My skills have mutated again!

Chapter 312: The Strategy Begins, Round One: Forehand and Backhand, Backstab for the Winner
Before Xia Lin left the Primal Secret Realm, Hei Xing led Xiao Feng and the others, along with their target, Lin Xiantian, away from the Primal Secret Realm.

It is worth mentioning that Lin Xiantian left with Black Star on his own initiative.

Once the objective is achieved, Black Star doesn't need to perform any further operations.

Beyond the primordial world, the indescribable behemoth slowly receded, leaving behind only a scarred world barrier and the pale-faced, greatly exhausted leaders of the immortal sects within it.

The group looked at each other, the atmosphere heavy, but no one spoke first.

It has black spots on the outside and rust disease on the inside.

The whole world is in imminent danger.

There is no solution, so there is no need to communicate with others.

Bai Wudao sighed softly.

"Go back."

……

When Xia Lin left the Primal Secret Realm, Bai Wudao, Xuan Ye, and the others had already returned to the front of the Primal Secret Realm.

"Fortunately, I did not disgrace my life."

Xia Lin held the Primal Heavenly Heart aloft with both hands and respectfully presented it to Xuan Ye, the sect leader of the Xuan Tian Sect.

Xuan Ye nodded slightly, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

Then, after a moment, Mosuo showed no interest in the Primordial Heavenly Heart, but simply handed it to Bai Wudao, who was standing to the side.

He then added to Xia Lin, "Don't worry, my disciple. Since you are the one destined for this calamity, this item will surely belong to you."

Xia Lin smiled but didn't say anything more.

Just as it would be reasonable for Lin Fan to hand over the Primal Heavenly Heart to Qu Yiyi under normal circumstances.

It is reasonable for Xia Lin to hand over the Primal Heavenly Heart to Xuan Ye and Bai Wudao at this moment.

All the characters in the virtual Ember Zone are created by Ember Zone itself and follow the behavioral logic of the original work.

In the original work, these sect leaders are undoubtedly positive figures, without any flaws, so the matter of coveting treasures is destined not to happen.

Human hearts are unpredictable?

Sorry, but the virtual natives in the virtual ashes are actually quite easy to fathom...

Bai Wudao took the Primal Heart and closed his eyes to sense it.

The patterns of the Great Dao unfolded from Bai Wudao's body, their multicolored hues resembling magnificent ribbons, connecting Bai Wudao with the Primordial Heavenly Heart.

However, due to the effects of deception and crossing the sea, Bai Wudao not only failed to sense the county magistrate's exact location, but also felt a strange fluctuation emanating from the Primordial Heavenly Heart, drawing his spirit, consciousness, and even soul, wanting to merge with it!
This is a manifestation of harmony with the Tao.

This also caused Bai Wudao to suddenly open his eyes and gasp.

"I failed... I couldn't pinpoint the source of the rust syndrome, and I couldn't even hold onto the original Heavenly Heart for too long."

As he said this, Bai Wudao flicked his finger and sent the Primal Heavenly Heart back into Xia Lin's hands.

He stood up and bowed to Xuan Ye and the other eleven members of the class.

"Regarding the rust disease, I'm afraid we'll have to find another solution."

After speaking, he looked at Xia Lin, a hint of admiration and regret in his eyes.

The praise comes from the fact that the person destined to face this calamity has been found.

"In that case, Junior Nephew Xia Lin is the one destined to face this calamity. The Primal Heavenly Heart remains in your hands, and it may produce a mysterious reaction with your mutated spiritual energy. I hope you can find a way to permanently cure the Rust Syndrome as soon as possible."

Xia Lin immediately returned the greeting: "I will certainly live up to your expectations, Immortal Master."

The tragedy, however, stems from Lin Fan's death.

Unfortunately, he quite admired Lin Fan... but he failed in "fair competition" and died, so there's not much to say about that.

……

On the seventh day after returning to the Xuantian Sect, Sect Leader Xuan Ye held a grand ceremony to formally accept Xia Lin as his last disciple.

On that day, immortals gathered and guests filled the hall.

At the disciple-acceptance ceremony, Xia Lin announced a piece of news that shocked the entire prehistoric world.

—He has found a way to cure rust disease.

"This is the very skill... I will name it the Black Iron Mystic Skill!"

The jade slips were distributed to the guests by the Xuantian Sect members.

The guests used their spiritual senses to investigate while listening to Xia Lin speak slowly.

"First of all, I must apologize to everyone here, to everyone in this world. I have failed your trust and expectations..."

With a somber expression, Xia Lin said, "I haven't found the root cause of rust disease, nor have I found a way to permanently cure it."

