Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

After leveling up these two skills to the maximum, Lin Yi began to prepare to invest all of his newly acquired gold skill points into Dark Soul Silk.

As Lin Yi's level continued to rise, the once invincible [Dark Soul Silk] began to feel somewhat powerless and gradually could not keep up with his progress.

For example, when binding the enemy this time, the Dark Soul Silk was actually broken by the opponent.

The advantage of growth skills is that they can grow along with their owner, but their initial strength and characteristics determine the upper limit and efficiency they can achieve in higher-level fields.

The current Dark Soul Silk is like a seedling with huge potential for growth, but the seedling itself is not tough enough and is easily broken when faced with storms.

After all, this thing was taken from Alice's Treasury. At lower levels, it was considered a divine skill, capable of binding, cutting, and probing.

When the combat level rises to the fifth or sixth tier, its power begins to appear outdated and it is no longer as effective.

After Lin Yi invested all 7 gold skill points he had acquired into Dark Soul Silk, the level of Dark Soul Silk finally changed from LV.MAX to LV.EX.

【Dark Soul Silk: LV.EX (Active Skill)】

Skill effect: Consumes 5-50 points of Soul Power to generate Void Dark Soul Silk. The silk's toughness, sharpness, and length are controlled by the user.

Base sharpness: 100 points (originally 16 points)
Base toughness: 500 points (originally 138 points)
LV.EX Additional Skill: Ultimate Concealment - Void State. Invisible to the naked eye, and cannot be detected by energy detection or mental scans. Enemies can only detect the threads when they come into contact with the target and cause damage.

Introduction: Once a madman entered the prison and used this skill to kill all 7841 members of the prison.

……

After advancing to the EX level, the Dark Soul Silk's base attributes increase significantly, especially its stealth capabilities are further enhanced.

With a slight thought, Lin Yi sent out several strands of dark soul threads in the [Void State] without a sound. They did not cause any air fluctuations, nor did they leak any trace of energy. Even his own spiritual power could only vaguely perceive their location through the soul link.

Like the most patient hunters, they quietly laid an invisible killing net in the space in front of Lin Yi.

For testing purposes, Lin Yi slowly extended his right index finger and gently pressed it against the silk thread.

hiss--

A slight but distinct stinging sensation came from my fingertips.

Lin Yi moved his finger away, and a small cut appeared on the pad of his index finger, with a drop of bright red blood slowly seeping out and congealing at the fingertip.

Lin Yi stared at the beads of blood seeping from his fingertips, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

With a thought, the ethereal dark soul threads instantly retracted, as if they had never existed.

After compensating for the deficiency of low base value, Dark Soul Silk once again became one of Lin Yi's trump cards.

After leaving the skill enhancement chamber, Lin Yi arrived at the entrance of the trial grounds.

At this moment, Su Xiao was eating ice cream bought from the shop next door with Bubuwang and Baha at the entrance of the training ground.

Bubuwang held a strawberry sundae bigger than its head, its face covered in pink cream as it ate.

Baha, standing next to him, deftly held an ice cream bar covered in chocolate coating with his paws, crunching on the coating while his eyes darted around, observing the young women passing by on the street with great interest.

Su Xiao leaned against a pillar, slowly licking a scoop of vanilla ice cream that looked expensive, her eyes calm and unwavering, as if she were deep in thought.

"Where are Amu and Benny?" Lin Yi walked to Su Xiao's side, glanced at the zoo behind Su Xiao, and found that two people were missing again.

"Woof woof. Woof. (Am was taken to the trading district by Benny to do business.)" Bubba raised its head covered in cream and whimpered in response, its tail wagging unconsciously.

"Oh? Benny's actually starting a business now?" Lin Yi raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat surprised.

Isn't that proud cat only interested in pretty things?

“But why is it pulling Am? Shouldn’t it call Baha over?” He pointed to Baha, who was skillfully pecking at an ice cream stick with its beak. Baha’s quick wit and shrewdness were clearly more suited to “doing business.”

