Chapter 195: Version Update: Universal Cultivation (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

He stored the papers in his hand into his spatial inventory.

A Lan continued to sift through the other papers scattered messily across the control console.

Each sheet recorded numerous plans the Machine Guard Clan had formulated for their future development.

From these leftover records, it was evident that the Machine Guard Clan harbored grand ambitions, with all clansmen united in advancing toward their goals.

In the eyes of the Machine Guard Clan, the Monster World was both a battlefield fraught with peril and a blessed land brimming with hope.

The peril stemmed from the presence of numerous powerful races in the Monster World that the Machine Guard Clan could not contend with; their living space was confined to a single corner, under constant threat of annihilation by external foes.

It was a blessed land because, prior to descending into the Monster World, the resources in their original minor world had been nearly exhausted.

They could no longer sustain the Machine Guard Clan's climb up the technology tree.

This situation differed entirely from the predicament the Moon Eclipse Clan had once faced.

The primary dilemma hindering the Moon Eclipse Clan's development was the lifespan bottleneck, yet they had already devised a reasonable disposal scheme for resource recycling.

Resource depletion, over-exploitation, ecological pressure... various issues compelled the Machine Guard Clan to venture out of their minor world into vaster skies.

Upon arriving in the Monster World, the Machine Guard Clan's development achieved unimaginable leaps, as recorded in the data.

Materials they regarded as precious spiritual substances in their minor world were merely common weeds readily available by the roadside in the Monster World; even the most ordinary ores held greater value than the rare minerals in the Machine Guard Clan's eyes.

It was precisely the shock brought by the Monster World that ignited grand ambitions within the Machine Guard Clan.

The Tower of Eternity, Mechanical Ascension, the Mechanical Main City, the Energy Cube... a series of future plans were launched precisely during their development phase in the Monster World.

Extreme external pressure allowed the Machine Guard Clan's development no moment of respite.

However, one thing was certain: the Machine Guard Clan's understanding of the Monster World remained far too limited.

Precisely because their understanding was incomplete, they possessed infinite motivation to pursue their dreams, believing that effort would yield success.

In reality, once they encountered forces standing at the apex of the Monster World's food chain, such as the Combat Insect Clan or the Terrifying Black Black Tide, their dreams would shatter into an abyss of despair.

The Machine Guard Clan would suddenly realize that countless towering mountains blocked their path toward realizing their dreams.

Compared to those powerful races standing at the peak, they seemed like ants at the bottom of a well, the vast gap resembling an uncrossable chasm.

They would discover that the truth was far crueller than imagination.

His own Moon Eclipse Clan had undergone a similar experience.

Before encountering high-dimensional life, they had always believed that perhaps one day in the future, the Black Black Tide would descend once more.

To that end, they actively prepared for war, established the Earth Alliance, and shared developmental technologies.

Naively and optimistically, they believed that when that day truly arrived, the Moon Eclipse Clan would possess the capability to resolve the crisis.

Yet, upon learning from the information provided by high-dimensional life that the Black Black Tide, which they viewed as nearly invincible, was merely an insignificant drop of water in the ocean of Black Tides, only then did they feel true despair and fear.

They realized that the Black Black Tide, which they had deemed an insurmountable mountain, was merely the tip of an iceberg.

That despair penetrated deep into their bones, extinguishing even the slightest spark of motivation.

The shift in mindset stemmed from optimism toward the unknown and pessimism toward the known.

This disparity brought not only a sense of overwhelming difference in strength but also a profound realization of one's own insignificance and powerlessness.

Only after witnessing the vastness of the world does one realize their own smallness.

No wonder the Star Net said that extreme pressure brings only despair; thus, this game played by high-dimensional life required optimistic players unaware of the truth.

Flipping through the documents in his hands, A Lan's thoughts churned.

Based on his preliminary understanding, he positioned the Machine Guard Clan as inferior to the Moon Eclipse Clan.

Many technical blueprints remained mere concepts, not yet realized.

However, during their development, the Machine Guard Clan had illuminated many technical fields that the Moon Eclipse Clan had never touched.

Among these was a technology regarding biological computers, utilizing DNA, proteins, and living cells for computation; the conceived biological computer boasted ultra-high parallel processing capabilities and extremely low energy consumption.

Wasn't this the very consciousness carrier the Star Net currently used? Yet on the blueprints, it remained merely a concept.

The most outrageous setting had to be the "Matter Reorganizer"; if this technology truly succeeded, it might become a rule in itself.

Theoretically, the concept resembled a weakened version of the Black Black Tide's devouring evolution, capable of reorganizing devoured matter into specific forms of energy.

After flipping through them for a long time, A Lan stored all the document materials into his spatial inventory.