Xia Lin used spiritual energy to cure rust disease, which could relieve the problem temporarily, but could not guarantee that the recovered person would be permanently immune to rust disease.

Just like the guests present, many of them were of high status and great strength, and many had come to ask for elixirs, but recently they have been infected with rust disease again.

The reason this apprenticeship ceremony was so lively was partly due to the number of people coming to the clinic seeking medical treatment.

Words of comfort arose immediately.

Xia Lin's reputation as a divine healer had already spread far and wide, and some people knew that Xia Lin was the one chosen by the five great immortal sects to face the tribulation.

But in the end, Xia Lin is still a junior, and it's unreasonable for the elders to blame Xia Lin for their helplessness in dealing with rust disease.

Xia Lin only spoke after everyone had finished comforting him and reading the jade slip in their hands.

"It is really difficult for me to solve all the rust disease patients that have spread on my own."

"Therefore, I changed my approach."

"I'm thinking, could I turn waste into treasure and create a profound technique that not only frees cultivators from the torment of rust disease, but also allows them to use rust disease as nourishment, transforming it into the foundation for immortality!"

“Just yesterday…” Xia Lin said, turning to look at Xuan Ye, the sect leader of Xuan Tian Sect: “With Master’s guidance, this Black Iron Profound Technique has been officially completed.”

"Those suffering from rust disease can not only resolve the problems caused by rust disease by practicing this technique, but also refine the extra metal organs caused by rust disease into their natal magic weapons, greatly enhancing the cultivator's combat ability."

Xuan Ye, who was standing to the side, smiled and nodded, which was considered as supporting Xia Lin's Black Iron Profound Technique.

As for any so-called guidance, that's obviously not true.

The Black Iron Mystic Art was entirely created by Xia Lin. Xuan Ye only checked it after it was completed and confirmed that there were no problems before agreeing to let Xia Lin announce the news of the Black Iron Mystic Art at the current disciple-acceptance ceremony.

There were many immortals present, including two level eleven immortals, as a gesture of respect to Xuan Ye.

After briefly studying Fan Xialin's Black Iron Profound Technique, he immediately exclaimed in admiration.

"This technique is marvelous, truly marvelous!"

"From the perspective of its concept, the level of this skill is only average. However, after a simple verification, I found that what my junior brother Xia Lin said was correct. This skill can indeed suppress rust disease."

"However, the underlying principles seem to differ from the current immortal cultivation system..." said an eleventh-level celestial immortal, looking at Xia Lin: "I wonder if my junior nephew could enlighten this old man?"

He asked the question, but Xia Lin shook his head with a wry smile: "I cannot explain this."

Then he took out the speech he had prepared in advance: "As you elders know, I once suffered from rust disease, but I was cured inexplicably. Since then, my spiritual energy has mutated and become an antidote for rust disease."

"The root of the Black Iron Profound Technique lies in the mutated spiritual energy within my body... Unfortunately, I have no idea why my spiritual energy mutated. I simply copied it and compiled this Black Iron Profound Technique. I know the details but not the reasons behind them."

No one can find fault with this explanation.

Suddenly, another sound rang out.

However, it was the Pavilion Master of the Watchtower, Wang Dao.

Holding the jade slip, he solemnly bowed to Xia Lin: "Nephew Xia, your actions are truly sage-like! Countless disciples in my sect suffer from rust disease. With this divine skill, their lives can be saved."

It's perfectly reasonable to hire a few shills for a new product launch.

Xia Lin smiled and nodded to Wang Dao, then added, "This Black Iron Profound Technique is not only effective for cultivators! Anyone suffering from the Iron Rust Syndrome, regardless of whether they possess spiritual roots, can embark on the path of cultivation with this technique!"

This sentence is the real bombshell!
……

Just a few days later, thanks to the promotion by the Xuan Tian Sect, the Black Iron Mystic Art spread throughout the entire prehistoric world.

This is not only a cure for rust disease, but also a stepping stone to immortality.

Countless people without spiritual roots are deeply grateful to Xia Lin, and many have erected monuments and written biographies in his honor.

It is unknown who started it, but a nickname was given to Xia Lin, which was recognized by the whole world.

—The Master of the World!

"Well done, Scarlett! I love that nickname!"

Just one month later, during a secret meeting between Xia Lin and Scarlett, Xia Lin said this to Scarlett with a smile.

Thus, the origin of this nickname becomes clear.

Xia Lin's self-directed and self-acted performance...

Scarlett covered her mouth and smiled.

With Qu Yiyi's identity, it would be easy to subtly stir things up through her connections.

Furthermore, Scarlett's main role in this game was not to set the pace.

