Chapter 239: Contain the Divine Transformation, Create the Soul Soul

The appearance of five hundred Dark Descendant warriors instantly drew the attention of nearby players.

Their appearance reminded players of the Evil Armor Clan they had once clashed with, but the evil aura radiating from them was even more intense.

At this moment, the pitch-black armor on each Dark Descendant warrior seemed to devour the surrounding light, and a cold, tangible energy spread through the seawater.

The sharp blades in their hands trembled continuously, as if eager to drink blood and slay enemies.

The director stepped forward again, grinning.

“It’s my turn to show off.”

Instantly, the five hundred Dark Descendant warriors surged their internal blood qi, their bodies emitting a thunderous roar that violently churned the surrounding seawater.

Powerful blood qi fluctuations spread endlessly, like a surging tidal wave.

At that moment, the director raised his right hand and snapped his fingers underwater—producing no sound.

Instantly, the five hundred Dark Descendant warriors transformed into black lightning, scattering in all directions, while the director remained standing, his back appearing as if a black peacock’s tail had unfurled.

Not long after, the Dark Descendant warriors behind him had vanished.

They surged like demons emerging from the abyss, turning the seawater into whirlpools wherever they passed.

Their black-bladed weapons carved lethal arcs through the seawater, each swing infused with Dark Descendant power.

A massive Ghost Scorpion insect swung its thick pincers to block, but one Dark Descendant warrior slashed off the pincers with a single cut, then drove his blade straight through its skull, piercing it instantly. Thick, pale blue blood spread through the seawater, then, under the Dark Descendant warrior’s power, was drawn back into its body.

Another Dark Descendant warrior flashed forward, diving into a group of Ghost Scorpions, his body spinning violently to form a black storm, his blade rotating wildly and shredding every nearby Ghost Scorpion into fragments.

Tentacles and shattered carapaces floated everywhere in the seawater, while agonized roars echoed through the seabed.

The Dark Descendant warriors’ eyes remained cold and unwavering throughout the battle, showing not a trace of mercy; every movement was precise and lethal.

The leader, Dark Shatter, was even more ferocious, suddenly closing in on the Ghost Scorpion swarm.

His blade slashed downward from above, releasing several black blade waves that instantly reduced three Ghost Scorpions below to pieces.

Other Dark Descendant warriors wrapped their blood qi around their blades and hurled them—black light flashed, and the blades became black meteors streaking across the seabed, piercing through multiple Ghost Scorpions in succession.

In terms of combat ability, Dark Descendant warriors were born warriors.

Even now, in their dire state, they had once been a cross-world plundering force, with no interruption in their civilization’s development.

The death point allocation (Reincarnation) rules they mastered granted Dark Descendant warriors countless selectable combat talents.

Each Dark Descendant warrior possessed unique abilities, forged in slaughter, and instantly seized control of the battlefield upon entering.

In hunting rank, Dark Shatter’s rank exceeded 90, while all other Dark Descendant warriors held ranks above 70.

Whether in combat technique, team coordination, or ability usage, Dark Descendant warriors held absolute dominance.

The battle continued.

The five hundred Dark Descendant warriors moved as one.

Their fluid motions appeared as if rehearsed countless times—every step, every slash, perfectly synchronized.

Even without verbal communication, the Dark Descendant warriors’ bloodline resonance activated automatically.

From synchronized breathing rhythms, they gradually entered a state where five hundred hearts beat in unison, then five hundred pairs of eyes shared a single field of vision.

When Dark Shatter charged first into the Ghost Scorpion swarm, his movement acted as a signal, instantly igniting the Dark Descendant warriors’ battle rhythm.

Dark Shatter’s blade sliced through the seawater, targeting the head of a single Ghost Scorpion.

Behind him, the second Dark Descendant warrior followed like a shadow, sweeping his blade horizontally and cutting the Ghost Scorpion attempting to attack Dark Shatter cleanly in half.

The third warrior dove down from above, driving his blade straight through the skull of the Ghost Scorpion directly in front of Dark Shatter.

Then came the fourth, the fifth… like a death whirlwind, advancing methodically.

Their coordination was flawless, as if choreographing a meticulously arranged dance of death.

Whenever one warrior swung his blade, another stood guard in his blind spot.