Although the Moon Eclipse Clan would follow the Star Vein growth path in the future, these technical materials left behind by the Machine Guard Clan might prove useful someday.

"A Lan, what's the plan next?" Tu Bai's voice rang out in the chat channel.

"Continue exploring."

A Lan's gaze fixed on the depths of the tunnel shrouded in darkness.

Through the recorded data, he already knew there were three more mechanical cores nearby.

Each core was valued at 72,000 Sacrificial Power; sacrificing these three would yield a profit of 216,000 Sacrificial Power, significantly boosting the team's growth speed.

However, his ultimate goal was the Tower of Eternity at the center of the mechanical ruins.

He wished to investigate the details regarding the Tower of Eternity and determine whether it could serve as the Star Net's carrier within the game.

If feasible, he and his clansmen would assist the Star Net in rebuilding this mechanical wasteland.

They would let the Star Net become the new master of this mechanical city.

The armory within would also restart after the Star Net took residence.

The only problem was that reconstruction might require an enormous expenditure of Sacrificial Power.

Earning Sacrificial Power was urgent.

"Let's go." Saying this, A Lan gripped his Li Man Axe tightly, walked out of the control room, and headed straight for the mechanical spider with the blinking red light.

Primordial Sacrificial Altar.

Information generated by players continuously flashed through Qi Sheng's mind.

The Monster World had been open for nearly seven months; in recent days, two more Primordial Monsters had been successfully contained.

The first monster was the second-generation Primordial: Accumulation, contained by the veteran player "Harmony with Light and Dust" in Space 102 of the Dungeon World.

This was a Fate Soul highly compatible for players using the Stone Statue build.

Its trait effect allowed the absorption of partial energy while taking damage, which could then be unleashed as physical attacks at any time.

The damage value of Accumulation was influenced by the player's own Qi and Blood intensity as well as the Fate Soul's intensity.

The emergence of this new Fate Soul gave tank-build players another means to retaliate with output.

Compared to the Blood Reflection Fate Soul, the Accumulation trait did not require precise timing control, demanding less technical skill.

Theoretically, when a Stone Statue build player accumulated enough damage, they could instantly kill a target with a single strike, possessing ultra-high burst output.

However, this was limited to theory; the specific situation depended on how much energy the body's intensity could accumulate.

The higher the toughness, the more energy could be accumulated, and the higher the burst damage.

Apart from Stone Statue build players, the forum had not yet figured out any other builds compatible with the Accumulation Fate Soul.

Even melee-type players could not adapt to it without sufficient damage-taking capability.

The most popular Star Vein build combination on the forum was: Stone Gargoyle, Gang Qi, Resistance, Rock Shield, Unyielding, and Accumulation.

All six were Fate Souls that could enhance damage-taking capability, maximizing defensive power.

The second Primordial Monster was the first-generation Primordial: Blood Chain Traction, contained by the veteran player "Signature Lemon Tea" in the Cang Star Sea region north of the Colorful Mist Coast.

As soon as Blood Chain Traction appeared, it garnered significant discussion heat on the forum.

Although it was a first-generation Primordial, the effect of Blood Chain Traction fit player needs extremely well.

Its trait effect was: release Qi and Blood to form a chain of Qi and Blood, forcibly dragging contacted targets toward oneself; the specific effect was influenced by the Fate Soul's level and one's own Qi and Blood intensity.

Based on the trait effects of Blood Chain Traction, forum strategy players had combined three powerful Star Vein sets.

These were adapted respectively for the Stone Statue build, the Melee Output build, and the Support build.

Among them, after Support build players inlaid "Blood Chain Traction," they gained an additional control method on top of the Binding trait.

These two Fate Soul traits could also be used in combination.

Under normal circumstances, during the dragging phase after Blood Chain Traction hit a target, the target would inevitably resist.

However, with the blessing of Binding, the efficiency of the dragging was greatly improved.

After containing these two new Fate Souls, the total number of contained Primordials reached 46.

The speed at which players opened their Star Veins far lagged behind the speed of Fate Soul containment, forcing them to select only a portion for combination and matching.

Just as Qi Sheng wanted to check today's revenue data, feedback from the Guide manifested in his mind.

It indicated that Chao Wei and Jiu Yin had successfully tested the "Cultivation Function" and successfully connected it to the Challenger System.

This meant a new function could go online.

After all, the Monster World was not a real game; normally, expansion packs and such content required advance notice. However, beneficial updates for players, he decided, could be launched directly for optional use.

Before long, a full-channel notification rang in the players' minds.

[Challenger Notification (Full Channel): The game is about to undergo a version update. This update launches a new function: the Cultivation Tower.]

