My skills have mutated again!

Chapter 319 Epilogue and Settlement

Tearing, destroying, practicing, becoming familiar.

This is what Xia Lin is doing in Black Star's True Form.

Within the True Form of Unity, all was pitch black.

This place is theoretically inside Black Star's body, but the True Form of Unity is not made of flesh and blood, but is formed by the condensation of martial arts blood and real matter.

It blocked Xia Lin's senses, restricted Xia Lin's space for movement, and even weakened Xia Lin's power.

The immense pressure arises spontaneously, and the tearing force comes from all directions, enough to make everyone who falls into the One True Form feel the weight of the world!
The problem is, Xia Lin's attributes are no worse than Black Star's...

Xia Lin is not a bacterium and can be easily wiped out by Black Star's immune system.

Xia Lin is more like Sun Wukong, while Hei Xing is like Princess Iron Fan, and what is unfolding right now is a scene of chaos and mischief.

The black and red swords gleamed with dazzling light as Xia Lin unleashed the Eighteen Forms of the Evil Sword in sequence.

While the random combination is still active and the Eighteen Forms of the Evil Sword have not yet disappeared, Xia Lin is familiarizing himself with and practicing this skill, which will inevitably become the main combat method in the black and red form in the future.

Unfortunately, Black Star didn't give Xia Lin much time.

Just after Xia Lin finished performing a complete round of the Eighteen Forms of the Evil Sword, a sudden vibration was felt.

The entire unified true form collapsed instantly, and before Xia Lin could react, he was already in deep space.

Black Star voluntarily deactivated the True Form of Unity!

This move isn't an enhanced ultimate move like the Super Star Form; it's a regression.

Similar to Xia Lin's regression from the Black Source Overlord form to the regular form—of course, the difference in combat power between Black Star's two forms is not as great as Xia Lin's.

Having just relinquished his True Form, Black Star transformed into his true form, which was three meters tall. His face flushed red, and then he spat out a mouthful of blood, with countless hideous sword marks suddenly appearing on his body!
The trauma suffered by the True Form was synchronized to its original body!
The moment Black Star coughed up blood, the gray-red light shone again!

This time, Black Star, having lost all his skills and suffering severe injuries, was powerless to turn the tide!

"Lord Black Star, spare their lives!"

"You don't want to be trapped in the Ashes, unable to see... Ah!?"

In the distance, Lao Bao had only uttered half of his words when he swallowed them back down.

Even if the other person is wrong, these words are still effective.

The light from the gray and red swords suddenly split, instantly dividing into seventy-two parts under Xia Lin's exquisite control.

Seventy-two sword lights, like steel needles, pierced into Black Star's seventy-two acupoints, and exploded in the next second!

A bloodcurdling scream erupted, shaking the heavens and the earth.

Black Star completely lost the aura of a final boss, instead howling in grief like a stray dog!
Xia Lin's move, while not killing him outright, was far more effective than killing him outright!

Xia Lin destroyed Black Star's martial arts foundation!
Having completed all this, Xia Lin slowly sheathed his sword and said that he had no other choice.

The Five-Wheel Devouring World Demon Art can only last for one hour. After one hour, the skill will disappear, and the Primordial World will be separated from Xia Lin.

Even if Black Star loses its skills, its level twelve essence remains, and its physical attributes are still there.

This person, though seemingly harmless, is ultimately a huge threat.

There's no problem right now—destroying a martial arts foundation is equivalent to destroying a martial artist's professional talent, and thus their rank and status!
The attributes and racial stats added by the talent will inevitably plummet. Just like Black Star right now, Xia Lin can easily estimate that he can no longer pose any threat to himself in this Ash Zone.

With that thought, Xia Lin picked up Black Star, who was like a dead dog, and turned to look at Bao Bowen, Xiao Feng, and Xu Haonan who were approaching.

"I spared his life, and then what?"

Xia Lin began his extortion with a sly smile.

"Then, you have to give me some compensation, right?"

Bao Bowen was stunned on the spot.

Looking at Xia Lin, who exuded sword intent like a god of war.