Whenever one warrior advanced, another protected his flank.

Their movements showed no hesitation, as if they could predict each other’s next actions.

At that moment, a massive Ghost Scorpion attempted a surprise attack from the left front of the Dark Descendant army, launching its tentacles.

Before the tentacles could reach them, three Dark Descendant warriors turned simultaneously, crossing their blades to form an impenetrable net of death.

The Ghost Scorpion’s tentacles were instantly sliced into fragments by the three blades.

Immediately after, another warrior flashed in from the opposite side, driving his blade straight into the Ghost Scorpion’s skull and shattering it.

The Dark Descendant warriors’ battle rhythm surged like a Black Tide—wave after wave, relentless.

Whenever the Ghost Scorpion swarm attempted to regroup and counterattack, the Dark Descendant warriors swiftly split, surrounded, and annihilated them with even greater speed.

Their figures crisscrossed through the deep sea, carving sharp trajectories through the dark waters, as if countless black lightning bolts raged across the seabed.

The intelligent Ghost Scorpions sensed something was wrong, raising their heads to shriek—immediately, over a thousand Ghost Scorpions surged from all directions, attempting to overwhelm the Dark Descendant warriors with sheer numbers.

The five hundred Dark Descendant warriors once again demonstrated unparalleled synergy.

They rapidly split into several small squads, each like a razor-sharp dagger piercing straight into the core of the Ghost Scorpion swarm.

The squads echoed each other, dispersing and converging as needed, slicing the Ghost Scorpion swarm into fragments.

This synergy left the watching players awestruck.

It was like watching a perfectly synchronized symphony—every note perfectly placed, truly magnificent.

The battle lasted half an hour. When the last attacking Ghost Scorpion fell, the five hundred Dark Descendant warriors simultaneously sheathed their blades and stood firm on the seabed.

The pale blue blood in the seawater automatically converged toward them, absorbed and transformed into nourishment for their bodies.

After absorbing all the drifting blood, Dark Shatter moved first, flashing several times to return behind the director.

The other Dark Descendant warriors followed suit, returning like swallows to their nest, reassembling silently behind the director like an unseen army awaiting the next kill order.

The director’s smile widened as he boasted in the voice channel:

“Team evaluation: Show-off score.”

“One hundred points! Director’s so damn cool—I spent all that money on that outfit and it was totally worth it, this is amazing.”

“One hundred points! Way better than Drunk Milk’s—his was so cringe.”

“After seeing the Dark Descendant warriors’ performance, Infinite Soul Soul suddenly feels boring—Divine Soul Soul is the real boss.”

Listening to his brother’s praise, the director’s vanity was immensely satisfied.

At that moment, Hammer in the team suddenly asked curiously:

“Director, the Dark Descendant warriors don’t get any rewards for kills—do all the benefits go to them?”

In response, the director nodded:

“No choice. The Dark Descendant warriors aren’t part of our player system—they can’t return rewards like pets. Besides, they need to consume blood qi to grow, so I definitely can’t take that portion. But I gain faith energy boosts—currently, I earn 1,280 faith energy per hour, which converts to roughly 600 sacrificial power.”

“There’s still room for growth. The Dark Descendant army is currently recruiting new warriors. As their numbers and faith devotion increase, wealth won’t be a dream.”

Hearing the director’s explanation, the players of the Kindergarten Squad couldn’t hide their envy.

After enduring repeated setbacks, the director had finally risen.

With Divine Soul Soul’s blessing, the director was destined to stand atop the player faction’s pyramid.

Imagining the director standing on the battlefield, surrounded by countless loyal Dark Descendant warriors—where one man became an entire army.

And their group of brothers would clearly rise with him.

“Director, have you solved the death-revival problem?” asked the toddler, peering curiously.

In response, the director nodded and pulled a black crystal from his personal inventory:

“The leader of the Dark Descendant army is dead. Now, part of the Reincarnation rules controlled by the Dark Descendant army is in my hands—when a Dark Descendant warrior dies, I can guide their resurrection.”

“Awesome!” Drunk Milk immediately gave a thumbs-up.

Securing the rules meant the director now truly controlled the Dark Descendant army.

In the future, he could generate new warriors as infants, becoming a true kindergarten director.

