Day after day, Ian practiced Alchemy during the day, refined Blood Essence at night, and ditated before going to sleep.
He could feel that as his Bloodline Purification Technique neared its limit, his understanding of the model deepened.
The Witchcraft Model in his mind beca increasingly clear, each Energy Node and path of circulation seared into his mory like a brand.
He even began to make subtle adjustnts to the refinent process.
For instance, he experinted with changing the pace of his Spiritual Power’s penetration and adjusting the compression ratio of the condensing Energy, all in an attempt to find a more efficient and stable refinent thod.
Although most attempts ended in failure, the occasional success brought a more substantial increase in his Skill Level.
The threshold for Limit-Breaking was drawing ever closer.
On the seventh night, the moon was hidden and the stars were faint. Even the unique, hazy glow of the Glowing Forest seed to have dimd considerably.
Ian returned to his usual spot, with three vials of blood placed before him.
One vial contained the blood of a Stone-Skinned Mountain Demon, which he had just acquired from Talia. He had no idea where she had gotten the blood of a Top Level Demonized Beast.
Although it wasn’t fresh, it was rich in Energy and suffused with the Earth Attribute.
Another vial held the leftover blood of the Shadow Pattern Viper, and the last was an unknown Beast Blood he’d traded from a passing wanderer Apprentice. It was a murky, near-black color and gave off a faint, intermingled scent of cloying sweetness and rot.
He decided to use these three vials of blood to make his final push tonight.
First, he processed the blood of the Stone-Skinned Mountain Demon.
His technique was masterful. His Spiritual Power delved in, quickly latching onto the dense Life Energy and Earth Attribute properties within.
The refinent process went smoothly. Seven egg-sized spheres of Blood Essence flew out, their color a dark yellow, with faint, stone-like patterns swirling across their surfaces.
He glanced at his panel. [Bloodline Purification Technique: Expert (799/800)]. He was just one point of Skill Level away. ’Too bad that last one didn’t give it to ,’ he thought.
Next was the blood of the Shadow Pattern Viper.
This ti, he deliberately quickened the pace of refinent. His Spiritual Power spread out like a net, capturing multiple Energy Nodes at once to refine them in parallel.
The Shadow Energy still caused interference, but Ian’s Spiritual Control Power was on a completely different level now. He steadily suppressed the backlash, and five Deep Red spheres of Blood Essence floated up.
Still no breakthrough, but Ian felt he was just a hair’s breadth away.
Finally, his gaze fell upon the vial of unknown, near-black blood.
He uncorked the vial. A much stronger scent of cloying sweetness and rot washed over him, mingled with an extrely faint, unsettling ripple of distortion.
’This blood... sothing’s not right about it.’
Ian frowned slightly, but with Limit-Breaking so close, he didn’t want to give up.
He cautiously sent his Spiritual Power probing into the vial.
The next mont, everything changed!
The faint ripple of distortion within the blood suddenly magnified, as if countless fragnted shrieks and mad ramblings were surging back along the channel of his Spiritual Power and into his mind!
The scene before his eyes swam, the outlines of rocks and trees began to twist and stretch, and insidious, rustling whispers echoed in his ears, filled with madness!
’Spiritual pollution?! This blood is from a deeply corrupted Demonized Fierce Beast!’
Ian was shaken, but he didn’t panic.
After the trial of facing those eerie entities deep within the Silent Death Mountain Range, this level of ntal interference wasn’t enough to make him lose his grip.
Within his Sea of Spirit, the Will Rune flashed faintly. A cool, resolute presence spread out from it, instantly steadying his mind.
At the sa ti, inspiration struck. Instead of forcibly resisting the distorted ripple, he pushed the model for the Bloodline Purification Technique to its absolute limit!
The Magic Technique, originally used to refine Extraordinary Information and Life Energy, underwent a subtle change.
His Spiritual Power was no longer rely stripping away and condensing. Instead, it transford into countless, more precise and corrosive filants that actively entangled the distorted ripples.
