At the very front, Lin Xuan paid no attention to any of this. He was fully focused, moving swiftly past each puppet within the three-hundred-meter radius of the stone platform.
With a thought—
"Ding, consumed 200,000 energy points. Copy successful. Obtained [Mystic-grade Cultivation Talent]."
"Ding, consumed 100,000 energy points. Copy successful. Obtained [Spirit-grade Sword Dao Talent]."
"Ding, consumed 200,000 energy points. Copy successful. Obtained [Low-grade Spatial Talent]."
"..."
As he walked along, he copied everything in his path. Immediately, he chose to use them.
"Ding, congratulations, host! Cultivation talent upgraded!"
"Ding, congratulations, host! Advanced to Spirit-grade Sword Dao Talent!"
"Ding, congratulations, host! Spatial talent upgraded!"
"..."
Due to the overwhelming suppression of the gravity field, not a trace of his aura fluctuations could escape. Naturally, no one knew what was happening.
As Lin Xuan continued past each puppet, his talents steadily climbed. Though his cultivation level remained unchanged, his strength grew increasingly formidable. A satisfied gleam shone in Lin Xuan's eyes.
Meanwhile, within the gravity field covering the three-hundred-meter radius of the stone platform, Lin Xuan found himself moving with greater ease as he advanced. His pace unconsciously quickened by several notches.
Behind him, aside from Duan Feichen, no one else had yet entered the three-hundred-meter range. Even Duan Feichen struggled with every step, pausing for several breaths before he could continue. Lin Xuan, in stark contrast, moved with a calm, casual air, as if strolling through a garden.
Watching this scene, everyone behind was stunned into silence. Their minds buzzed, nearly unable to think straight. Over ninety percent of them hadn't even approached the three-hundred-meter radius, but they could gauge the gravity field's intensity from Duan Feichen's plight. If even Duan Feichen found it so grueling, yet Lin Xuan handled it with such ease, the contrast was glaring. They couldn't fathom how Lin Xuan managed it—whether he'd found some trick, or if his physical strength far surpassed Duan Feichen's. All were utterly horrified, unable to compose themselves.
Ahead, Duan Feichen's expression was extremely grim. He stared at Lin Xuan's back with a cold, sinister look. Still, he refused to believe that a newly emerged genius he'd never heard of could far exceed him in physical prowess. In his view, Lin Xuan had likely found a way to evade the gravity field.
"Could it be that you can't walk in a straight line? You have to take a winding path like Lin Xuan?" Duan Feichen speculated. Watching Lin Xuan grow more relaxed, he became increasingly convinced. That had to be it.
So, Duan Feichen changed direction, carefully recalling the route Lin Xuan had taken.
...
Time passed slowly. Unnoticed, over half an hour went by. Within the three-hundred-meter radius of the stone platform, only Lin Xuan and Duan Feichen remained.
At the very front—
"Ding, congratulations, host! Advanced to Crystal-grade Cultivation Talent!"
"Ding, congratulations, host! Advanced to Low-grade Spatial Talent!"
"Ding, congratulations, host! Advanced to Mystic-grade Strength Talent!"
"..."
By now, Lin Xuan had reached within thirty meters of the stone platform, with only three puppets left ahead of him. Hearing the crisp system notifications in his ear, Lin Xuan's lips curled into a smile, and a wild joy flashed in his eyes.
"After accumulating so many, I've finally advanced! Low-grade Spatial Talent! Crystal-grade Cultivation Talent!" Lin Xuan murmured inwardly, gazing at the vastly transformed attribute panel before him in the void. His heart shook with elation.
Along the way, he had copied various talents from each puppet—a considerable number. The energy points he had on hand, plus those earned since leaving seclusion, were now completely spent. Thankfully, it hadn't been in vain; he had succeeded at last. Lin Xuan was overjoyed. It took several breaths before he calmed down a little.
"What effects does the Low-grade Spatial Talent bring?" Lin Xuan pondered, standing still and narrowing his eyes as he began to sense the new talent.
After one breath, he opened his eyes again, a glint of sharp light passing through them. "Teleportation, Low-grade Spatial Blade!"
Unexpectedly, this time he gained an additional ability, and such a powerful one at that. Teleportation went without saying—instant spatial movement. After advancing to Low-grade, teleportation had improved significantly. The range increased from ten meters to a hundred meters, and the number of uses reached a thousand. That meant he could cover a hundred miles in an instant.
To put it in perspective, even a Spiritual Origin realm expert would need ten minutes to cross a hundred miles. Lin Xuan could now do it in an instant, showcasing the terror of spatial talent. But teleportation wasn't the main point. The truly crucial one was the latter.
Low-grade Spatial Blade! This was a blade that cut through space itself, incredibly sharp and unmatched. Not even Spiritual Origin realm cultivators—let alone the higher Yuan Sea realm experts—could likely withstand it, in Lin Xuan's estimation. The power of this Low-grade Spatial Blade was unimaginable!
However, it came with significant limitations. He could use at most one per day, and only three per month. Yet Lin Xuan was more than satisfied with this. To him, the Spatial Blade wasn't meant for regular attacks but as his ultimate trump card, his anchor of confidence, and a deterrent. With this Low-grade Spatial Blade, he no longer feared any threats. Even facing the entire Crimson Sun Domain, he felt no fear. He no longer needed to hold back his talents and strength out of caution. He could freely display them and harvest energy points.
If it drew the attention of top experts in the Crimson Sun Domain who coveted his secrets, he could use the Low-grade Spatial Blade to teach them a lesson. As for attracting the notice of martial artists beyond the domain, he wasn't worried. His talents were at most enough to dominate within the Crimson Sun Domain. Outside it, they were nothing remarkable. No matter how strong he appeared, to those cross-domain experts, it would seem perfectly normal. They wouldn't bother paying attention to a junior like him.
"Finally, I don't have to hold back anymore," Lin Xuan murmured, the smile in his eyes deepening. He continued scanning the attribute panel before him.
"Crystal-grade should be a higher tier above Mystic-grade. I estimate my talent now ranks as the best in the entire Crimson Sun Domain, right?" Lin Xuan nodded slightly, a look of satisfaction on his face.
At the same time, his combat power had skyrocketed again. Though he was still only at the third layer of the Opening Spirit realm, with his vastly enhanced talents, even without using his physical strength, he could now contend with or even crush early-stage Spiritual Origin realm experts—a full major realm gap. If this got out, it would likely shock countless martial artists. Even the top echelons of the Crimson Sun Domain might be taken aback. Lin Xuan nodded lightly, his mind settling a bit.