Chapter 25: Soul Lock

Beep!

“Linjiang network connected!”

The identity device suddenly emitted a prompt!

Jiang Jian opened his identity device and pulled up the screen.

“On the Whale Ray vessel.”

“It can actually connect to Linjiang Fu’s trading network.”

Jiang Jian raised an eyebrow.

The Anhezhou network had already auto-connected.

Even the higher-tier Linjiang Fu network.

Just seconds ago, it had already connected successfully!

“There are so many things on Linjiang Fu’s trading platform...”

Jiang Jian browsed the vast Linjiang network, his gaze brightening slightly.

The Linjiang network was divided into five sections.

The first section was the government forum.

The forum was the official platform of the Linjiang Fu government, built with top-tier servers.

It could simultaneously accommodate one billion citizens, allowing free discussion and posting.

The second major section was the most important trading platform.

Linjiang Fu’s trading platform allowed buying and selling.

It even permitted barter.

Everything imaginable was available.

“Talent orbs...”

Jiang Jian found the talent trading section and clicked into it.

“There are so many!”

The platform displayed countless talent orbs for sale!

As long as you had Alliance Coins, you could buy any talent you desired!

“But.”

“The highest talent available is only Level 3.”

“Level 4 talents seem not to be permitted for sale.”

Jiang Jian scrolled the screen and selected Level 3 talents in the filter settings.

“Level 3 orb, Technique: Flying Back and Forth Technique, price: 1,600,000 Alliance Coins.”

“Flying Back and Forth Technique: Uses Qi to control weapons or conjure blades of Qi to kill enemies from a thousand meters away, comes with a corresponding cultivation method.”

“Level 3 orb, Technique: Soul Lock Spell, price: 1,800,000 Alliance Coins.”

“Soul Lock Spell: A mental attack technique; when cast, it strikes the opponent’s spirit-soul, causing either mental confusion or brain death, comes with a corresponding cultivation method.”

“Level 3 orb, Martial: Thunderbody Cultivation, price: 2,300,000 Alliance Coins.”

“Thunderbody Cultivation: Specialized in body cultivation; when mastered, thunder cracks with every punch and kick, immensely powerful, comes with a corresponding cultivation method.”

“Level 3 orb, Body: Nine Oxen, Two Tigers, price: 1,200,000 Alliance Coins.”

“Nine Oxen, Two Tigers: Passive talent that increases physical strength.”

“Level 3 orb, Body: Thick Skin, Tough Flesh, price: 1,100,000 Alliance Coins.”

“Thick Skin, Tough Flesh: Passive talent that increases physical resilience.”

“Level 3 orb, Mind: Keen Ears, Sharp Eyes, price: 1,300,000 Alliance Coins.”

“Keen Ears, Sharp Eyes: Passive talent that enhances vision and hearing.”

Jiang Jian scanned the dense list of talents on the screen.

For the first time, he felt.

The importance of obtaining a Level 3 talent during the Divine Bestowal Ceremony.

The cheapest “Body” and “Mind” talents.

Were all passive talents.

Even the accompanying cultivation methods were absent.

But as long as the talent orb was Level 3,

its price would never be below one million Alliance Coins.

On the sofa beside him,

Song Ling and Du Fang browsed the Linjiang network, equally stunned.

“Linjiang Fu’s trading platform actually sells Whale Ray vessels!”

Du Fang pointed at his identity device, mouth agape.

Song Ling snapped out of it and turned to look.

Du Fang exclaimed: “A Whale Ray vessel, manufactured by Linjiang Academy, priced at 7.8 million Alliance Coins!”

“Overreacting.”

Song Ling shook his head.

Jiang Jian picked up his water cup, took a sip, and said: “What I’m more curious about is something else.”

Song Ling turned to him: “Jiang Jian, what did you notice?”

Jiang Jian smiled and said: “So many people, after receiving a Level 3 talent,”

“don’t cultivate it themselves.”

“Instead, they strip it off and sell it.”

Hearing this,

Du Fang clicked his tongue: “Everyone has their own path; it’s normal.”

“Besides, a Level 3 talent is worth over a million Alliance Coins!”

“With that much money, how long could you possibly spend it?”

Song Ling sneered: “One million Alliance Coins doesn’t last long.”

“I heard that at the Divine Bestowal University, annual extra resource fees are over one hundred thousand Alliance Coins!”

“If you don’t spend that money,”

“and only rely on the school’s subsidized resources,”

“you can still cultivate.”

Song Ling’s face held mockery: “But your cultivation progress? Ha, you’d already be left behind by eight hundred li.”

Jiang Jian shook his head and fell silent.

What he was thinking about was something else.

The ice-blue flame deep within his spirit origin.

Must not be exposed.

Though he didn’t know what level it was,

yet on it,

a single wisp of flame,

Pure Spirit True Flame,

had already reached Level 3 Divine Bestowal status.

“If my spirit-soul grows stronger,”

“I should gradually be able to summon more of the ice-blue flame.”

Jiang Jian halted his thoughts.

He looked down at his fingers.

With a thought,

thin strands of blood-red flame spiraled up.

Dancing joyfully around his palm.

Pure Spirit True Flame glowed crimson.

The moment it appeared, it hissed as it burned the air, warping it.

“Jiang Jian!”

Du Fang shuddered, pupils contracting sharply: “Quick, put it out!”

Jiang Jian smiled, flicked his fingers, and extinguished the Pure Spirit True Flame.

Du Fang moved farther away, fear still lingering in his eyes: “That thing is scary.”

Song Ling teased: “Isn’t your Ten Thousand Forms Sword Art supposed to be powerful?”

Du Fang forced a smile: “None of us have started cultivating yet—we can only rely on the raw power of our talents.”

“My Ten Thousand Forms Sword Qi is offensive only.”

“Jiang Jian’s Pure Spirit True Flame is both offensive and defensive.”

“I can’t beat him.”

“This is the advantage of Art.”

This time, Song Ling did not refute him.

Instead, she nodded.

“Art holds the top position among the six talents because…”

“the vast majority of Arts…”

“can both attack and defend.”

“Martial, however, is mostly focused on offense.”

“For defense, it can only rely on the second talent as a supplement.”

“It is inherently weaker than ‘Art.’”

“As for the other four talents…”

Thinking of her own talent, Song Ling sighed.

“Intent and Weapon, in rare cases, manifest as offensive talents.”

“Body and Heart, ninety-nine percent of the time, are passive talents.”

“There aren’t even corresponding cultivation methods.”

Hearing this,

Du Fang looked curious and asked, “What kind of talent is your Xinlingzhiyu ?”

Song Ling glanced at him and said, “It consumes Qi to restore injuries and provides various miscellaneous buffs.”

“But the most absurd thing is…”

Song Ling’s expression turned complex. “ Xinlingzhiyu has only spellcasting methods—no corresponding cultivation technique.”

“To cultivate it, I have only two options.”

“First, use the most basic, slowest cultivation method everyone receives after the Divine Gift Ceremony.”

“Second, buy a talent orb with a cultivation method and implant it into the Shenque acupoint as my second talent.”

She pointed to her identity device.

“Talent orbs are ridiculously expensive.”

“A level-two talent orb with a cultivation method costs five hundred thousand Alliance Coins.”

“Even a level-one Art with a matching cultivation method starts at one hundred thousand Alliance Coins.”

(End of Chapter)