Like the sharpest of Hunters, it analyzed, deconstructed, and then... Devoured!
’Bloodline Purification... it doesn’t just purify the blood, but all the traits contained within it!
Energy, attributes, and even... residual Spiritual Marks!’
The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
The near-black blood churned violently, as if countless tiny black shadows were struggling and screaming within it.
But the filants of Ian’s Spiritual Power had already woven a great net, binding them fast.
Refine, compress, purify!
The cloying, rotten scent in the blood quickly faded, and the distorted ripples were forcibly stripped away and crushed...
In the end, all that remained was a core strand of pure, dark red Energy, carrying an aura of icy stillness.
Three soybean-sized spheres of Blood Essence, deep and solid in color, slowly rose. Faint black, ethereal shadows could be seen swirling within them.
[Bloodline Purification Technique Skill Level 1]
At the sa ti, the model for the Bloodline Purification Technique shuddered violently in his mind!
A torrent of comprehension, even more vast and powerful than when Scorching Beam had undergone Limit-Breaking, flooded into Ian’s consciousness!
Countless pieces of profound knowledge—about the essence of blood, the structure of Life Energy, the separation of Spiritual Marks, and the extraction and fusion of traits—were branded upon his very Soul, becoming as natural as instinct.
He "saw" the core model of the Bloodline Purification Technique undergoing a violent transformation, Reorganization, and ascension!
The originally complex, three-dinsional Magic construct began to collapse inward and condense.
Countless lines of Energy and Nodes, like a hundred rivers flowing to the sea, converged upon a single central point.
Near the region of the Will Rune, a speck of dark red light appeared. At first it was as faint as a spark, but it grew brighter and clearer with every passing mont!
Within the light, countless intricate lines automatically generated, weaving together and taking shape...
Finally, a brand new Rune was born!
It floated quietly to the side and slightly below the Will Rune, its form ancient and mysterious.
Its main body was a constantly rotating, dark red vortex. At its center was a point of profound blackness that seed capable of devouring everything.
From the vortex’s edge extended countless, extrely fine golden lines, like a vascular network, which faintly connected to the Will Rune.
The mont the Rune took shape, Ian felt his Spiritual Power being thrown into an invisible Furnace once more.
In his Sea of Spirit, the hazy mist roiled gently. It seed to have expanded sowhat, its density increasing slightly as well.
He felt an unprecedentedly clear connection being established between himself and blood, Life Energy, and even the deeper level of "traits."
It was as if he could, with a re thought, easily gain Insight into all the secrets hidden within blood, and then refine, transform... and Devour them!
[Bloodline Purification Technique: Limit-Broken (1) (0/1600) (Limit-Breaking Effect: 1. Spirit Devourer)]
’Spirit Devourer? An effect created to deal with the residual Will in bloodlines?’
Ian opened his eyes, a dark red light flashing through them for an instant before vanishing.
He raised his hand. With a flicker of his will, the newly ford bloodline rune in his Sea of Spirit trembled softly.
An invisible ripple spread out from his fingertip.
A withered leaf on the ground instantly shriveled and rotted. Its imperceptible life force was forcibly extracted, transforming into a nearly invisible, pale green wisp that flowed into his fingertip.
Although it was faint, Ian knew this was no simple plunder, but a more fundantal act of Purification and Devouring.
It was especially effective against attacks on one’s Will and against spiritual pollution; after Devouring such things, it could even slightly strengthen his Spiritual Power.
’After Limit-Breaking, the Bloodline Purification Technique is no longer just a support Skill. It’s a powerful offensive and defensive tool in its own right!’
Ian slowly exhaled, a sharp light glinting in his eyes.
The night was deep, and the Glowing Forest was silent.
But he knew that as of tonight, he had another powerful card to play.
Whether it was the clue to the Ancient Tree of Life in the Whispering Forest or the core materials a rchant would bring in twenty days, he now felt far more confident.
He collected the refined Blood Essence, cleaned up his tracks, and like a Shadow lting into the night, quietly returned to his tent.
A new round of Cultivation began.
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