Cultivation Tower Introduction: A functional building for collecting cultivation combat techniques. Inside are recorded three hundred cultivation combat techniques used by different races. Players can inlay specific techniques within the Cultivation Tower and pair them with the "Qi Devouring" Fate Soul to activate Free Cultivation Cultivation Mode.

Hint 1: Before inlaying a specific combat technique, one must first inlay the "Qi Devouring" Fate Soul.

Hint 2: The effects of all cultivation combat techniques are influenced by the environment; the higher the Qi content, the better the cultivation effect.

Hint 3: Different cultivation combat techniques can grant players different special talents.

One hour later.

The figure of Night Approaching appeared at the teleportation point of Emperor Tomb Village.

To rush back as quickly as possible to test the new function, he, who was currently at the Colorful Mist Coast, chose the fastest way home.

Following the newly added icon on the map, he arrived before the Cultivation Tower.

Before him stood a hundred-meter giant tower, spiraling upward from the earth like a colossal spiral sword piercing the clouds, its surface covered in flowing, jade-like spirit runes.

The base was wide and solid, visually estimated at over forty meters in diameter, constructed from stacked jade stone materials.

Eighteen skeletal remains stood at the tower's edge in a lifting posture, each skull bearing a uniquely shaped spirit rune brand between the eyebrows.

Upon entering the Giant Tower and consuming 1 point of Sacrificial Power, an intense sensation of weightlessness assaulted him.

In the span of a single breath, Night Approaches found himself before a solemn building surrounded by a bamboo forest.

A parsing sweep removed the veil, and the building's information floated into view.

[Cultivation Pavilion]:

Functional Building Introduction: Houses three hundred cultivation system combat techniques for players to select and comprehend.

The Cultivation Pavilion was rectangular overall, with layers of blue-gray tiles stacked upon one another; weathered by wind and rain, they were covered in mottled traces.

The eaves curved slightly upward like black birds spreading their wings to fly; small bronze bells hung from the corners, swaying gently without wind, emitting a crisp, pleasant sound.

Night Approaches stepped forward twice and pushed open the two heavy wooden doors ahead.

He walked into the hall.

A musty scent of books rushed to meet him; the light inside was not bright, with a few rays of sunlight streaming through narrow, carved window lattices, forming patches of golden speckles within the room.

In the center, an ancient incense burner sent up curling wisps of green smoke; along the walls, tall bookshelves were arranged in neat rows.

They were filled with a dazzling array of books.

At the far end, a staircase led upward to the second floor.

At that moment, a cultivation combat technique interface popped up before his eyes, titled: Mortal Grade Combat Technique Layer.

Below were the embeddable combat technique types, listed within the cultivation interface.

Night Approaches' gaze swept to the first combat technique; it did not appear as a book, but as a faint blue, translucent figure sitting cross-legged in meditation, with acupoints across its body shimmering faintly.

The most striking feature was the figure's lungs, enveloped by a cluster of orange-yellow flames.

Focusing his vision on the phantom, a flood of information surged into his mind.

[Mortal Grade Combat Technique: Great Flame]

Technique Introduction: A cultivation method from the Great Flame Clan; after embedding, one obtains the cultivation organ "Great Flame Lungs," which assists the Qi-Eating Soul Core in converting spiritual energy into Great Flame energy.

Spiritual Energy Absorption Efficiency: 1.1 (absorbed spiritual energy can be converted into Body Tempering experience).

Body Tempering Improvement Efficiency: 2.6 (calculated based on the current spiritual energy content of Emperor Tomb Village; grants 2.6 Body Tempering experience per hour; requires no player cultivation; after embedding, it automatically enters cultivation state and can be turned off).

Technique Attached Trait: Great Flame Body lv0 (0/10000).

Introduction: A technique talent gained through cultivation; upon reaching Great Flame Body Level 1, all fire-attribute traits gain increased damage, and tolerance to fire-attribute damage improves (limited to non-rule-based fire damage; special constitutions gained through cultivation cannot exempt rule-based damage; specific effects depend on technique level).

Automatic Cultivation Cultivation Mode Cost: 1.5 per hour (AFK cultivation).

Price: 10,000 points of Sacrificial Power.

Note: Players may only embed one combat technique; to replace it, one can decompose the technique to refund 95% of the Sacrificial Power cost, though the technique level is not refunded.

After reading the introduction, Night Approaches dragged the cross-legged phantom from the list onto the simulation panel.

Upon completion of the embedding, he immediately felt a cluster of flames burning fiercely within his body, and his phantom subsequently appeared on the interface.

His lungs were seen enveloped by a cluster of orange-yellow flames.

Under the boost of the cultivation organ, the white mist inhaled by the Qi-Eating Soul Core carried an orange-yellow energy; it circulated through 127 acupoints within his body via the lungs before returning to them.

