I went berserk in the game of gods.

Chapter 159 Methods to Advance Superpowers

"You really don't know about advancement... The talent I'm referring to here is a general term for the talents of each of the three paths, not just the cultivation talent of the Immortal path. Let me take the Superhuman path you've taken as an example."

Yin An answered Cao Yu's question by saying:

"Superpowers of the same type can be upgraded, with lower-ranked abilities rising to higher-ranked ones. This upgrade opportunity occurs once each when a player advances to A-rank or S-rank."

You should know our number one wanted criminal in node 09, 'Puppet Master', right? His superpower is of the puppet type. He didn't start as number 97, Suspended Silk Puppet City, but rather rose up from a lower sequence.

If he can advance to an S-rank player in the future, his superpower will continue to upgrade, eventually reaching level 82: Puppet Stage.

"Oh? You can do that?" Cao Yu admitted that he was quite surprised. "This is practically defying fate."

"It is indeed defying fate. But how many players can reach the A-level stage? Not to mention the S-level. In our entire 09 node, not a single local player has advanced to the S-level. You can imagine how difficult it is to change your fate by leveling up."

At this point, Yin An changed the subject:
"Fortunately, the game company has a relatively mature 'artificial upgrade technology.' They can directly and forcibly upgrade the rank of superpowers for any level of superhuman player once, with a very high success rate."

This kind of service can't be bought with money.

Our node 09 has a certain number of allocated slots. Can you guess who controls these slots?

"What, does your family control these quotas?" Cao Yu asked.

"Yes."

Yin An's eyes and tone became more serious:
"Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you anymore. I am actually a member of the Tianxing royal family. I want to represent the royal family to win you over!"

"Hmm." Cao Yu said calmly, "Let's continue talking about advancement. Besides the superhuman method, how do you advance through the other two methods?"

Yin An: "..."

Is this reaction... correct?
Although she didn't mean to show off or be proud, the other party's calm reaction left her a little bewildered.

"You..." Yin An hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.

"Aren't you eager to see my surprised expression?" Cao Yu asked. "Aren't you eager to show off in front of me?"

"...Hmph, vulgar!" Yin An glared at Cao Yu.

“Actually, your identity is quite easy to guess.” Cao Yu grinned and said, “If what you’re saying isn’t just bragging, then you can only come from two different factions.”

He held up two fingers:
"The Celestial Royal Family, the Illusionary Universe Group. Choose one."

“Node 09 also has a noble alliance composed of eighteen families.” Yin An said, “Hmph… what are you pretending for? In the end, you still missed one.”

"Never mind whether I leak anything or not, answer my question first," Cao Yu said. "How do you advance through the other two paths?"

"Why would a superhuman gamer like you ask this?" Yin An asked suspiciously.

Speaking of which, she had sensed the fluctuations of "Qi" from Cao Yu during the competition.

She initially thought it was an effect simulated by some kind of prop, but now that she heard Cao Yu ask this question... Could this guy be using two different routes at the same time?
No... she's probably overthinking it.

Those who possess superpowers are destined to be forever barred from having superior aptitude for cultivation.

"Just asking casually," Cao Yu replied to Yin An, "Just satisfying my curiosity."

"You have so many questions... The advancement through the Immortal Path refers to improving one's cultivation aptitude through precious natural treasures. These kinds of treasures are basically only produced in the Spirit Realm, and they are not resources that can be bought with money."

Yin An said:

"My family has been developing for nearly a hundred years before we've managed to open up some channels and connections in the spirit world. Don't even think about it. Superhuman players are destined to be incompatible with cultivation aptitude. No matter how many rare and precious materials you throw at them, they won't be able to achieve any acquired improvement."

"You're overthinking it. I was just asking out of curiosity," Cao Yu replied.

He did know the reason—the Old Gods had set a rule that the talents related to the three pathways could not appear in the same person.

With his innate abilities locked down and his potential for improvement blocked, what were the old gods trying to do? Cao Yu couldn't help but become curious.

Of course, curiosity aside, since it concerned the gods, he had no intention of recklessly investigating.

At least not at this stage.

'Looking at it this way, my system is quite powerful. It directly bypassed the rules of the Old Gods, allowing me to acquire talents through the three major pathways without any barriers or restrictions...'

Cao Yu couldn't help but bring up the system panel and glance at it... His achievement points had increased dramatically again.

Yin An continued:

"The advancement through the demi-human path refers to the improvement of 'bloodline adaptation talent,' a technology controlled by the Celestial Evolution Star. My family happens to have some connections with it..."

With Yin An's introduction, Cao Yu gradually learned about the differences between the major powers at the top of node 09 and ordinary powers.

Aside from talent advancement, truly valuable items such as profound classic-level cultivation techniques, special materials needed for cultivating special techniques, and king-level bloodline injections are not for sale and cannot be accessed without joining a major power.