“But there’s a downside. Dark Descendant warriors can’t revive without damage like we players do—they must level up again from scratch. Training these warriors is expensive. I’m afraid all future Divine Soul Soul gains will have to be poured into training the Dark Descendant army—I’m broke and want to cry.”

Hearing the director’s complaint, the Kindergarten Squad players all flipped him the middle finger.

To them, this complaint sounded more like bragging.

At that moment, a new wave of Ghost Scorpion attacks arrived.

The director swiftly issued combat orders to Dark Shatter and the other Dark Descendant warriors via faith connection.

Instantly, the Dark Descendant army transformed into black blades, sweeping across the seabed battlefield.

Underwater combat was unfamiliar to most players, but for the Dark Descendant army, which had invaded countless worlds, it was no issue.

Though reborn without memories of their past lives, their memory imprints preserved combat insights.

This allowed them to rapidly adapt to any combat environment.

Meanwhile, Drunk Milk, who had recovered in the team, reactivated his Divine Spirit form, unleashing an elemental torrent that swept across the dense Ghost Scorpion battlefield.

Besides the Kindergarten Squad’s frontline, three other frontlines had gained advantages.

The most outstanding was the Shentang Society, led by the Divine King.

Life-linking light bands darted swiftly through the warband, aiding frontline tanks and accelerating health regeneration.

Behind them, a player’s forehead shimmered with a spectral deer silhouette, rapidly activating the second-tier trait “Moonlight Cocoon Shield,” precisely generating protective barriers for frontline tank players—players within the shield continuously healed.

Beside the player who controlled the Prayer trait stood a “power bank” connected by the “Siphon” trait.

He continuously administered potions, restoring the spiritual energy of the player embedded with the Prayer Soul Soul.

This was a gameplay mechanic developed by forum players.

The Siphon trait, originally meant to drain enemy spiritual energy, was now commonly used to siphon teammates’ energy to accelerate spiritual recovery.

Almost every powerful team included a few power banks for support.

Amid the chaotic battles, the top players of the Shentang Society, though still unfamiliar with underwater combat, were gradually grasping its nuances.

With Crimson Gang Qi Soul Soul’s boost, rapid movement became extremely convenient.

As for the backline magic users, as long as the front line can hold, even if they stand still, there will be no issues whatsoever.

Compared to scattered squads or small groups, the Divine Hall Society’s coordination is exceptionally seamless.

Even if the frontline is violently torn apart by ghost scorpion insects, frontline warriors will use Star Shift to propel them to the rear, rebuilding an impregnable defense.

The most outstanding performer in the Divine Hall Society is undoubtedly the God-King.

Following guidance from Tourist No. 1, the God-King’s Star Vein combination has undergone new changes.

Building upon the foundations of Hawk-Head Demon, Brain Overclock, Insight, Lord, and Qi Absorption, he has additionally added Siphon Soul and Scatter Arrow Soul.

At this moment, the God-King activates his Siphon trait, linking to three players behind him who are frantically consuming Spirit Recovery Pills, while simultaneously triggering Brain Overclock and Hawk-Head Demon traits.

Then, spiritual runes ignite on the God-King’s forehead as he shifts into the Ice Plains Lord form.

The waters indicated by his perception instantly freeze, severely restricting the movement of vast numbers of ghost scorpion insects.

Voice-commanded combat, Hawk-Head Demon battlefield observation, Lord form engagement… with the aid of Brain Overclock, the God-King manages three tasks at once.

During this process, his spiritual energy drains like water from a breached dam.

Without the three players behind him providing sustained support, his spiritual energy would be completely depleted in no time.

In War Cultivation Mode, the God-King remains exhilarated throughout.

As a commander, he is least familiar with naval combat.

Now that he has a rare opportunity for troop training, he naturally refuses to miss it.

After all, the player faction is not the Black Black Tide, which can adapt to any battlefield environment.

If the Earth-Night Tyrant were here, he could instantly generate marine evil influences and switch combat modes in a single instant.

As players, they require a process to adapt to new combat environments.

Many new potential societies are rapidly rising, and numerous new player commanders are shining brightly in node battles across various regions—I’ve seen three players on the forum with exceptional command abilities.

This has ignited his determination; he feels he must study and grow harder to ensure his abilities remain at the forefront.