He touched the acceleration button on the simulation interface, activating 100x acceleration Cultivation Mode.

Instantly, the airflow inhaled by the Qi-Eating Soul Core moved through his body like a spiritual snake, while the accompanying orange-yellow energy seeped into his body in fine threads.

As the energy passed through his lungs, a tingling sensation instantly spread throughout his entire body.

As the energy continued to circulate through the 127 acupoints, each one was awakened like parched land meeting sweet rain, greedily absorbing the Great Flame energy.

An indescribable sense of comfort erupted within him; his limbs and bones seemed infused with vibrant vitality, his muscles gradually tensing and becoming full of resilience, while his bones emitted faint "cracking" sounds.

His constitution was gradually transformed during the cultivation process.

An endless cultivation cycle formed within his body, and the Body Tempering experience and technique experience in the top right corner increased at a visible speed.

When Great Flame Body reached lv1, the interface displayed that he had obtained the technique talent: Great Flame Body.

His understanding of technique talents was that they were special settings similar to racial talents.

For instance, players of the Gillfish Clan, Abyssal Fish Clan, and Sky Feather Clan all possessed specific racial talents, created based on real-world capabilities as references.

During the process of cultivating combat techniques, it seemed organs within the body were replaced by cultivation organs; upon reaching a certain threshold, one could also obtain a racial talent.

What surprised him was that the combat technique required no active cultivation, instead growing through an AFK method.

The player's only actions were two: on and off.

This meant that even if one did nothing and simply lay in Emperor Tomb Village, Body Tempering experience would still increase.

The only drawback was that AFK Cultivation Mode incurred a fee.

It was just like a point-card game, deducting time-based fees.

"Another item added to the Sacrificial Power expenditures."

Undoubtedly, cultivation combat techniques would become a new function every player must embed.

Improving Body Tempering levels was already difficult, requiring the consumption of Sacrificial Power to purchase various "tonics" for improvement, with the ratio generally maintained around 1:1 point of Sacrificial Power.

At the current stage, the best method for acquisition was consuming gene seeds, but the cost was unbearable for the vast majority of players.

With the arrival of cultivation combat techniques, this problem would be significantly alleviated.

Henceforth, one could abandon directly consuming spiritual plants to raise Body Tempering levels, needing only to embed a single cultivation combat technique; although there was an initial investment, the gradually accumulating returns would soon cover the expenses.

After initializing the content on the simulation panel, Night Approaches began browsing other cultivation combat techniques.

His gaze focused on the second Mortal Grade cultivation combat technique.

It was a faint white, translucent figure sitting cross-legged, shrouded in frost as if situated in an ice and snow world; the most striking feature was the figure's kidney area, wrapped in a layer of crystal-clear ice crystals, so vivid he could feel the bone-chilling cold radiating from the phantom through the image.

A flood of information subsequently surged into his mind:

[Mortal Grade Combat Technique: Profound Ice Soul Condensation]

Technique Introduction: An ancient cultivation method from the Extreme Northern Ice Plains; after embedding, one obtains the cultivation organ "Profound Ice Kidney," capable of converting spiritual energy into extreme cold energy to temper the flesh.

Spiritual Energy Absorption Efficiency: 1.2.

Body Tempering Improvement Efficiency: 3.1 (per hour).

Technique Attached Traits:

Profound Ice Body Guard lv0: When attacked, generates ice armor to offset part of the damage (can offset physical and elemental damage, but cannot offset mental impact damage).

Cold Soul Power: All ice-attribute traits gain increased damage, and ice-attribute damage resistance is obtained; specific effects are influenced by the technique talent level.

Automatic Cultivation Cultivation Mode Cost: 1.6 per hour.

Price: 13,500 points of Sacrificial Power.

Note: Cultivators gain a significant boost in cultivation efficiency when in extreme cold environments (areas with high ice-attribute spiritual energy content).

He dragged this technique into the cultivation combat technique slot.

The moment embedding completed, he felt as if a chill slowly rose from his kidney area, spreading throughout his body.

On the simulation interface, his kidney area was shrouded in an ice-blue halo, with the light flowing slowly along the meridians within his body.

With the assistance of the cultivation organ, the spiritual energy absorbed by the Qi-Eating Soul Core transformed into ice-blue threads, traveling through 156 acupoints within his body to nourish his physique.

He once again activated the 100x cultivation acceleration Cultivation Mode.

In an instant, the absorbed spiritual energy rushed into his body like a surging torrent.

The ice-blue threads wove and threaded through his body; wherever they passed, the area was dyed ice-blue, and with every meridian traversed, his physique felt as though it had been tempered once more.

This gave Night Approaches an idea.

It seemed the players' bodies were extremely pure; embedding any cultivation combat technique could generate a racial talent ability.