He glanced again at Black Star, whose martial arts foundation had been destroyed, a far cry from the image of a true martial artist.

He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking helplessly.

"I thought Black Star had won..."

Xia Lin shrugged: "I can be Black Star too... Of course, that's not important."

"The important question is, what price are you willing to pay for my spoils in order to support your plans and have fun?"

……

For Bao Bowen, acquiring chips is not difficult.

He had already considered various scenarios in advance, including but not limited to:
Black Star won. What price should he pay to buy back Xia Lin's life?

Xia Lin won, but what price will he have to pay to save Black Star's life?

What if both sides suffer heavy losses? What if this battle doesn't even happen?

This involves the respective needs of Xia Lin and Hei Xing, and there's always a way to satisfy everyone.

Xia Lin is quite satisfied right now.

Because Bao Bowen is indeed not a stingy person.

His conditions were simple: a level six item and a guarantee that Black Star would never be an enemy of Xia Lin again.

The former is compensation, while the latter eliminates potential risks.

Bao Bowen had considered all aspects, so Xia Lin naturally had no reason to refuse.

"But we'll have to pay for the sixth-level item when we get back."

Bao Bowen doesn't have any high-level stuff on hand, and Xia Lin said she understands and trusts the reputation of the Superstar camp.

The deal was thus completed.

But Xia Lin's harvest was not yet over.

……

Currently, Xia Lin has completely devoured this area, even the final boss has been stripped bare by Xia Lin.

It seems there's nothing left to gain from this burnt area.

Xia Lin retorted, "I haven't even taken advantage of your Ash Zone system yet..."

The Ash Zone system has always been fair in its rewards and punishments, and in some ways is more generous than Bao Bowen's system.

Those who perform well in the Ash Zone will be richly rewarded, while those who perform poorly will be severely punished.

The Ash Zone system couldn't find any fault with Xia Lin's performance this time.

The notification sounded as soon as Xia Lin crippled Black Star's martial arts cultivation.

[Mission Complete: Deceive the heavens and cross the sea, progress reached 100%!]

You have perfectly completed the mission!

[The difficulty of the "Deceptive Tactics" mission has been detected; it's higher than regular missions. Your rewards at the end will be significantly increased!]

That's what made Xia Lin look forward to the rewards when the settlement was made.

And then comes the next sentence.

[The mission is complete. You can leave this Ember Zone at any time, or you can stay here until the main mission timeout ends.]

Every Ashwalker heard this notification.

But no one chose to leave first.

There are still several years before the end of the Ember Zone. If you don't take advantage of this downtime to reflect and mature, you can't be considered a qualified Ember Zone traveler.

……

Several tens of minutes later, the random combination effect disappeared.

All of the skills that Xia Lin acquired from Black Star had already been sold by Xia Lin in exchange for evolution points a second earlier.

Five-Wheel Devouring World Demon Art, selling price: 35 Evolution Points!
The second most expensive item was Wanban Wudao, which sold for 20 evolution points.

The others all have single-digit evolution points, so they're just so-so...

Of course, this doesn't include the Nirvana of Heaven and Earth and the Furnace of Rebirth.

I wasn't in a hurry to repurchase it; instead, I first glanced at the price in the cookbook.

The price was so high that Xia Lin's eyelids twitched.

Five-Wheel Devouring World Demon Art: 372 Evolution Points...

Nirvana of Heaven and Earth: 1348 Evolution Points...

Bio-Forge: 761 Evolution Points...

No, you two really think I'm a sucker!

This refers to Fair Trade and the recipe book of Evil Shadow!
Since that's the case, don't blame me, Xia Lin, for trying to find a solution.

In short, Xia Lin currently only has 286 evolution points, which is not even enough to buy the Five-Round Devouring World Demon Art, and can barely buy the Myriad Martial Arts.

After thinking it over, Xia Lin decided not to rush into buying some cheap skills, such as the Eighteen Forms of the Evil Sword, but instead to save up his evolution points.