There will inevitably be many more naval combat challenges ahead; now is the perfect time to learn.

“Group 3 retreat, Group 2 take position, flank blockade!”

The God-King’s voice reaches every player in the warband.

From his initial long-winded commands, the God-King now issues orders with concise, powerful precision—no hesitation, no fluff.

He has long since imprinted the full details of his warband into his mind.

Upon hearing the God-King’s command, Group 3 players swiftly retreat, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Simultaneously, Group 2 players surge forward like a Black Tide, rapidly filling the gaps left by Group 3.

“Group 8 apply Blood Burn to Group 1; Group 1 advances, Group 4 provide Light Shield cover—kill!”

The God-King’s command rings out again; Group 1’s Statue Flow players spring into action, their surging Gang Qi bursting from their bodies.

Group 8’s support players release the Blood Burn trait onto their designated Statue Flow targets.

Instantly, the Statue Flow players’ muscles swell, their strength skyrocketing.

They charge like a sharp blade straight into the ghost scorpion insect swarm.

Group 4 players follow closely behind, periodically releasing Light Shields to block the giant pincers of the ghost scorpion insects.

“Starting from Group 6, activate Life Link on Group 1; Groups 8, 10, 12… relay.”

Upon receiving the order, the Life Link Cultivation Mode activates.

Life Link beams are released in orderly sequence from the front line of the formation, like a wave of blood and qi, transmitting damage backward in layers, with the final Group 32 standing their ground to consume potions and restore their health bars.

The ghost scorpion insects’ violent charge is successfully held back by the Life Transmission tactic.

“Group 5 disperse! Group 5, coordinates 23923.18234, unleash area-of-effect bombardment—hurry!”

The Hawk-Head Demon’s perception, as sharp as a falcon, swiftly detects the movement of nearby ghost scorpion insect swarms.

Players receiving the command immediately activate their Soul traits.

Void Grasp, Ink Flame Thunderball, Frost Breath… various skills instantly blanket the location marked by the God-King; after several rounds of bombardment, the mass of ghost scorpion insects attempting to flank are reduced to dust.

The violent churning of the seawater also causes the formation to shift.

The God-King immediately orders adjustments, then issues new combat commands.

“Group 1 retreat, Groups 2 and 3 advance, alternate suppression—don’t give the insects a chance to breathe!”

Group 1’s damage-tank players, exhausted from absorbing damage, swiftly retreat upon receiving the order.

Group 2 and Group 3’s melee players move swiftly, alternating charges and thrusting their weapons forward, charging headlong into the ghost scorpion insect pincers, launching a furious frontal push.

“Continue the previous grouping… Life Link, transmit backward.”

The Life Wave reactivates; the rapidly dropping health bars of the melee players are forcibly stabilized as damage is sequentially transmitted backward via Life Link beams.

“Beast Flow grouping, flank charges!”

Upon receiving the command, the Beast Flow players roar and charge forward with ferocity alongside the formation.

Compared to the Earth-Night Tyrant, these ghost scorpion insects are absolute fools in the God-King’s eyes—clear tactical advantages can be exploited.

In this underwater battle, besides the several top-tier societies that stood out,

there were also powerful solo players.

The Spirit Artifact Array, which had previously shone in several other battles, reappeared in this underwater clash.

This time, the Spirit Artifact Array consisted of over three thousand players.

Many of them had voluntarily joined, eager to try the Spirit Artifact Flow.

The sight of thousands of Spirit Artifacts moving in unison was utterly awe-inspiring; they sliced through the water like a thousand arrows fired in unison.

Their only drawback was the generally low quality of players, making it difficult to inflict effective damage on the ghost scorpion insects; their strength lay in their exceptional endurance.

Each Spirit Artifact player had embedded the Bloodthirst Soul, allowing them to roam the battlefield and continuously regain health.

From the very beginning, the players had no intention of retreating.

After dying and returning to the village, they watched the live stream on the forum, then immediately respawned and returned to the battlefield.

As time passed, twelve relay battle lines formed in the sea.

This great battle lasted a full three days.

It ended with the complete annihilation of the ghost scorpion insects.

Finally, a player using the Ultra-Speed Beast Flow form smashed into the underwater ruins and was the first to touch the Divine Transformation Crystal.