It was like a pool of clear water; whatever color was dropped in, the water would become that color.

As for why different cultivation combat techniques could not be embedded simultaneously, it was likely a setting in the game Monster World for the sake of rationality; different techniques, when paired with the Qi-Eating Soul Core, might result in elemental conflicts and other situations.

After continuing to browse the subsequent few techniques, Night Approaches clicked on the panel option: Spirit Grade Combat Technique Layer.

After his vision blurred briefly, he appeared in the second-floor space.

The selectable cultivation combat techniques on the interface had changed, and they were all Spirit Grade techniques.

Through the interface, he discovered that cultivation combat techniques were divided into five grades.

They were Mortal Grade, Spirit Grade, Dao Grade, Venerable Grade, and Divine Grade.

His gaze swept to the first Spirit Grade technique; the technique's icon was a standing figure surrounded by countless tiny earth-yellow light points, as if merged with the earth itself.

The figure's spleen was enveloped by a thick earth-yellow halo.

Focusing his vision on the phantom, the technique information appeared.

[Spirit Grade Combat Technique: Earth Vein]

Technique Introduction: A cultivation method from the Earth Vein Clan; after embedding, one obtains the cultivation organ "Earth Vein Spleen," which assists the Qi-Eating Soul Core in converting spiritual energy into Earth Vein energy.

Spiritual Energy Absorption Efficiency: 1.5.

Body Tempering Improvement Efficiency: 5.2.

Technique Attached Trait: Earth Vein Body lv0 (0/10000).

Introduction: A technique talent gained through cultivation; upon reaching Earth Vein Body Level 1, physical attributes receive comprehensive additional amplification (blood and qi strength, bone strength, organ operation efficiency).

Automatic Cultivation Cultivation Mode Cost: 2.5 per hour (AFK cultivation).

Price: 35,000 points of Sacrificial Power.

The introduction information for the first Spirit Grade combat technique made Night Approaches' eyes light up.

The innate effect granted by the combat technique is a comprehensive boost to additional attributes.

This means that during the process of autonomous AFK cultivation, while the Body Tempering rank increases, one can additionally enjoy the physical attribute amplification brought about by cultivation.

This combat technique is simply tailor-made for players following the damage-soaking build.

Dragging the combat technique's phantom into the cultivation slot and completing the inlay, he immediately felt a heavy energy settling within his limbs and bones, as if his entire being had connected with the earth.

The interface displayed his physical condition.

He saw his spleen wrapped in a halo of earth-yellow light, with the faint sound of an earthquake echoing within his body, as if a colossal beast slumbering inside was growling.

"Hiss."

Opening his mouth to breathe, aided by the Qi-Devouring Fate Soul, the white mist inhaled carried a wisp of earth-yellow energy, circulating through 243 acupoints in his body via the spleen.

With Acceleration Cultivation Mode activated, the airflow inhaled resembled an earth dragon traversing his body, the accompanying earth-yellow energy permeating every inch of flesh and blood like a trickling stream.

When the energy passed through the spleen, a sense of heaviness instantly spread throughout his body; it felt as though he bore heavy shackles, his feet rooted in the earth, drawing upon endless power from the earth veins.

An unprecedented sense of power brewed within him, as if every part of his body had turned into earth, ready to unleash the might to collapse mountains and split the ground at any moment.

His muscles, nourished by this energy, became tough and powerful.

His qi and blood, tempered by the energy, emitted a low "rumbling" sound, undergoing a transformation akin to being reborn.

The test concluded; Nightfall Approached nodded in satisfaction.

He then proceeded to test other cultivation combat techniques.

However, what struck him as strange was that the number of combat techniques in the Cultivation Tower differed from the settings in a normal game.

Logically, low-grade combat techniques should be the most numerous, with the quantity of powerful techniques decreasing as one ascends to higher floors.

Yet, the distribution of combat techniques in the Cultivation Tower formed an inverted triangle.

There were only 13 Common-grade combat techniques.

On the second floor, the number of Spirit-grade combat techniques increased to 23.

On the third floor, the number of Dao-grade combat techniques doubled again, reaching 56.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, the number of Divine-grade combat techniques was surprisingly: 120.

The workload for testing was somewhat large; he decided to test the first few techniques on each floor first, then publish a preliminary review guide on the forum before returning to continue testing.

Three hours later, Nightfall Approached arrived at the fifth floor: the Divine-grade Combat Technique Floor.

He began testing the combat techniques here.

However, upon seeing the cost required to forge cultivation organs after purchasing each technique, he could not help but sigh helplessly.

Divine-grade combat techniques were clearly goals beyond the reach of players at the current stage.

Taking the third Divine-grade combat technique as an example.