At the same time, as the Five-Wheel Devouring World Demon Art disappeared, Xia Lin felt a sharp pain in his heart.

Streams of light emerged from Xia Lin's heart, transforming into the phantom of the primordial world.

Before long, the phantom solidified, and the primordial world returned to its original state.

Transforming into a beam of light, Xia Lin flew into the Great Primordial World and returned to the Xuan Tian Sect. Sitting atop the highest peak of the sect, Xia Lin was still studying the recipe book.

After much thought, Xia Lin finally realized that he couldn't find a bug to exploit in the existing recipe book's logic, so he had to spend 5 evolution points to buy back an old friend.

I am a tree...

Breaking the limits is easy, but getting good base stats is difficult.

I am a tree, which not only provides racial stats, but is also perfect for passing the rest of my free time.

There are still more than four years, roughly 1,600 days, left until the end of the Ashes Zone.

Based on the effect of "I am a tree", it is estimated that it can provide Xia Lin with more than 30 racial stats in the coming period.

Of course, considering that the higher the base stats, the more difficult it is to improve, this skill probably won't be able to provide the same stats as before, but it is still a benefit that Xia Lin can't give up.

"Give it your all, bro... Whether we can break through the second and third weighted laws depends entirely on you."

Muttering to himself, Xia Lin slowly transformed into a tree, standing tall at the very top of the Xuan Tian Sect.

Scarlett sat cross-legged beside Xia Lin, protecting him.

……

When Black Star awoke from his coma, he found himself in the Great Wilderness World, at the headquarters of the World Restaurant.

With his martial arts foundation destroyed, Black Star has lost his level twelve divine power; otherwise, his mere entry into the realm would have been enough to destroy the entire Primordial World.

Now, however, there is no longer any concern about this.

Furthermore, Bao Bowen had already spoken to Xia Lin and obtained her permission.

Black Star felt a little stiff.

Only after sensing things slowly did I discover the problem.

He was tied up...

He was lying on the bed, but was bound by a powerful artifact, rendering him unable to move. He could only turn his head and speak.

"Please forgive any offense, after all, as the loser, you are already very lucky to have survived."

Xu Haonan's voice rang out from the side.

However, there was a hint of amusement in that voice.

Black Star slowly closed his eyes.

As the final boss of this Ash Zone, if he can afford to play this game, there's no reason why he can't afford to lose.

He asked slowly in a hoarse voice, "Is the plan still going to proceed?"

"certainly……"

The one who responded to Black Star was Bao Bowen.

As the door opened, Hei Xing turned his head and saw Bao Bowen pushing a mobile bed into the room.

And on the bed lay Lin Xiantian, who had been in a coma for several years.

Old Bao smiled at Black Star.

"However, the situation has changed, and the original conditions need to be slightly modified. What do you think, Lord Black Star?"

As he spoke, Bao Bowen took out a contract and handed it to Hei Xing. Hei Xing's gaze then turned to the contract.

Eternal loyalty, never betraying the Super Star faction, and so on...

Even the clause prohibiting one from being an enemy of Xia Lin was included.

This scene brought a sinister smile to Black Star's face.

"Okay, I agree."

This is the price of defeat, and also the price of breaking free from the cage.

Given the circumstances, Black Star either accepts it or dies.

"Alright, let's begin."

The moment Hei Xing nodded, Xu Haonan couldn't wait to stand up and walk to the center between Hei Xing and Lin Xiantian.

The light of the skill began to shine, and the black jade pendant on Xu Haonan's chest, bearing the appearance of NO.259, also slowly began to glow.

However, this light was covered by the light of the skill, so others could not see it clearly.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Xu Haonan had secretly added something to Black Star's body during the soul-swapping process...

……

However, all of this was no longer relevant to Xia Lin.

During the subsequent time in the Ash Zone, Xia Lin transformed into a tree, taking root in the primordial world, constantly absorbing nutrients to increase her racial stats.

Once the base stats exceed 100, the attribute limit-breaking effect brought by "I am a tree" becomes almost negligible, so there's no need to calculate it.