At the same time, the major powers also control their own internal repair channels.

Once a player's evolution level reaches the B-level limit, the services they receive through these referral channels are different, and the time required to advance to A-level evolution level can be greatly shortened.

To use an analogy... other time-space nodes are like the lower realm. Game companies, the spirit realm, and Tianyan Star, on the other hand, belong to the three upper realms. For cultivators from the lower realms to ascend to the upper realms, without a powerful backer, the difficulty of climbing up on their own is immense.

Yin An snorted coldly:
"The world isn't pure white at all; it's murky and chaotic! Fairness and justice? They're just beautiful fairy tales to fool the lower classes. To climb to the highest peak, you have to rely on powerful forces, be their dogs, and then climb up step by step. Hmph... This shitty world really doesn't give any way out for independent cultivators."

Cao Yu: "..."

Damn it, here we go again... Have you ever been a rogue cultivator? Some of your things are just nonsense and assumptions.

After venting his negative energy through insults, Yin An said to Cao Yu:
"In short, my family has more or less mastered some of these resources that money can't buy."

You're a superhuman player, so I don't need to explain the significance of upgrading your superpowers, right?
I can help you write an application and submit it to the family so you can become a candidate for the 'ranking promotion slot'.

"Just a candidate?" Cao Yu curled his lip. "Aren't we going to get a permanent spot?"

"Do you think you're some kind of free-range cabbage? This isn't something I can decide. I can only recommend you and give you a chance to get on the waiting list. With your abilities... I estimate you could get on the waiting list within three years."

After Yin An finished speaking, he thought for a few seconds and then added:

"If you want to get a spot directly, you'll probably have to sign a contract to sell yourself. With your superpower talent, as long as you're willing to sell yourself, you can immediately get a spot and go to the game company's headquarters to upgrade your superpower. However... I don't recommend this kind of contract."

At this point, she asked curiously:
"By the way, what's your superpower number?"

"Keep it a secret," Cao Yu said.

"Hmph..." Yin An gave up probing and asked, "So, are you going to accept my offer or not?"

“Signing a contract to sell myself is out of the question. I might consider a simple cooperation model,” Cao Yu replied. “But not now. We’ll have to wait until I advance to C-level player. We can exchange contact information first.”

He wasn't interested in the "ranking up slots".

Because his serial number simply can't be increased!

It's not that there's no opportunity for a promotion.

Rather... he dared not be promoted.

The top ten superpowers are all unique and related to gods... If gods are also ranked, then the gods behind these powers must be extraordinary.

These ten superpowers probably cannot be awakened naturally; each one likely requires "divine intervention" to be born.

The Evolution Game was created by the gods... Cao Yu guessed that these ten superpowers were most likely related to the powerful gods' plans in the game.

Although his system can bypass the "divine bestowal" mechanism, allowing him to spend achievement points to directly purchase the top 10 serial numbers, what's the difference between buying something unique and stealing right under the nose of a god?

The final result, as the system has already given, is that without divine permission, buying it means certain death.

Excluding these ten unconventional superpowers, his "Seven Killings Master" should actually rank first in the entire evolution game.

There is no more room for improvement.

He had no reason to compete for this promotion spot.

However, it was the other resources controlled by the Tianxing royal family that piqued his interest.

For example, internal referral channels for further studies at the "Three Holy Sites".

Having connections makes things easier; this rule applies everywhere.

...Cao Yu and Yin An exchanged contact information.

Subsequently, Yin An announced his departure.

She had received the reply and there was no need for her to stay at the hunting grounds any longer.

However, before leaving, there was something she needed to remind Cao Yu of… She said:

"I forgot to tell you, your current situation is not safe. Behind the hunting grounds are three major forces within the node, and the Tianxing Royal Family behind me is one of them."

Competition between forces is not limited to the obvious tactics; the darkness hidden behind it is far beyond your imagination.

"With your potential... if you continue to stay here, you might be used by others and become a pawn in their power struggles. You should think carefully."

"I've thought it through," Cao Yu said with a smile. "I'm also preparing to run away."

"..."

Yin An was a little surprised.

That's quite cautious... The other party must have already considered things, so she didn't ask any further questions.

Before fleeing, Cao Yu took the time to ask Yin An about opening up the Ghost Sea route and spacetime orbit at node 09.

The main question was about the aspects in which the development was difficult.

He still remembered that only the Spirit Boat Point was built in Zone 008.

As a member of the Tianxing royal family, Yin An should know more than the three Xu sisters.

What are the challenges in building spacetime transportation systems?

Yin An seemed to have gotten used to Cao Yu's rambling questions.

After thinking for a few seconds, she replied:

"I don't know much about it, but I have heard that the strange sea environment and spacetime environment of our 09 node have both become abnormal, which has led to a long detour when building transportation."

