Chapter 130: Talisman Maker: 6th Grade
The moment the two bloodlines were unleashed, they didn’t waste time and got right to it. It was on sight—no hesitation, no mercy. Xiang Yu’s body became their battlefield, and he felt the devastation immediately. His spleen ruptured first, followed by his lungs in the next heartbeat.
The pain transcended his previous experiences, reaching heights he hadn’t thought possible. Despite his growing tolerance, the bloodlines seemed determined to push his threshold higher. It was as though they recognized his adaptation and deliberately intensified their conflict to maintain his suffering.
An hour into this internal war, Xiang Yu slipped another healing pill between his blood-flecked lips. Though the agony remained unrelenting, he took grim satisfaction in his endurance. The dragon bloodline’s contribution to his hardened skin and reinforced bones had increased his durability, while the phoenix bloodline’s enhanced healing capabilities worked tirelessly to counteract the damage.
After two more hours of this brutal exchange, Xiang Yu’s body had become a canvas of blood. Crimson rivulets traced paths across his skin, pooling beneath him in the spirit spring’s shimmering waters. He consumed another pill, directing its healing energy toward his most vital internal organs.
There was no point in wasting resources on surface wounds, he reasoned. They would just rupture again in seconds. It was better to focus the medicinal power where it mattered most, allowing his natural regeneration to gradually address the less critical injuries.
Several more hours passed in this cycle of destruction and partial recovery. When the system reset screen finally materialized before his eyes, Xiang Yu immediately reasserted control over the bloodlines, forcing them into submission. With their conflict suspended, he swallowed ten healing pills at once.
The effect was remarkable—without the bloodlines constantly tearing him apart, his body began knitting itself back together at an astonishing rate. His natural recovery, enhanced by the phoenix bloodline and amplified by the pills, restored him to near-perfect condition within minutes.
As the last traces of pain faded, Xiang Yu directed his attention to the day’s progress:
[Body Refining: 12th Layer (3000/12,000) (+1000/12,000)]
[Qi Gathering: 8th Layer (300/800) (+300/800)]
[Mind: Level 5 (240/5000) (+120/5000)]
[Soul: Infant (80/100,000) (+40/100,000)]
[Spiritual Root: Medium-Grade Omni-Element (80/2000)]
[Transcendent Dao Body: Level 1 (1110/1,000,000) (+10/1,000,000)]
[Chaos Body: Level 1 (750/10,000) (+50/10,000)]
[Bloodline: Dragon, Phoenix: Common Blood (100/2000) (+100/2000)]
[Enlightenment: Superior (560/4000) (+60/4000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 5th Grade (70/50,000) (+10/50,000)]
[High-grade Lightning Strike & Palm: Minor Success (20/200)]
[High-grade Fire Palm: Intermediate (50/300) (+50/300)]
[High-grade Water, Wood, Earth, Metal Palm: Minor Success (72/200)]
[High-grade Ice, Wind, Light, Dark Palm: Minor Success (5/200) (+5/200)]
[Cook: 3rd Grade (30/700) (+10/700)]
[Appraiser: 6th Grade (304/400) (+100/400)]
[Talisman Maker: 7th Grade (150/300) (+50/300)]
[Alchemist, Formation Master, Blacksmith: 7th Grade (50/300) (+50/300)]
[Experience Points Doubled]
[Alchemist, Formation Master, Blacksmith: 7th Grade (50/300) → 7th Grade (100/300)]
[Talisman Maker: 7th Grade (150/300) → 6th Grade (0/400)]
[Appraiser: 6th Grade (304/400) → 5th Grade (0/500)]
[Cook: 3rd Grade (30/700) → 3rd Grade (60/700)]
[High-grade Ice, Wind, Light, Dark Palm: Minor Success (5/200) → Minor Success (10/200)]
[High-grade Water, Wood, Earth, Metal Palm: Minor Success (72/200) → Minor Success (144/200)]
[High-grade Fire Palm: Intermediate (50/300) → Intermediate (100/300)]
[High-grade Lightning Strike & Palm: Minor Success (20/200) → Minor Success (40/200)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 5th Grade (70/50,000) → 5th Grade (140/50,000)]
[Enlightenment: Superior (560/4000) → Superior (1120/4000)]
[Bloodline: Dragon, Phoenix: Common Blood (100/2000) → Common Blood (200/2000)]
[Chaos Body: Level 1 (750/10,000) → Level 1 (1500/10,000)]
[Transcendent Dao Body: Level 1 (1110/1,000,000) → Level 1 (2220/1,000,000)]
[Spiritual Root: Medium-Grade Omni-Element (80/2000) → Medium (160/2000)]
[Soul: Infant (80/100,000) -> Infant (160/100,000)]
[Mind: Level 5 (240/5000) → Level 5 (480/5000)]
[Qi Gathering: 8th Layer (300/800) → 8th Layer (600/800)]
[Body Refining: 12th Layer (3000/12,000) → 12th Layer (6000/12,000)]
...