"Woof woof woof. (Benny brought in a whole bunch of strange props, saying she needed someone to experiment with them, so she dragged Amu over.)" Bubuwang's tone carried a hint of sympathy for Amu and relief that he hadn't been chosen.

"Pfft—" Baha couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of ice cream crumbs, flapping its wings and laughing loudly.

"Hahaha! Experiments? Experimenting with Amu? What kind of ridiculous idea has Benny come up with this time? What can that big oaf Amu do besides eat and take a beating? Is he going to be used as a live target to test some kind of explosive? Hahahaha!"

Su Xiao finally finished the last bit of ice cream, threw the waffle cone into the recycling bin next to him, and then slowly spoke, his tone flat and calm: "Benny found a batch of strange scrolls and potions in a derivative world that are said to have 'amazing effects but require a specific constitution to trigger,' but she was very mysterious and refused to say what they were."

He paused, then added, "Amour is honest; he believes whatever Benny says, so he's easy to fool."

Lin Yi imagined the scene: in a corner of a bustling trading district, Benny squatted on a small stall covered with velvet cloth, with all sorts of strangely shaped bottles, jars and scrolls emitting a suspicious glow in front of her.

Standing next to him was the burly, bewildered minotaur, Amu, who probably had a sign around his neck that read "Experiment Volunteer" or "Results Demonstration"...

"..." Lin Yi's lips twitched. "I'm afraid the money Benny spends on purchasing the goods will eventually be deducted from Amu's 'service fee'?"

"Woof! (Very likely!)" Bubuwang nodded in deep agreement, licking the cream from the corner of his mouth.

"Gah! With Benny's shrewd business sense, Amu will not only be a guinea pig, but he'll probably have to pay out of his own pocket!" Baha concluded gleefully.

Su Xiao straightened up, clapped her hands, and seemed to have no intention of interfering with her pet's "business activities".

"Where's the stuff?"

"They're all here, let's see how it goes."

Lin Yi took out a Sun Stone from his pocket and threw it to Su Xiao. Su Xiao caught the flying Sun Stone accurately. The Sun Stone felt warm to the touch, yet it carried a restrained but powerful scorching energy.

"Its energy properties are very active, and the 'light' and 'heat' it contains are extremely pure." Su Xiao nodded. As an alchemy master, Su Xiao was already very familiar with Apollo's characteristics.

For Su Xiao, he could usually judge the compatibility and potential for improvement of similar materials as soon as he got his hands on them.

He was satisfied with the intensity and purity of the energy contained in this sunstone.

This is not just a question of "whether it is useful," but a question of "how much power it can enhance" and "what kind of changes it can produce."

"Can it be used on Apollo?" Lin Yi provided the materials, naturally to enhance the power of Apollo, this great weapon.

To be honest, Apollo is such a useful thing, so useful that even someone as knowledgeable as Lin Yi often feels a sense of "unreasonable" amazement.

Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder, in which obscure, unknown low-level world did Su Xiao manage to dig out this bug that could be considered the "version answer"?
In lower-level worlds, this thing is practically synonymous with dimensional reduction attacks; it's undoubtedly a powerful tool for clearing out entire areas.

One shot, and whether it's a horde of monsters or a menacing regional boss, they'll all be reduced to ashes in an instant by the burst of light and heat.

Even the most resilient final bosses would be severely injured if they took a hit from Apollo; losing half their life would be the least of their worries, and with bad luck, they would be completely wiped out.

When Su Xiao and Lin Yi teamed up to go to the Silent City, the moment Apollo hit, even the Moon Maiden, the big boss of the Silent City, couldn't withstand the damage from Apollo. It was absolutely ridiculous.

Su Xiao's answer did not disappoint him: "Yes, and it's an excellent core catalytic material..."

He then briefly explained his improvement plan.

After listening, a look of understanding flashed in Lin Yi's eyes.