The affected area primarily covers zones 009 to 015, with zone 008, being closer, also experiencing some impact. Currently, neither air routes nor orbital paths can be established to these zones at a low cost.

The specific cause of the anomaly is still under investigation, and no results have been found at this time.

After answering, she asked with doubt:

"What do you ask for this?"

"As you can probably tell, I'm a newbie player with limited experience," Cao Yu grinned. "If I had time, I probably would have pestered you for a whole day and night to answer all my questions."

Partitions 009 to 015 all have problems... It seems that the "offline status" of the Federation world is not an isolated case.

Cao Yu noted down this intelligence.

"Hmph... Let's save the gossip for later, we have to go," Yin An reminded them.

"Do you have a teleportation device?" Cao Yu asked. "If not, use mine. However, my teleportation distance is a bit far, so it will take some time to return to Beast Hunting City."

“Then let’s use mine. I still have things to do in Beast Hunting City.” Yin An then asked, “By the way, do you have any means to conceal your identity? If not, you’ll be easily found, and it won’t help if you move.”

Upon hearing this, Cao Yu did not answer immediately, but instead asked in return:
"Does the 002 section have any A-level information gathering items?" Cao Yu asked.

"What are you thinking? Each of these special-function A-grade items is a treasure, and there are only a handful in the entire node combined."

Yin An curled his lip and said:

"Anyway, the owner of Beast Hunting City, that A-level player Prisoner, doesn't have such an item on him."

The 09th Bureau of Tianhuan City does possess one, but... even though it's an A-grade item, it can't probe information across worlds; its effects are only valid within the same world.

You asked me this question… which suggests you possess a method to evade detection by B-grade items. Don't worry, with such a method, you're impossible to track down in Zone 002.”

"Um... I'm fine now."

Cao Yu was relieved and said:
"Use your tools to transfer it."

Yin An nodded and silently used his mental power to communicate with the B-grade items he was equipped with.

Items involving time and space attributes are at least grade B, and each one is very precious.

As an important member of the Tianxing royal family, she obtained an item with the support of her family's resources. Its effect is to swap positions with pre-set markers within a 10-kilometer radius.

She had already changed the spatial props before coming to this lounge.

"Castling."

Yin An let out a low murmur.

The next second, a white light suddenly appeared and enveloped her and Cao Yu.

Cao Yu sensed a pulling force—he suppressed his instinct to resist with the "Immortal Slaying Curse" and let the force pull him along.

A flash of white light, and the two figures disappeared simultaneously from the lounge.

Beast Hunting City West District.

In an empty room of a chain hotel, the air trembled, and Cao Yu and Yin An appeared amidst flashes of white light.

Five chess pieces were placed in the guest room. The moment they appeared, two of the pieces disappeared and were moved to the hunting ground lounge, which was 9 kilometers away.

Cao Yu glanced at Yin An and noticed that her face had turned somewhat pale.

It seems that C-level players consume a lot of resources when using B-level items.

"Let's part ways here," Yin An said.

"Thanks," Cao Yu said with a smile. "Goodbye."

After saying that, he turned to leave...

"Wait!" Yin An called out to him, "Hey, at least leave me your name!"

"Cao Cao." Cao Yu's expression became more serious. "This is my real name."

"Hmph... I'll tell you my real name since you're somewhat sincere," Yin An said. "Yu Zhen."

Cao Yu: "..."

"What's with that expression?" Yin An-Yu Zhen felt displeased when she saw Cao Yu's slightly speechless expression.

Is her name strange?

"I heard that Princess Yuzhen of the Tianxing royal family, who has a perfect aptitude, recently held her coming-of-age ceremony in Tianhuan City. The scene was very lively, but unfortunately I missed it." Cao Yu looked at the girl in front of him and said with emotion, "I never thought I would run into her in person."

What he didn't know was that Yu Zhen felt the same way he did—she just casually sneaked out of the house and managed to encounter a player with monster-level potential. Was her luck really good or bad?

"Hmph, what's a princess?" Yu Zhen said with a sneer. "There are plenty of forces like the Tianxing Royal Family in the Evolution Game. Royal family members aren't anything special. On the contrary, players with your potential are extremely rare. To be honest, I was quite surprised to run into you on this trip."

She snorted:
"We're barely friends now, so don't let your romanticized view of the royal family affect our relationship."

You're overthinking it. The Tianxing royal family really isn't anything special to me. There's no such thing as a biased view... Cao Yu naturally wouldn't say such a thing aloud, and smiled slightly:

"Don't worry, I never look at someone's status when making friends."

Just then, the prop he carried with him began to vibrate—the one that Shen Luoyan had given him.

"I have to go," Cao Yu said. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye," Yuzhen replied.

After saying that, she activated "castling" again, and her figure disappeared from the spot.

Cao Yu couldn't be as carefree as her, so he could only leave the chain hotel on foot and head to the location that Shen Luoyan had sent through the device.

(End of this chapter)