Instantly, a growing black hole vortex formed beneath the sea, swallowing vast quantities of seawater and land.

After consuming nearly one-fifth of the semi-independent space’s landmass, the devouring black hole vanished into thin air.

Simultaneously, five spatial scenes—Emperor Tomb Village, Colorful Mist Coast, Dungeon World, Sen Luo Forest Realm, and Frostwinter Snowfield—shook violently, their areas rapidly expanding.

Toward Emperor Tomb Village.

A stone pillar over ten meters tall at the central square trembled violently; golden light gathered in the fourth groove at its summit, finally coalescing into a golden Rule Seal.

Following Flesh Reshaping, Gathering, and Enlightenment, a brand-new Rule Glyph now appeared on the Rule Pillar.

Continuous system prompts echoed in every player’s mind:

【Challenger Alert (Global Channel): Congratulations, the player warband has successfully contained the Rule Domain: Divine Transformation. Rewards distributed according to shared ranking as follows:】

First Place: God-King (Command, Combat, Support, Defense… Comprehensive Score).

Reward: 80,000 Sacrificial Power.

Second Place: …

【Challenger Alert (Global Channel): New Camp Boost Effect Added to Rule Pillar: Divine Transformation】:

Divine Transformation Rule Description:

Function 1: Players may adjust the growth ratio of Soul attributes at the Emperor Tomb Village Rule Pillar (adjustments possible only at Emperor Tomb Village).

Example: The Hawk-Head Demon Soul’s growth attributes can be set to 100% physical attribute increase, 0% spiritual attribute increase.

(Note: The Hawk-Head Demon trait’s effect still depends on spiritual strength and cannot be modified.)

Cost: 100 Sacrificial Power.

Function 2: Players may freely convert between bloodline strength and spiritual energy (adjustments possible only at Emperor Tomb Village).

Cost: 100 Sacrificial Power.

…

Upon learning the precise effects of Divine Transformation, players erupted into heated discussion on the forum.

Not long after, Heiye Jiangzhi’s analysis post surged to the top of the trending list.

【Detailed Interpretation of the Divine Transformation Rule—Come and Read.】

Poster: Heiye Jiangzhi.

Content:

This post draws upon partial explanations from the Guide. I will now provide a detailed interpretation to help everyone better understand the functions of the Divine Transformation Rule.

First, I can clearly tell you: the idea of magic users treating their mana bar as a health bar in combat is dead.

Because attribute adjustments require spending Sacrificial Power at Emperor Tomb Village.

Magic users can only convert their mana bar into a health bar while inside Emperor Tomb Village, thereby gaining thicker health than damage-tank players—but in doing so, they lose their identity as magic users, as without spiritual energy, they cannot output damage.

Next, let’s discuss the buffs brought by the Divine Transformation Rule.

Previous forum speculation that Divine Transformation might allow modification of the primary attribute ratio of Souls has been confirmed (applause.jpg).

This means many Souls can be used universally, whether by melee or magic users—but only for a subset.

For example, Withering and Ink Flame: these Souls’ effects are still influenced by spiritual strength, so even if embedded by melee players, they cannot unleash their full power—meaningless.

Similarly, Power Axe and Black Scale Snake, whose traits are affected by bloodline strength, remain unusable by magic users.

Similarly, abilities such as Force Axe and Black Armor Snake, which are influenced by Qi-blood intensity, cannot be used by spellcasters.

The only thing that changes is the attribute allocation ratio after upgrading; whether the Soul Traits are influenced by spiritual strength or qi-blood strength remains unchanged.

But it is certain that the era of freely combining Soul Traits has officially arrived.

Scatter Arrow, Flowing Shadow Clone, Extreme Speed, Blood Burn... these types of Soul Traits will become universal, and even if they only provide level bonuses, many players will be willing to embed them.

Second, the positioning of future streams will become clearer.

I’ll use Qi Absorption as an example.

Qi Absorption, consistently a T0-level Soul Trait, has been wildly popular among countless players, especially after the introduction of the Cultivation Combat Technique feature, it continues to hold the top spot on the Soul Trait popularity chart.

But even this excellent Qi Absorption Soul Trait has drawbacks.

