni Buddha, manifest yourselves!” He clasped his hands together in devout prayer. Then, with a decisive “Hmph!” he inserted and twisted the passive key.
His vision remained bright. Xu Xiaoshou was immediately disappointed, as this indicated it wasn't a high-level mastery or status passive skill. But no matter! There was still a ninety-nine percent chance for other passive skills to appear… So he turned to look at the information bar. “Pfft…” Xu Xiaoshou nearly choked on his own blood. He felt something was fundamentally wrong! Impossible, right? This rotten system had just swallowed a million of his passive points; it should at least gather immense luck for this first draw and offer a return gift, shouldn't it? This was what Xu Xiaoshou logically expected, and of course, it was human nature. However… “Thank you for your patronage?” “Indeed, you scamming system, you’re not human; you’re truly a scoundrel!”
A single key had made his eyes burn red with anger. Xu Xiaoshou furiously… moved to a spot he felt had better feng shui. He then lay down and secretly exchanged ten passive keys, swiftly inserting them into the passive wheel before it could ‘notice.’ “Give me something, dammit—!” “Pfft, pfft, pfft…” At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou’s vision didn’t black out, but he felt his head spinning. This wretched system only raised the price of passive keys; it didn’t increase the probability, damn it! This wasn’t the old lottery where a key cost a thousand anymore; this was a post-breakthrough lottery where one draw cost ten thousand! “I’m bleeding from the mouth…”
Xu Xiaoshou didn't lose heart. He dug a pit, deliberately not using his spiritual energy, but rather his bare hands with utmost sincerity, and buried himself in it. Then, while underground, he exchanged for another ten keys. “Don’t give me anything, don’t give me anything…” He inserted all ten keys! “Obtained Extended Passive Skill: Transformation!” With a loud bang, the ground shattered. His Throne-level body burst from the pit; Xu Xiaoshou emerged from the earth like a stone monkey, his face flushed. Holding his breath, he shot into the clouds, then erupted into maniacal laughter mid-air. “Wah-gah-gah-gah-gah—!” “Yo-ku-ku-ku-ku—!” “Hee-hah hee-hah hee-hee-hah—!” “Indeed! Damn it, it truly follows Murphy’s Law; it always has to be the opposite! Hahahaha…”
Had he gone mad?! Inside the Yuanfu World, Xu Xiaoji and Greedy God, who were working frantically, simultaneously turned their heads to witness the frenzied figure in the sky. All thoughts of peerless elegance or refined temperament vanished; Xu Xiaoji saw only a dirt-covered, wild-eyed lunatic. If he hadn't known there was nothing else in the Yuanfu World, he would have truly believed it was a tomb raider who had gone insane after discovering an emperor's tomb. “It’s normal…” Xu Xiaoji quickly averted his gaze and calmly resumed counting the boxes, not daring to look further. He simply muttered to himself, “This is Demon King Xu; he goes mad a few times a month. It’s perfectly normal…”
Xu Xiaoshou was indeed on the verge of madness. It had been a very long time since he had drawn anything useful. Two hundred thousand passive points, equivalent to forty previous draws, had only yielded this one extended passive skill. It was, to say the least, a significant loss. But it didn't matter! As long as he acquired something, even the smallest passive skill, it would surely provide a tremendous boost to his current combat power. What's more, in Xu Xiaoshou's experience, there had never been a weak passive skill. “Transformation…”
Without hesitation, he invested ten first-tier skill points, leveling “Transformation” to the Innate stage. He then began to sense the changes within himself, knowing from experience that extended passive skills exclusively affected the physical body. The power within him was shifting. With “Perception” active, everything was remarkably clear. He noticed a gradual dissipation of tangible forces like blood essence and spiritual energy. Simultaneously, the mental power he had just expended in his frenzied state suddenly felt subtly replenished. In a short while, Xu Xiaoshou felt his mental energy, which hadn't been greatly depleted, return to its peak, achieving a delicate balance with his blood essence, spiritual energy, and other internal forces.
“My blood essence, spiritual energy, and other forces have transformed into what I needed most… mental power?!” Xu Xiaoshou realized with a jolt, his eyes blazing. Transformation: this skill could convert one’s existing powers into another type of energy that had been lost due to internal or external factors, ultimately achieving a balance of all energies. “This is a divine skill!” Xu Xiaoshou clutched his head, overwhelmed with joy.
What did he lack most at that moment? Mental defense. Upon receiving a mental attack, he would either instantly fall into a stupor or be continuously controlled. But if Transformation truly worked as he imagined, it could take portions of his strongest assets—his vitality and spiritual energy—and use them to bolster his weakest point: his mental defense! Crucially, he also possessed “Ever-Vigorous” and “Full of Vigor.” This meant that as long as his enemies didn't immediately kill or permanently control him, and as long as they didn’t launch a perfectly balanced, all-encompassing attack involving mental, physical, willpower, and Heavenly Dao aspects that could obliterate him, then any essence, qi, or spirit lost due to an opponent's attack would quickly be replenished by his other internal powers, thanks to “Transformation.”
