Chapter 52: Transfigure into Immortal!

Plunder the common folk, and reforge the true self.

Good lord, your method isn't much worse than proving the Dao through force.

Chiyuan spoke with great enthusiasm, while Wu Chang listened at the side, his heart in his throat.

He was afraid Chiyuan might fail to rein himself in, slap the mask onto his face, achieve instant mastery of a divine art on the spot, and slaughter him for fun.

Fortunately, the Goddess of Luck's judgment was accurate enough to stop him from doing something so stupid as handing over a free kill.

Taking the Shadow-Reflecting Mask, he noticed the skill description had changed.

"Item Name: Shadow-Reflecting Human Mask."

"Item Grade: B (Growable)."

"Item Skill: Shadow Reflection."

"Skill Description: The Human Mask (Black) and Human Mask (White) can each record the shadow of a target and summon that shadow to assist in battle. If the recorded target's level is ≤15, its combat power is perfectly replicated; if the recorded target's level is >15, combat power will fluctuate based on the user's level and energy attributes. If the shadow is destroyed, it can only be summoned again after 24 hours."

"Item Skill: Reforge the True Self."

"Skill Description: Within the Shadow-Reflecting Human Mask, a brand-new body will coalesce. This body shares the user's level and attributes, possesses all the permissions enjoyed by the player, and can independently choose a class. The user may freely transfer skills and items between the main body and the True Self body. When controlling the True Self body, the main body will not be entangled in karma."

"Item Skill: Transfigure into Immortal."

"Skill Status: Not Activated."

"Item Description:???"

Looking at the newly upgraded Shadow-Reflecting Human Mask, Wu Chang was somewhat speechless.

As the Shadow-Reflecting Human Mask's item grade changed from C to B (Growable), the replication level cap of the Shadow Reflection skill had risen from 12 to 15.

The boost was considerable, but compared to the other changes, it seemed trivial.

The skill that originally required wearing both halves of the mask simultaneously had become the Reforge the True Self that Chiyuan mentioned.

This skill was essentially giving him a backup body—a perfect alternate identity.

With a backup body, he no longer had to worry about people discovering that he was the one who had cleared the Moonlight Sanatorium.

Moreover, the backup body could independently choose a class, and skills could be freely transferred with the main body. If he understood correctly, it was equivalent to him having two classes.

This effect, let alone in Abyss Game, would be explosively overpowered even in an online game.

If the effect of Reforge the True Self was already enough to make one suspect Chiyuan had turned on a cheat engine, then the Transfigure into Immortal skill left Wu Chang's state exactly like the skill description—a head full of question marks.

What does this mean? Is there an even stronger expert?

He had originally thought Reforge the True Self was unrivaled under heaven, yet he hadn't expected there to be a skill even more ferocious than it.

Although he didn't know the specific effect of Transfigure into Immortal, judging by the name alone, it couldn't be weak.

He slowly put away the Shadow-Reflecting Mask and turned to look at Chiyuan.

Hold on, buddy—you're a boss of a Grade-C instance, yet not only can you produce a Grade-B item, it's a growable Grade-B item at that.

Do you think what you're doing is appropriate?

Wu Chang could be certain that without his appearance, if Chiyuan had continued to lie low and develop in Baili Huaishan, Chiyuan truly could have completed the "Plunder the common folk, and reforge the true self" he spoke of, and made something big happen.

Chiyuan took in every bit of Wu Chang's reaction. He smiled and asked, "Young Hero Wu, are you satisfied?"

"Satisfied! Absolutely satisfied!" Wu Chang nodded vigorously.

If he could, he'd want to give Chiyuan a five-star glowing review.

From the current stage, the Shadow-Reflecting Mask's effect was even more powerful than the Grade-S Mortal Poison. What could he possibly be dissatisfied with? Chiyuan nodded and said, "Then you owe me a favor."

"Whatever you want, just say it."

Let alone one favor, even ten favors—even if Chiyuan asked him to help push the Sui Sui Ping An instance out of control and descend upon Blue Star—as long as the erosion site wasn't in Xia Country, he'd agree a hundred times over.