[Divine Combat Technique: Ultimate Wind Rest]

Technique Introduction: A top-tier cultivation method from the ancient powerful race "Wind Rest Clan" of the Monster World. After inlaying, one obtains a full set of cultivation organs: Wind Rest Liver, Wind Rest Heart, Wind Rest Stomach, Wind Rest Lungs... These cultivation organs can assist the Qi-Devouring Fate Soul in converting spiritual qi into Wind Rest energy.

Spiritual Qi Absorption Efficiency: 308.7

Body Tempering Improvement Efficiency: 1032

Technique Attached Trait: Ultimate Wind Rest lv0 (0/10000)

Introduction: As the cultivation rank increases, one gains the technique innate talent "Ultimate Wind Rest." Each time wind element damage is endured, wind element resistance points are gained. The specific acquisition cap is influenced by the technique innate talent's rank; at level 1 Ultimate Wind Rest, a maximum of 800 wind element resistance points can be obtained (wind element damage below 800 points is directly negated; rule-based wind element damage cannot be negated).

Autonomous Cultivation Cultivation Mode Consumption: 390/hour (AFK cultivation).

Price: 2.1 million Sacrificial Power points.

The price for forging a full set of cultivation organs actually reached 2.1 million.

It was simply robbery!

Yet, the strength of this combat technique was extremely high.

After completing the inlay, he could feel a light current traversing his limbs and bones, as if his entire being had become weightless.

With every breath, he could faintly hear the sound of wind echoing within his body.

After activating hundred-fold cultivation acceleration, a cool sensation surged through his whole body, as if he stood atop a high mountain, with every breath filled with the pure aura of heaven and earth.

An unprecedented sense of freedom rose within him, as if every part of his body had turned into wind, ready to ride the wind and soar upward at any moment.

This was a wind-controlling method; after entering the test scene for practical verification, he discovered:

Upon gaining the "Ultimate Wind Rest" talent, one could control the wind for defense and improve movement efficiency just like the Strange Butterfly, and could even easily fly by riding the wind.

This made Nightfall Approached very curious; subconsciously looking at the Guide floating beside him, he asked:

"Brother Guide, what exactly is the difference between this Ultimate Wind Rest combat technique and the Wind-Controlling Fate Soul?"

Facing the inquiry, the Guide half-opened his eyelids:

[The difference is significant; it can be explained as "Root" versus "Manifestation." The Wind-Controlling Fate Soul is the embodiment of the wind rules of heaven and earth, while Ultimate Wind Rest is a technique employing the power of wind. To use a more vivid analogy: Wind-Controlling is like a deity controlling the source of wind, whereas Ultimate Wind Rest is more like a mortal's skill in sailing with the aid of wind sails.]

[Essentially, Ultimate Wind Rest is a method of transforming the body into a constitution suitable for commanding the power of wind; it is a way of actively adapting to the wind element and then mastering it.]

[But with Wind-Controlling, no troublesome processes are needed; controlling the wind is merely a command.]

Seeing Nightfall Approached fall into deep thought, the Guide reached out and pointed forward, generating a light screen ahead.

On the light screen, the Strange Butterfly stood atop a mountain peak, its feathers trembling in the wind, surrounded by countless tiny wind vortices.

With the Strange Butterfly's breathing, the surrounding airflow moved rapidly, gradually forming an invisible wind wall.

Without needing specific hand gestures to mobilize the wind elements of heaven and earth, the wind naturally obeyed the Strange Butterfly's will. When the Strange Butterfly opened its eyes, a violent wind arose, changing the colors of heaven and earth; a hurricane tore through the thick cloud layer and swept across the land.

[This is Wind-Controlling; no complex actions are needed. If you want the wind to do something, it requires only a thought.]

The image on the light screen shifted then; atop the mountain peak appeared a humanoid figure holding a strange device.

Chanting incantations, a swirling mass of air condensed at the tip of his device; with his wave, the airflow transformed into a wind blade, speeding toward the sea of clouds ahead.

After subsequent displays of ability, it was shown that the humanoid figure relied on wind lift for flight, on wind blades for attacks, and on wind walls for defense.

Although the humanoid figure could command the wind, he always maintained a sense of distance from it.

After watching the demonstration, Nightfall Approached nodded in realization:

"I understand. The Wind-Controlling Fate Soul is the root of the wind; after inlaying it, one merges with the wind. The wind is me, and I am the wind."

"If one obtains a special constitution through Ultimate Wind Rest, the abilities used are merely the manifestation of the wind; one is borrowing the power of the wind, more like a follower of the wind."

[Correct.]

"Wait, inlaying a fourth-generation Fate Soul costs only 12,000 Sacrificial Power points. This Divine-grade combat technique is far inferior to the Wind-Controlling Fate Soul, so why does it sell for 2.1 million Sacrificial Power points?"