Her greatest contribution lies in that Black Iron Mystic Art.

"The Black Source has its wonders, and the Immortal Path has its wonders."

Its predecessor was the Guardian of the Black Source, the one who understood the Black Source best in the Black Flag instance.

He is currently an eleventh-level Celestial Immortal, a powerful immortal.

Combining the two, creating the Black Iron Mystic Technique wouldn't be difficult. But after laughing, a hint of curiosity appeared on Scarlett's face.

"I'm wondering, if you didn't have Qu Yiyi's identity and her experience in the immortal path, how would you have handled this situation?"

Xia Lin slowly spoke while sipping the spiritual tea that Eileen handed him.

"Without you, I would probably have made a name for myself in this game by playing the role of the one who is destined to face the calamity."

"The effect of this is definitely much worse than that of the World Master."

Xia Lin blinked and looked at Scarlett: "Anyway, you've helped me solve a lot of troubles."

Scarlett smiled sweetly.

Sharing Xia Lin's burdens is precisely the meaning of a Servant's existence.

Xia Lin finished the spiritual tea in one gulp, put down the teacup, and spoke softly.

"And now, it's time to end this. I'm going to make my move."

Just as he finished speaking, Xia Lin opened the attribute panel.

The illusory image of the balance scale flashed past Xia Lin.

He removed the Five Ghosts Moving Technique from his regular skill list and bought back the skill he had relied on for a long time from the cookbook.

Backstab!

Just as the backstab was back in place, a massive amount of notification sounds rang in Xia Lin's ears.

[Backstab effect activated!]

[You have betrayed your own faction: the Xuan Tian Sect; you have betrayed your own faction: the cultivation world; you have betrayed your own faction: the Primordial Great World!]

The backstab effect is assessed as: extremely bad!

[You have gained 1000 points in all attributes!]

The same prompt appears every 3 seconds!
Just after the notification sounded several times, Xia Lin's maniacal laughter suddenly broke out in this dimensional gap that Scarlett had temporarily created.

"That's more like it! That's more like it!!"

"This is exactly what I wanted!"

……

Q: What is the purpose of the Ashwalker entering the Ashlands?
A: Fools do it for the mission, strong people do it for the power!
Every time you enter the Ember Zone, it's an adventure, and also a chance encounter!
Given Xia Lin's greedy nature, he would never set his sights on basic things like surviving or completing the main quest!

He wants to become stronger.

The sooner the better!

The previous experience in the Black Flag Ember Zone has shown that the fastest way to become stronger in the Ember Zone is to harvest the entire Ember Zone!
After the county magistrate was appointed and obtained the Black Source: End of This World skill, Xia Lin's harvesting plan officially took shape!
"Backstab, and infection from the source of darkness!"

This forehand and backhand maneuver perfectly matches the conditions for breaking the limit with a backstab!
On one hand, Xia Lin actively spreads the black pollution, while on the other hand, he becomes a medical master and a person destined for disaster.

And there is such a logic behind this.

Simply spreading black pollution is not enough.

Because of this operation, they can only betray Xia Lin's faction—the Xuan Tian Sect.

How many people does the Xuantian Sect have? How many Backstab attributes can they provide for Xia Lin?
If Xia Lin is going to do something, it has to be big and strong, maximizing profits!

"This is why I must gain identity, reputation, and status in this Ash Zone."

"It wasn't just about resolving Lin Xiantian's protagonist status; in fact, that was secondary in the initial plan... The main purpose was to find an alley for myself!"

Explaining this, Xia Lin looked at Scarlett and said, "Without your Black Iron Mystic Art, I would only be able to use the identity of the person destined for tribulation to bind myself with the righteous path and the billions of people in the prehistoric world in order to gain the support of the faction."

"But this method won't be very efficient. After all, ordinary people without cultivation probably don't believe in or care about the concept of 'those destined for calamity'."

"On the other hand, Master Tianxia is much better... The Black Iron Profound Technique has opened the door to immortality for ordinary people without spiritual roots, and it also has the effect of suppressing rust disease. This is closely related to everyone in this Ash Zone."

With this maneuver, Xia Lin's reputation soared to its peak, reaching a level comparable to or even surpassing that of a level eleven expert!
And it has been proven in the January Dream Tribulation Ashes Zone that the higher the status, the better the backstab effect!

With such a combination of forehand and backhand techniques, the backstab's breaking effect reaches its theoretical peak!
Xia Lin took 3 minutes to say these words.

The notification sound jumped 60 times in a row, providing Xia Lin with a full 6 points of attribute power that broke through the limit!
And this is just the beginning.