Wait for the random combination cooldown in the middle, and as soon as the cooldown is over, immediately steal the skills and harvest the evolution points.

And so, four years passed in the blink of an eye.

Just as the day of her return arrived, Xia Lin once again ended her skill and reverted to human form.

Open the properties panel and look at your own properties.

Xia Lin

【Level: 9】

[Base stats: 201 (originally 179)]

[Basic Attributes: 4.8 million.]

The skill "Four Years, I Am a Tree" provided Xia Lin with 22 racial stat points, which was quite effective.

Multiplying the results together does not trigger the second and third laws; the line is blocked.

But it's not a big problem; it just needs to settle down for a while longer.

Evolution Points: 2685.

This is the result of random combination plus sufficient time!
Just as the light of return shone down from above, Xia Lin activated the hidden troop tunnel while turning to look at Scarlett.

"Wait for me a moment, it won't be long."

Scarlett smiled gently, nodded slightly, and stepped into the hidden soldier's cave.

……

A feeling of dizziness and disorientation washed over me.

When Xia Lin opened his eyes again, he found himself in a settlement space that resembled a vast starry sky.

The light and shadow overhead transformed into Xia Lin's various experiences in this ash-covered area.

As she looked back, Xia Lin sighed softly.

The power is gone...

The logic and source of power of the Black Source Overlord form have been discussed before, so there's no need to repeat them here.

The attribute has simply decreased from 8000 trillion to 4.8 million... The difference is indeed quite significant.

After sighing, Xia Lin calmed herself down.

It doesn't matter anymore.

What's lost can be found again! And the relevant components have been gathered, the plan is very clear, it's just a matter of following the steps.

Settlement begins.

The system's voice rang out, interrupting Xia Lin's thoughts.

Lines of text composed of starlight appeared before Xia Lin.

Main Quest: Survival, Completed!

You have earned 1 Ranked Battle Points.

Xia Lin almost forgot about this; the Ash Zone of the Outer Gods and Immortals Legend was the Ash Zone of the second ranking battle assessment...

In the first assessment in the Ash Zone, Xia Lin had already used up all the ranking points she had earned, but now she has gained another 1 points.

The price of the qualifier certificate is exactly 1 ranked battle points.

Of course, there's no rush to buy the qualifier pass, since ranked match points can buy a lot of things and are quite valuable.

Thinking of this, Xia Lin recalled the three six-pillar-level items that had been bought by someone else on the previous exchange form...

I wonder who will win this huge prize.

There's no need to be envious, because Xia Lin will soon be able to get his hands on items of this level.

[Your servant, Scarlett, has been transferred to the body of Qu Yiyi, a native of the Virtual Ashes. Please make a choice.]

This is the follow-up to the previous incident of changing the female lead, and now Xia Lin has to make a decision from three options.

Xia Lin decisively replied, "Three."

Three options: leasing.

Immediately after making his choice, Xia Lin focused his will on the hidden soldier cave.

Because of the different rules governing the settlement space and time, everything inside the hidden cave (including the county magistrate, Scarlett, the Bomb Boys, etc.) has been frozen in time.

But Charlin could still see that Scarlett was different from the others.

“Even if she leaves the settlement space, Scarlett will remain in her current state, stuck in a solid state. I can only make Scarlett move again by spending Ember Points.”

There is no sealing power, but it retains its self-awareness and can move freely.

If you want to awaken someone, you can only awaken them fully.

The price has now been set in the Ashes area.

10 Ember Zone Points in one minute!

Actually, it's not that expensive. 100,000 Ember Zone Points for one minute of full-power attack at level 11. If this price were offered, countless Ember Zone players would be scrambling to get it.

But Xia Lin was not satisfied, nor could he use this method for long, treating Scarlett as a tool.

Fortunately, the Ashes area also offered the option of converting a lease into a buyout.

100 billion Ember Zone Points, compared to the gains in this Ember Zone, is not an outrageous number.

"By the way, there's one more thing."

"I request that Qu Tianhe be removed from the Outer Immortal Heroes Legend Ashes Zone".