“Oh my god!” Xu Xiaoshou was utterly stunned. His physical body, already an immense strength, now seemed boundless. With the emergence of the “Transformation” passive skill, who could possibly stop him? A mental attack would trigger the conversion of blood essence and spiritual energy into mental power for replenishment. A physical attack would cause mental power and spiritual energy to transform into blood essence, restoring his vitality. Even if a force existed that could directly obliterate spiritual energy, Xu Xiaoshou could draw new energy from his blood essence and mental power for use. “This is insane! How could anything in this world directly wipe out all of someone’s power? That would require a Grandmaster to have fully achieved Dao Realm Completion and then comprehend all Three Thousand Great Daos again on that foundation!” “And if not, it means I’m probably, essentially, unkillable!” With his life now receiving the most steadfast guarantee, Xu Xiaoshou was incredibly exhilarated.
Extended passive skills came with no explanations; he had to test it himself. So, he immediately upgraded “Transformation” from Innate to Grandmaster, and after a moment of thought, he decided to push it further! “Transformation (Throne Lv.1).” The Throne-level transformation power was instantly obvious, like transitioning from needing a microscope to observe to seeing a vivid 3D effect with the naked eye. With trembling hands, Xu Xiaoshou continuously channeled white flames into the chaotic mist within the Yuanfu space, depleting his spiritual energy. Soon after, as his Qi Sea's spiritual energy dwindled, all the various forces within his body began to stir. Previously, only “Full of Vigor” would activate. Now, every module throughout his body was engaged. Xu Xiaoshou felt his blood essence decline and his mental power begin to deplete, but simultaneously, “Ever-Vigorous” activated alongside “Full of Vigor,” causing his spiritual energy to surge dramatically—a massive, explosive increase! After only a few breaths, Xu Xiaoshou ceased his efforts, and his spiritual energy had already returned to its highest point after rebalancing. Even after recovery, “Ever-Vigorous” and “Full of Vigor” hadn't stopped; they continued to work! It wasn't until all his depleted mental energy was fully replenished, and Xu Xiaoshou himself had returned to his peak state, that he finally felt all internal activity cease.
“Clack, clack, clack…” His teeth chattered. Though he hadn't taken any drugs, at that moment, Xu Xiaoshou felt an exhilarating surge of comfort. This was… a miracle! Unstoppable! With this “Transformation,” he genuinely wouldn't need to sleep anymore. Post-battle after-effects or states of weakness would be impossible. The advent of “Transformation” essentially turned his two foundational passive skills into endless power sources, instantly replenishing whatever was needed. Moreover, at the Throne level, “Transformation” was nearly instantaneous. It was simply unstoppable!
“It’s truly terrifying,” he mused, his lips twitching. “A man who constantly maintains his peak state, facing an opponent who only grows more exhausted the longer they fight… an enemy, indeed.” He found the implications utterly dreadful. At this moment, he dared to proclaim himself the man with the strongest endurance, the strongest man in all the lands—bar none! If “Transformation” had appeared earlier, its effect might not have been so terrifying. But now that his cultivation had reached the Grandmaster level and the passive skill cap had been elevated to the Throne level, this ability had truly become an endless supply of vitality!
At that moment, Xu Xiaoshou had an idea. He abruptly flew in front of Xu Xiaoji. “Xiaoji, I’ll give you a chance. Hit me hard!” “Huh?” Xu Xiaoji was startled, a thought flashing through his mind: *Is he testing me?* He immediately waved his hands, saying fearfully, “Master Shou, I’ve never once harbored the thought of hitting you, never!” Xu Xiaoshou simply said, “If you don’t hit me, I’ll hit you.” Xu Xiaoji’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“My apologies…” Taking a step back, Xu Xiaoji suddenly clenched his fist, gathering a massive amount of elements from the void. His eyes gleamed with a determined excitement as he fiercely launched a punch. This fellow, it turned out, also possessed Throne-level combat power. “Boom!” Spiritual energy exploded. Xu Xiaoshou remained completely unmoving. Xu Xiaoji, however, was violently thrown backward as if he had been shocked by a hedgehog, his body tumbling and spiraling into the air. He clutched his fist, bent into a shrimp-like curl, and finally crashed heavily into the ground.
“Indeed…” After landing, Xu Xiaoji was on the verge of tears. “I knew it, I knew it! I used to have a chance, but now I truly don't! This guy, whether he's hitting someone or being hit, in the end, only others get hurt…” On the other side, Demon King Xu naturally didn't press his advantage; he had once again fallen into a state of shock.
The Throne-level “Transformation” had given him a peculiar sensation, unlike anything he’d experienced at Grandmaster level or below, so Xu Xiaoshou decided to test it. Xu Xiaoji’s punch perfectly confirmed his hypothesis: “Transformation” not only balanced internal powers through conversion, but at the Throne level, it could also convert external forces! Nearly fifty percent of Xu Xiaoji’s punch power was absorbed by the “Transformation” ability, turning into nourishment for Xu Xiaoshou’s body and Qi Sea. Only the remaining portion caused damage to Xu Xiaoshou. And since Xu Xiaoshou was already in peak condition, the fifty percent damage inflicted by Xu Xiaoji was perfectly nullified by the other fifty percent of power that had been transformed. This meant… “Punching me not only inflicts no damage, but it also causes you to be shaken to death?” Xu Xiaoshou stood there, dumbfounded.
[20 seconds from now] Chapter 71: Washing Away Suspicion
[1 second from now] Chapter 1240: People Should Have Compassion
[59 seconds ago] Chapter 984: Fire Curse
[2 minutes ago] Chapter 114: Immediately Die
8383 · 0 · 22