The remaining time in the Ember Zone is almost 9 years away!
Even if the backstab effect weakens as the plan progresses, the attributes Xia Lin can gain from this move are still considerable!

Eileen, standing to the side, had another question.

The little girl washed the fruit and placed it in front of Xia Lin. While feeding Xia Lin a grape-shaped spiritual fruit, she asked a question.

"Can the Black Iron Mystic Art that my sister created really solve the Black Source Infection?"

As the guardian of the Black Source, Eileen didn't care about Xia Lin's harvesting plan, but she did care about the problem of the Black Source infection—in her heart, the Black Source was the most powerful, and she was a little unconvinced that the Black Source scourge could be solved with the power of immortality...

Before Xia Lin could speak, Scarlett said, "The power of immortality can most likely cure the Black Source infection... but this is not something that an eleventh-level cultivator can do. It may require the intervention of a twelfth-level immortal venerable, or even a cultivator of a higher level."

The power of the immortal path surpasses that of the Black Source.

Scarlett Johansson has the right to speak on this.

After all, the Immortal Path is a power system directly under one of the Six Pillars, so it's normal that the power of the Dark Source can't compare.

"But in this ash-filled area, no one can undo the Black Source contamination."

After saying that, Scarlett laughed and said, "As for this Black Iron Mystic Art, not only will it not solve the problem of black source pollution, it will also make the pollution situation worse again."

"Deteriorating again?"

Eileen didn't understand those four words...

Rumors circulate that Xia Lin is the greatest master in the world, and is even on the verge of being deified... One reason for this is that the Black Iron Mystic Art has solved the problem of rust disease.

So now you're saying that the Black Iron Mystic Art will worsen the pollution situation again?

Those who have recovered won't accept this.

Xia Lin and Scarlett exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.

"This involves the second step of the plan..."

Xia Lin didn't say what the second step of the plan was, and although Eileen was curious, she didn't ask.

As if she had just remembered something, Xia Lin turned to look at Scarlett again.

“A couple of days ago, Bao Bowen contacted me and gave me an explanation regarding the Black Star incident.”

Scarlett raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "What do you mean?"

"Resurrected from the dead..."

Xia Lin shrugged, his tone somewhat helpless: "Old Bao really went all out this time, probably because of my relationship with Brother Bai Yao... that's what he suggested."

"Let me die at Black Star's hands, Black Star will take the bounty, and as compensation, Old Bao will give me two resurrection items."

To put it bluntly, it's about using two resurrection items to buy Xia Lin's current life.

This satisfied Black Star's demands, but it caused Xia Lin considerable harm.

After all, under the professional player system, any resurrection item has huge limitations.

Weakening attributes is a must; it's possible that professions, skills, talents, racial stats, and so on will all have to be sacrificed as a price for resurrection.

"Actually, Lao Bao's sincerity is quite good..."

The negative effects of the two resurrection items are not significant—they halve the base stats and all attributes.

Trading two coins for Xia Lin's life seems like a reasonable deal.

Of course, Xia Lin's choice is self-evident.

"The key point is that Black Star has indeed become a bit too arrogant."

Having said that, Xia Lin looked at Scarlett and said, "We need to teach him a lesson..."

"This can be considered a warm-up before the start of the second step of the plan."

Scarlett's smile slowly faded upon hearing Xia Lin's words.

Her gaze was deep and unfocused, as if she were recalling the two figures that appeared in Qu Yiyi's memory at the very end of her life.

Zheng Li, and Xing Jie.

These two are essentially Black Star's lackeys.

And all of them are closely related to the main storyline.

The main quest requires Xia Lin to survive in this Ashlands for ten years.

But in the ninth year, Black Star will devour the world.

The plot has already been messed up, and Xia Lin guesses that Xu Haonan, Bao Bowen and their group probably won't just stand by and watch Black Star Devour the World succeed in turning everyone, including the Ash Walkers, into their own part.

But what if?
What if Bao Bowen makes a mistake and fails to control Black Star?

What if Tsui Ho-nam wants to see something even more entertaining?
Xia Lin could not possibly entrust this matter entirely to Bao Bowen and the others.

"As lackeys of Black Star, Xing Jie and Zheng Li, along with the Black Martial Alliance and the Ancient Demon Sect, are the driving forces behind Black Star's Devouring World policy."

The timing of the arrival of the Devouring Realm does not actually depend on Black Star, but rather on Black Martial Alliance and Ancient Demon Sect, Black Star's two lackeys.

At this point, a cold glint flashed in Xia Lin's eyes.

"Although for now, we probably don't need to care when the Black Star will devour the world..."

"But it would be better if those two dogs died."

"Consider it a lesson for Black Star in advance."

(End of this chapter)