The Sunstone's contribution to the instantaneous, devastating explosion of Apollo was indeed limited—after all, Apollo's burst of power was already "outrageous" enough. Its true value lies in its ability to significantly enhance the solar flames produced after the explosion!

The Sunstone doesn't significantly increase Apollo's explosive damage, but it greatly enhances Apollo's subsequent Sunfire.

Furthermore, the flames produced by the explosion exhibit characteristics similar to Hades. Once ignited, the flames will frantically attach to, penetrate, and spread onto flesh and blood, energy shields, and material equipment, making them extremely difficult to remove or dispel by conventional means.

Its core rule will be that the flame will never go out unless the target is completely burned to nothingness.

Any action will only fuel its continued burning or slow its progress, but will not truly eradicate it.

An Apollo missile fell, and the earth-shattering explosion instantly wiped out the area and severely damaged powerful enemies. Then, before the surviving enemies could even catch their breath, they would find themselves or their comrades stained with those golden flames that gnawed at their very bones.

No matter how much they struggled and rolled around, the flames only burned brighter and brighter, relentlessly devouring them until they were completely wiped from this world, leaving not even a trace of ashes.

"hiss……"

Even though Lin Yi was used to life and death and grand scenes, he couldn't help but gasp when he imagined this scene in his mind. He silently mourned for three seconds for the enemies who were about to taste the "upgraded warmth".

This is no longer a matter of "losing half a life," it's like they've scattered your ashes, completely and utterly!
Su Xiao is becoming increasingly "ruthless" in his pursuit of "efficient destruction"... But Lin Yi likes it!
Apollo-like "simple and brutal" solutions are often the final solution when dealing with enemies with abnormal regenerative abilities.

"Very good, very good!" Lin Yi suppressed a trace of "sympathy" in his heart and showed an extremely "kind" smile. "Then I look forward to your new sun."

Su Xiao nodded slightly, clearly satisfied with his idea. After all, Su Xiao was a pragmatist, and the improvement plan would naturally be whatever was most effective.

"By the way, did you qualify for the tournament?" Just as Lin Yi was about to enter the training ground, he remembered the tournament and turned to ask Su Xiao.

With his strength, there was no reason for Su Xiao to miss such a grand event that brought together top contractors from all levels.

Su Xiao paused for a moment, and a rare hint of...helplessness flashed across his perpetually expressionless face.
“No…” he uttered a single word.

"Huh?" Lin Yi was taken aback, thinking he had misheard. "You haven't even made it into the top 50 yet?" This news really surprised him, even astonished him.

He knew Su Xiao's combat strength all too well. At the fifth level, this guy was a human-shaped natural disaster, with a ferocious fighting style, unparalleled skills, and an endless stream of trump cards.

Looking across the entire fifth tier of the Samsara Paradise, anyone who can survive several rounds against him without dying can be considered a master, and those who can fight him to a standstill are extremely rare.

Lin Yi had assessed that if he were to fight Su Xiao to the death, the odds would be evenly split, and the process would be absolutely brutal.

After all, this guy has Apollo as his trump card. If he really pulls Lin Yi into a quick burst attack, unless Lin Yi instantly enters an invincible state, he might actually be taken down by Apollo in one go.

Could it be that a bunch of bug-level characters have suddenly appeared in the current Tier 5 arena? Otherwise, why didn't Su Xiao qualify?

"I made it, but there's been a problem. It seems that due to the special nature of this tournament, or the 'operations' of some high-level contractors, the number of fifth-tier slots allocated is much smaller than expected. The current situation is that just making it into the top 50 isn't enough to guarantee a spot; the slots are too scarce. I probably need to push my way up and squeeze into a higher position to secure my qualification."

"..." Lin Yi's lips twitched involuntarily after hearing this. Good heavens, so it was the scarcity of spots that caused the intense competition! This is so reminiscent of the Paradise of Reincarnation! He could almost imagine how those experts on the edge of the top 50 in the arena were frantically pushing for a spot, fighting tooth and nail until they were covered in blood.

"So where are you in the queue now?" Lin Yi asked.