[Because inlaying Wind-Controlling does not allow for autonomous cultivation; the 2.1 million Sacrificial Power points are mainly consumed in constructing the cultivation organs. For the Wind Rest Clan to create such adaptive organs requires time, effort, and resource consumption several times greater than 2.1 million.]

[Secondly, the true value of the Wind-Controlling Fate Soul is far beyond what these Divine-grade combat techniques can compare to. Any cultivation combat technique is merely a tool to assist growth, but even a first-generation Fate Soul represents the power of rules. The cost of forging a single rule far exceeds your imagination; the Sacrificial Power consumed can be described as an astronomical figure.]

"Is there any difference between rules and non-rules?" Nightfall Approached continued to ask.

[Before explaining this, let me ask you a question first. You have fought the Combat Insect Race so many times; have you noticed an unusual problem?]

Hearing this, Nightfall Approached fell into deep thought.

Before long, he realized the crux of the issue:

"The Insect Race cannot become immune to our players' Fate Soul trait damage by collecting pheromones."

[Yes, that is the problem. Rules represent a power that directly touches the source of the world; they can influence the operating laws of the world. This power is not simple energy manipulation; the energy consumed is merely the medium driving this rule. Using rules can break conventions and even redefine the very words 'common sense'.]

[Taking the Combat Insect Race as an example: the damage dealt by wind blades unleashed by the Ultimate Wind Rest constitution can be gradually adapted to by the Insect Race warriors. They can understand the principle behind the wind blade's damage and achieve reduced damage through positive bodily modifications.]

[For instance, generating a special texture on the body surface that guides wind elements to slide over the body in a specific direction, reducing the direct impact of wind blades, much like the special shape of an airplane wing guides airflow to reduce air resistance... Of course, this is just an example; the evolution of the Insect Race is far more complex than simple structural modification of the body.]

[Whereas the damage caused by the Wind-Controlling Fate Soul trait is a damage command, definable as 'decomposed by wind.' For example, if I consume 1 point of mental energy to drive 1 unit of wind rule power, then no matter how the Insect Race hardens its shell or evolves what kind of structure, it cannot resist this power that directly alters the essence of its existence.]

"If it causes fixed damage directly, then why are there some creatures that we players cannot penetrate the defense of?"

[You misunderstand. The damage I refer to is not the concept of 'true damage' in games. Assuming the target's defense is 100, then 99 points of wind element rule damage still cannot penetrate the defense, but these 99 points of damage will not be affected by other factors.]

[The wind element damage controlled by Ultimate Wind Rest is affected by the Insect Race's evolutionary ability. Starting at an initial 99, it will become 95 on the next attack, then 92 on the one after, continuously adapting and reducing the damage value until it finally reaches zero.]

"I understand." Nightfall Approached nodded humbly, then continued to ask:

"So, cultivation combat techniques are merely an aid, and their importance is far less than that of Fate Soul traits."

[From a future perspective, indeed. However, for players lacking methods to acquire Body Tempering experience, cultivation combat techniques are a highly valuable system; they can accelerate the acquisition of Body Tempering experience and reduce the consumption of Sacrificial Power on improving Body Tempering ranks. Although Fate Soul traits are rules, they lack the function of assisting growth. Therefore, cultivation combat techniques are also very important, but purely in terms of value, even a Divine-grade combat technique cannot compare to a first-generation Fate Soul trait.]

After hearing the Guide's explanation, Nightfall Approached completely understood the positioning of cultivation combat techniques.

One can view Fate Soul traits as a powerful machine; the more electricity the player inputs, the greater the efficacy it produces.

The positioning of cultivation combat techniques is to assist player growth, increasing the output of electricity.

Fate Soul traits are the ceiling, while cultivation combat techniques improve the player's foundation.

In the Monster World, races and factions that master rules constitute a very small minority in terms of total numbers.

However, nearly every race has mastered methods to improve the physical foundation; the difference lies in the strength of the growth methods.

Players at the current stage are like those who possess a pile of super weapons (the Fate Soul Arsenal) but uniquely lack the basic stats required to drive these super weapons.

After understanding the details, Nightfall Approached continued to test two more Divine-grade cultivation methods.

With the preliminary testing concluded, he did not rush to leave the cultivation space; instead, he summoned the forum interface and began writing a guide.

Spending two hours writing and half an hour revising, after repeatedly checking to ensure there were no issues:

He published the update content of the Cultivation Tower on the player forum.

The post's popularity skyrocketed, with numerous tourists clicking to view it.

The guide post mainly discussed the positioning of cultivation methods of different grades and recommended which type of method players should choose at the current stage.

He divided the recommendations into three tiers.