Chiyuan's aura grew faint. Coughing as he spoke, he said, "If possible, please take good care of Anrong for me."

"Who is Anrong?" Wu Chang's face was blank with confusion, wondering which part of the plot he had skipped.

"It's the little fellow you let go, the last ember of Huaigu Village." Wu Chang hesitated and said, "I'd really like to agree, but I travel the world and don't stay in one place long. I'm afraid I can't take him along with me."

A look of regret crossed Chiyuan's face. He struggled to pull a jade pendant from his chest. "If the jade pendant shatters, it means he's in danger. You must at least help me save him once…"

Having said this, Chiyuan didn't manage to hear Wu Chang's reply before his breath gave out.

Though dead, his gaze still rested on Wu Chang, as if waiting for Wu Chang's answer.

Wu Chang bent down, took the jade pendant from Chiyuan's hand, and said solemnly, "I promise you."

Perhaps hearing Wu Chang's reply, Chiyuan's open eyes slowly closed, and the corners of his mouth curved into a faint smile.

Given Chiyuan's power, if he had harbored resentment, the starting point would have been a deep crimson wraith.

But the deceased Chiyuan left behind not even a blood-colored last word, nor even a pale pink trace of regret.

Obsessions resolved, gratitude and grievances both dissipated.

Perhaps he had found complete release.

Wu Chang stood quietly before Chiyuan for a while, then turned and entered the village, coming out carrying a hoe.

Carrying Chiyuan on his back and holding the hoe, he climbed all the way up Spring-Arrival Mountain.

At the place in Huaigu Village where spring's arrival could be seen first, he dug a pit beside the Spring Locust Temple and buried Chiyuan within.

He took half of an unburned dharma sword and stuck it at the head of the grave as a tombstone.

Having done all this, the morning sun rose from afar, and the New Year's Eve bonfire in Huaigu Village burned out.

The clear-chime notification appeared before Wu Chang.

"Player has completed Main Quest One: Go to Huaigu Village and attend the New Year's Eve Festival."

"Player has completed Main Quest Two: Protect Huaigu Village and complete the New Year's Eve Ritual."

"Player has completed Hidden Side Quest: Find the source of the demonic aura in Huaigu Village."

"All main quests completed. After the countdown ends, you will be forcibly teleported out of the instance plane."

"Current maximum remaining time in the instance: one hour."

As the instance was completed, the cold, gloomy feeling surrounding Huaigu Village vanished.

A small black orb rose from the bottomless cavern beneath Hollow Heart Mountain, drifting slowly into Wu Chang's hand.

"Item Name: Erosion Core."

"Item Description: Source of power."

It was the same kind of black orb he had obtained from the Moonlight Sanatorium — both were Erosion Cores condensed when an instance was on the verge of losing control.

But the Erosion Core produced by this C-rank instance was clearly smaller than the one from the Moonlight Sanatorium by more than a little.

He took out the Mortal Poison, and the Erosion Core, as if drawn by it, fused directly into Leiman's eyes.

"Absorbed a small Erosion Core, accumulated Energy Points: 1."

"Cleared a C-rank instance, accumulated Energy Points: 0.5."

"Current accumulated Energy: 1.5/10."

The Energy accumulated by the Mortal Poison was affected by the instance's rank.

The Erosion Core from the Peaceful Years instance was clearly much smaller than the one from the Moonlight Sanatorium, and the instance's rating was also one tier lower.

Clearing a C-rank out-of-control instance yielded 1.5 Energy Points; if he cleared the Moonlight Sanatorium once more now, he ought to gain at least 2.5 Energy Points.

Although being targeted by the game and entering out-of-control instances every time was dangerous, at this rate, it would only take a few more instances before he could fill the Evil God's Eye's energy.

He returned the Evil God's Eye to his personal space, took one last look at Seeing Chiyuan's grave and Huaigu Village, and chose to leave the instance plane.

The appetizer is over — time for the main course of the instance settlement.

(End of chapter)