“37,” Su Xiao announced a number.

Given his ability, it's not surprising that he achieved this ranking.

"Even the 37th place can't qualify?" Lin Yi was even more surprised. "How much have the number of fifth-tier spots been reduced? Could it be that they're only for the top 20 or top 10?"

Lin Yi hadn't expected that the intensity of competition would increase so dramatically after only one world's worth of progress.

Fortunately, Lin Yi started playing in the arena relatively early, otherwise this spot would have been quite difficult to obtain.

"But this isn't necessarily a bad thing for you, is it? It's a good opportunity to stretch your muscles. With your skills, climbing a dozen or so rankings shouldn't be too difficult." He had absolute confidence in Su Xiao; this guy was a monster born for battle.

"Yes, just keep hitting higher."

Su Xiao took it in stride, since there were rewards for achieving high rankings in the arena, so Su Xiao's efforts weren't entirely in vain.

After chatting for a while, Su Xiao turned and walked towards the arena, while Lin Yi entered the trial grounds.

The hunters have entered the training grounds. Please select a mode.

To enter the first level of the Land of All Beings, 50000 Paradise Coins are required per hour. The Land of All Beings has seven levels in total.

[Land of All Beings, Level 1: Requires 50000 Paradise Coins per hour.]

[Land of All Beings, Level 2: Requires 100000 Paradise Coins per hour.]

[Land of All Beings, Level 3: Requires 300000 Paradise Coins per hour.]

[Levels 4-7 of the Land of All Beings: No entry permission.]

……

This time, Lin Yi had plenty of funds, so he went straight to the third level of the Land of All Beings to develop some new skills.

[Selection confirmed. 300000 Paradise Coins will be consumed per hour. Time has begun.]

The space shifted instantly, and scorching air rushed towards him, but became gentle and cool the moment it touched Lin Yi's skin.

He appeared in the middle of an endless golden sea of ​​sand, with a blazing sun high above him, radiating boundless light and heat, the sand beneath his feet scorching hot, and the air distorted by the intense heat.

Lin Yi, who was in the middle of it, did not feel the slightest bit of heat, but only a perfectly refreshing coolness - this is the beauty of the simulation environment of the Samsara Paradise. All environmental parameters can be adjusted at will, just to provide cultivators with the most focused training ground.

Lin Yi paid no attention to the strange temperature difference. He flipped his wrist, and the skill scroll containing the [Gravity Sword Technique - Light Sword] appeared in his palm.

As a skill scroll, the [Gravity Sword Technique - Light Sword] naturally contains a detailed record of all the techniques of the [Gravity Sword Technique - Light Sword].

If someone has enough talent and perseverance, and is willing to spend years or even decades repeatedly studying and practicing these skills, they will have the opportunity to master them even without spending Paradise Coins.

But what Lin Yi lacked most was time; he didn't have several years to slowly endure.

What he needs is to master this technique and integrate it into his own combat system in the shortest possible time.

The core essence of this sword technique lies in the instantaneous transition between "lifting heavy objects with ease" and "lifting light objects with heaviness".

How can one instantly remove gravity during a move, making the sword strikes unpredictable and elusive?

According to Lin Yi's guess, the missing half of this sword technique, [Gravity Sword Technique - Heavy Sword], must be the core of "making light things seem heavy".

That is, at the moment of contact between what appears to be a light and effortless sword strike, the weapon is suddenly imbued with a terrifying gravity as heavy as a mountain.

Let that gentle stab or slash unleash a power strong enough to tear the earth apart.

However, Lin Yi only has half a set of the sword technique at present, so he can only learn the "effortless mastery" sword technique.

Although Lin Yi himself did not possess the skill to manipulate gravity, this paradise, a land for all living beings, provided a perfect solution.

With a slight thought, the gravity parameters around Lin Yi were instantly adjusted—twenty times the normal gravity!
This wasn't Lin Yi's limit, but he needed a short period of adjustment to allow his body and senses to familiarize themselves with the increased workload. (End of Chapter)