The little girl is now nine years old... In the latter part of the Ash District, Xia Lin transformed into a tree, and Qu Tianhe was raised by Scarlett—by blood, they really are mother and daughter, and they have developed a deep affection for each other over the years.

Before the settlement began, Scarlett wanted to take Qu Tianhe out of the Ashes Zone, as she was reluctant to part with her.

Considering Scarlett's past, present, and future contributions, Xia Lin will certainly do everything in her power to fulfill her wish.

[10 Ember Zone Points are required.]

Is that outrageous?
It's actually quite outrageous...

Because Qu Tianhe was too young, she had not embarked on the path of cultivation and had no cultivation level; she was merely a mortal with great talent.

Even so, the Ember Zone requires 10 Ember Zone Points.

This is the tricky part of the virtual Ember Zone—if you want to take something with you, you have to pay a heavy tax to the Ember Zone system.

Qu Tianhe alone costs 10; if Xia Lin wants to take the entire Primordial World away, the price he'll have to pay is unimaginable...

Therefore, from the very beginning, Xia Lin had no such thoughts.

"But there's still a problem... I don't have any Ashes Zone Points in reserve..."

Xia Lin had never thought that the points in the Ash Zone were that important, so she never had any intention of saving money for them.

He chose the reward items and never considered the points in the Ashes area... In the end, even a hero is stumped by a single penny.

He didn't have enough Ash Points left to pay the 10 figure.

But there is a solution.

The system notification sound in the Ash Zone continued to ring.

[Mission Complete: Crossing the Seas - Completed!]

[Completion Rate: 100%!]

[Reward quality improved...]

[Rewards are being selected...]

[Filtering complete!]

[Because this is the preliminary round of the race ranking battle, the rewards you receive may differ from previous rounds.]

You can choose three rewards from the following five options!

[One: A substitute identity card (high-grade).]

【Identity Substitute Card (High): Permission-type item. An enhanced version of the Identity Substitute Card! After using this card, you can not only replace the identity of a virtual Ember Zone native, but also replace the identity of anyone below level 11 in the real Ember Zone!】
However, please note that acquiring status entails karmic consequences! Please weigh the pros and cons carefully!

Xia Lin's eyes lit up; she was somewhat tempted.

The identity substitution card is a good thing. Lin Xiantian's failure was because he didn't understand how to use it.

Moreover, this identity substitution card is an enhanced version... a perfect replacement for the real person's identity. If used properly, this effect can be very useful.

Of course, there was no rush to choose; Xia Lin continued reading.

[Part Two: Ranked Match Points: 20!]

That's even better.

Ranking battle points can be exchanged for foundational skills, with a foundational skill costing only 100-1000 points, while Heavenly Essence only costs 50 points.

Even 20 points could buy one of the three six-pillar level items on the exchange list at the time.

[Three: 1000 million points in the Ash Zone!]

Originally, Xia Lin would not have considered this option.

Now it has become a mandatory option.

Because this is the only opportunity we have to bring out Qu Tianhe, and if we miss it, we'll miss it forever.

Charlin didn't want to disappoint Scarlett.

[Four: Unseen Shadow Exclusive: One skill combo opportunity!]

This option appeared in the Black Flag Ashes area, bringing Xia Lin the Ghost Five Elements Black Blaze Slash.

In summary: It smells delicious.

[Five: Unseen Shadow Exclusive: Forced Promotion!]

[Forced Promotion: Promote any of your skills or talents to the racial foundation level!]

Option five is actually one that can be abandoned.

Because this is just a disguised form of evolution points...

Xia Lin's pursuit of evolution points is endless, but the problem is that the five options are too few.

Even upgrading a non-professional skill from F-rank to racial foundation level only requires less than 100 evolution points...

Just by looking at the prices of those super skills in the recipe book and comparing them to Xia Lin's current evolution points, you can tell how Xia Lin feels about this reward.

After a moment's thought, Xia Lin made a decision.

"Choose one, two, or three options."

Identity substitute card, 20 ranked battle points, and 1000 million Ember Zone points.

(End of this chapter)