Xiang Yu felt a twinge of disappointment as he assessed his body refining progress. Only a thousand points gained, despite the excruciating torment he had endured. With the bloodlines now at common blood stage, he had expected at least another five hundred points of advancement.
The frustration faded quickly, however, as he recognized the bigger picture. After doubling, his experience had reached six thousand points—meaning he would break through to the thirteenth layer after the next reset. That advancement would significantly increase his strength once again.
Though technically only at the eighth layer of qi cultivation, Xiang Yu possessed so many buffs that he couldn’t accurately gauge his true fighting potential. And he preferred to keep it that way, he didn’t want any enemies to test his strength.
His qi cultivation had shown remarkable progress. He had noticed it breaking through during the bloodline stimulation and it even accumulated a total of three hundred experience points after.
After calculating, he realized he had gained four hundred points throughout the day. While his improving spiritual root contributed somewhat to this growth, he attributed most of it to his bloodline advancement. The common blood stage had enhanced his body’s ability to absorb qi directly through his skin just like spirit beasts.
After doubling, his qi cultivation had surpassed the halfway point to the next breakthrough. At this pace, he might advance before the next reset even triggered. Briefly, he considered whether to begin building his foundation after that breakthrough, but ultimately decided against it. Continuing to the tenth stage would establish a more solid foundation for his future cultivation.
His spiritual root had finally entered the hundreds and was developing steadily. The Transcendent Dao Physique, though finally accumulating points in the thousands and accelerating, remained distant from its next level.
In contrast, his Chaos Body had entered the thousands and would likely advance within just a few resets. His enlightenment had likewise crossed into the thousands, approximately two resets away from breakthrough. The prospect of advancing from Superior to Sacred grade enlightenment filled him with anticipation—if Superior was this impressive, how much more remarkable would Sacred be?
Among his elemental techniques, little had changed significantly except for the fire palm, which had gained fifty experience points. He attributed this to the phoenix bloodline’s breakthrough, which had naturally enhanced his fire affinity.
Examining his professional skills, Xiang Yu noted that his cooking profession continued its advancement at its own pace. The appraiser profession, having broken through to fifth grade, was beginning to catch up. He made a mental note to test its new capabilities later, curious about what additional insights it might provide.
His talisman-making skill had reached sixth grade, unlocking deeper insights into existing talisman blueprints while introducing entirely new designs. A small smile crossed his lips, with this, the helplessness he had felt previously diminished considerably.
His remaining three professions—alchemy, formation mastery, and blacksmithing—remained at seventh grade but would probably advance after the next reset. The only disappointing aspect of his progress lay in his elemental techniques, which continued to advance at an almost imperceptible pace. Acknowledging there was little he could do to accelerate their development at present, he decided to accept their gradual improvement.
With his assessment complete, Xiang Yu closed the system interface and settled into a comfortable meditation posture.