The first tier was for newbie players.

His suggestion was not to inlay any cultivation method, but to first raise a Fat Peach to increase Sacrificial Power output.

[230] Then, use the profits generated by the Fat Peach to cover the expenses of Common-grade cultivation combat techniques.

Then use the profits generated by Fat Peach to cover the expenses of cultivating combat techniques with mortal-grade resources.

Using the cheapest cultivation combat technique, "Great Flame," for calculation, idle cultivation consumes 1.5 sacrificial power per hour, totaling 36 points over 24 hours.

Novice players only need to raise Fat Peach to level 13, and the daily sacrificial power output will be sufficient to cover the cultivation costs of "Great Flame," allowing them to freely gain body-tempering experience.

The second tier consists of veteran players.

His suggestion is to directly embed common-grade cultivation combat techniques, which can significantly accelerate the acquisition of body-tempering experience.

Veteran players generally have multiple Star Vein slots unlocked; the attribute boosts from increased body-tempering experience, combined with the inheritance effect of soul soul attributes, can significantly enhance combat power.

The third tier comprises top-tier players.

His recommendation is that, provided daily hunting yields enough sacrificial power to cover technique expenses, they should embed spirit-grade cultivation combat techniques.

The reason lies in how the Guide explained it to him, which he then interpreted in greater detail for the forum players.

He stated that cultivation combat techniques are tools for laying a foundation; only with a more solid foundation can the released soul soul characteristics unleash greater power.

The number of comments below the post skyrocketed during this period.

Signature Lemon Tea: Thanks to the big shot Black Night for the detailed guide; after reading it, I've decided to raise a Fat Peach first, regularly collect my pension, and then consider equipping a cultivation combat technique. Being able to toggle it on and off is convenient; if I don't need it, I can just turn it off. I was just worried after reading the update that equipped cultivation combat techniques might not be disableable.

What Rank Are You to Play the Same Game as Me: What the hell is a divine-grade technique? The price is too exorbitant; I'll consider it only when I can earn hundreds of thousands of sacrificial power per day in the late game. For now, I'll just get the cheapest one; my body-tempering level is rising too fast, and my Star Vein level can't keep up.

One Green-Skinned Big Shot: Everything is clear now after reading this; the positioning of cultivation combat techniques was explained in great detail. Idle cultivation must feel amazing. From now on, the Qi-Devouring soul soul will become essential for every player, since it's completely tied to the new feature; wanting to cultivate techniques means embedding Qi-Devouring. Let's congratulate Qi-Devouring for returning to the number one spot on the soul soul popularity chart.

In response to the new feature, players engaged in heated discussion on the forum.

Guide-focused players generally recommended low-grade cultivation techniques in their posts.

In the eyes of the vast majority of players, although body-tempering levels provide attribute boosts, they still need to follow the progression of Star Vein levels.

Only after unlocking a Star Vein slot and embedding a new soul soul would they consider the soul soul attribute inheritance brought by body-tempering levels.

Given the players' current strength, if expenses were ignored, embedding a divine-grade technique would soon cause the body-tempering level to surpass the Star Vein level.

There is only one criterion for judging what quality of cultivation combat technique to embed: whether the player's daily income can cover the expenses of idle cultivation.

In his post, Nightfall Approaching ranked the priority of existing enhancement settings.

Judging from the perspective of novice players, the order from highest to lowest is:

Soul Soul Level, Growth-Type Pet (Fat Peach Wealth Management), Body-Tempering Level (Cultivation Combat Techniques), Armed Vehicles (as long as one has a multi-functional vehicle, practicality suffices, without considering high-priced vehicles), Star Vein Level (unlocking 2 slots), and Guide Upgrade.

From the perspective of veteran players: Soul Soul Level, Star Vein Level, Growth-Type Pets, Body-Tempering Level (Cultivation Combat Techniques), Guide Upgrade, and Armed Vehicles.

Since the game's launch, Soul Soul Level has always been listed as the top priority.

This holds true for mainstream players as well as Monster-Style players.

Even niche factions like the Arms Dealers and the Alchemist Guild place the enhancement of support-type soul souls, such as Brain Overclocking, as the first priority in their growth systems.

However, the second priority has undergone multiple ranking changes, as the needs of veteran players and novices differ.

After veteran players became familiar with the game mechanics and discovered that characteristic effects could be strengthened by the attribute boosts from increased soul soul levels, the Star Vein Level replaced Body-Tempering Level, which had originally been the second priority.

The later the stage, the higher the importance of Star Vein Level.

But in the eyes of novice players, raising the Body-Tempering Level is more meaningful than raising the Star Vein Level.

Only after unlocking Body-Tempering Level 1 can one inherit attributes to fight in their main form.

(End of Chapter)