Qi Absorption’s primary attribute growth ratio is extremely balanced: spiritual strength (52%), physical fitness (48%).

But the problem is, close-range combatants have no need for this 52% increase in spiritual strength.

Close-range stream players fight using qi-blood as their energy source.

The 52% of attributes gained from leveling up Qi Absorption are allocated to spiritual strength—completely meaningless, like stagnant water, bringing zero enhancement effect.

With Divine Transformation, this problem can be solved: close-range players can set all their Soul Traits to 100% physical fitness increase, and their combat power will surge immediately.

Meanwhile, magic-stream players can also adjust the primary growth attribute of Qi Absorption and similar Soul Traits to 100% spiritual strength increase, dramatically boosting their output power.

But here I must mention one thing: I do not recommend magic-stream players do this.

Close-range players don’t care, but magic-stream players are inherently fragile; on large battlefields, without physical fitness boosts, a single energy shockwave can kill you. My suggestion is to maintain physical fitness at around 10%–15%.

Fragile body? That’s fine, as long as you can withstand the war’s residual waves.

If the frontline Stone Idol stream players survive taking the main damage, but the backline magic-stream players are wiped out by residual shockwaves, you’ll be blamed for the defeat.

Thus, magic-stream players cannot, like close-range stream players, focus solely on maxing out a single attribute.

But the emergence of Divine Transformation can still significantly improve magic-stream players’ output efficiency.

Scatter Arrow and Extreme Speed, two Soul Traits, have finally been implemented for magic-stream players (I’ve already embedded them).

Here I’ll mention a potential hidden issue for close-range players.

If close-range players adopt a 100% physical fitness allocation, I recommend equipping an Unyielding Soul Trait.

Spiritual strength, besides affecting spell efficiency and spiritual recovery, also influences a player’s resistance to spiritual damage.

Without spiritual strength, you have zero resistance to spiritual damage and will take direct true damage.

At the current stage, monsters capable of spiritual attacks are rare, but as battlefields expand in the future, you’ll encounter them frequently.

Like the Pain Brothers’ Pain Touch, or the Spiritual Shock in the Soul Trait library—these are all spiritual damage types that bypass the body and strike directly at consciousness.

Therefore, equipping an Unyielding Soul Trait allows rapid removal of negative states like spiritual shock and spiritual interference.

The popularity of the Unyielding Soul Trait is about to explode.

Finally, I offer a new approach to Soul Trait combinations.

The attribute growth after each Soul Trait upgrade is actually completely different.

Take the initial Three Illusionary Gods as an example.

When you first entered the game, you must have wondered: why do the three Illusionary Gods at level 1 provide different attribute bonuses?

Among the Three Illusionary Gods, the one with the lowest base attributes is the Hawk-Head Demon, followed by the Black Scale Serpent; the highest base value is the Gargoyle.

Now that the Divine Transformation Soul Trait has appeared, when arranging Star Veins, you can also consider the attribute growth values.

Those Soul Traits with high base attributes gain several extra attribute points per level compared to others.

But the core remains the combination of Soul Traits—don’t let a few attribute points distort your understanding of the game’s core gameplay.

Attributes are important, but what makes our players truly powerful are the Soul Traits.

So prioritize traits, secondarily attributes—this method of arranging Star Veins is definitely correct.

That’s my interpretation of the Divine Transformation rules, and also why I said each stream’s positioning will become clearer.

If you find errors in my interpretation, feel free to reply and explain—I’ll edit and revise accordingly.

Class dismissed!

……

The post “Nightfall Approaches” provided an extremely detailed interpretation of how to use the Divine Transformation rules.

Large numbers of players flooded to the Emperor Tomb Village’s Rule Divine Pillar, preparing to modify their Soul Trait growth attribute ratios.

The most excited were undoubtedly close-range stream players.

The emergence of the Divine Transformation rules means they can discard spiritual strength attributes and convert more attributes into physical fitness boosts.

Magic-stream players have different points of excitement; their scope for adjusting attribute ratios is limited.

The key is that many powerful close-range Soul Traits can finally be embedded and used.

The successful implementation of this Rule Divine Transformation has significantly enhanced the overall strength of player warbands.

Meanwhile, at a corner of the Misty Coast.

Tong Xin (Head of the Nursery) sat on shallow reef rocks and took the Ancestral Space Crystal from his personal inventory.

In the underwater battle, the Ancestral Army was ultimately annihilated.

He himself died four times in a row.

Now he needs to resurrect the Ancestral Warriors from death.

But this will be a significant expenditure.

It’s not that there’s no energy to resurrect them.

The Ancestral Space contains numerous blood orbs absorbed by Ancestral Warriors from slain monsters, as well as Ancestral Power Crystals delivered by Ancestral Star before death.

But the problem is, this resurrection method consumes too much Ancestral Power.

If we rely on Ancestral Power for every resurrection going forward, the stockpile of Ancestral Crystals won’t last.

He finally understands why the Ancestral Army couldn’t survive in the Monster World.

All other powerhouses generate resources at the rule level, but Ancestral Warriors restart from zero upon death, making it impossible to compete with top-tier factions.

For example, the Black Black Tide grows by devouring through war, and even after death, evil influences can retaliate.

For the Black Black Tide, war has never been an obstacle—it’s merely nourishment for growth.

But for the Ancestral Army, war is not growth—it’s consumption.

The Ancestral Army’s death-boost talent, which would be a protagonist-level cheat in a minor world, becomes unsustainable in the Monster World—a super-world of warring factions—due to excessive consumption.

So, what solution exists to resolve this issue?

Through this period of interaction, he now understands the Ancestral Army’s structure very well.

The energy required for Ancestral Warriors to grow is primarily divided into three types.

The first type is called Ancestral War Merit.

This is energy created by the Cycle Rule, generated by Ancestral Warriors through killing, looting, and other actions.

It is similar to Battle Soul Power in the Ancient God Arena and War Power of the Reverse Black Tide Army—all generated through actions aligned with rule logic, which then nurture energy.

Ancestral War Merit cannot be extracted or used; it is recorded within the Cycle Rule.

Whenever an Ancestral Warrior dies, their consciousness is guided back by the Cycle Rule, where their life is reshaped.

At this point, the Ancestral Warrior can use “War Merit” to exchange for attributes, talents, skills, etc., for their next life.

The amount of War Merit an Ancestral Warrior had in their previous life determines their starting point in the next.

After selection, the consciousness enters a chaotic state, waiting until sufficient energy is accumulated to complete reincarnation and reshaping.

The second type of energy is called Ancestral Energy.

This is a special energy extracted and crafted from spiritual materials, spiritual ores, and other resources—the foundational pillar of the Ancestral Space.

It can also be used to craft weapons and equipment.

Ancestral Energy also drives the Cycle Rule, enabling dead warriors to return from reincarnation and reshape their bodies, but it can be replaced by other energies.

The third type of energy is qi-blood energy.

After an Ancestral Warrior dies and is reborn, they must rapidly grow by consuming qi-blood energy.

Without sufficient qi-blood, they remain in infant form.

If sufficient qi-blood is infused, Ancestral Warriors grow extremely rapidly, swelling like inflated balloons into youth form.

But this growth is not without limits.

Each cycle brings a new growth bottleneck.

This is completely different from players’ life structure.

Players’ growth has no upper limit—so long as there is sacrificial power, they can ascend infinitely.

But Ancestral Warriors’ growth has bottlenecks.

For example, if in a previous life they climbed to level 100 but could never break through, they must self-liberate from the cycle, using stored War Merit to raise the upper limit of their next life’s growth.

In their next life, after restarting, they might hit a new bottleneck at level 105, or 110.

At that point, they must cycle again.

Fundamentally, the Ancestral Clan is not strong—they grow entirely by long-term possession of the Cycle Rule, using rule-based attribute allocation to eventually become a multi-world plundering force.

Tong Xin now faces a situation where Ancestral Energy may be insufficient.

Qi-blood energy is less problematic—he can lead Ancestral Warriors to grow rapidly through hunting.

Although troublesome, at least hunting costs nothing.

Moreover, Ancestral Warriors are not picky about qi-blood energy—they absorb all impurities in blood into their bodies, turning them into part of their own power.

Our players, however, are pure bodies; energy gained from hunting is purified before absorption.

This point has been analyzed and explained by players on the forum.

The current problem is: how to obtain Ancestral Energy? He can’t keep buying massive quantities of spiritual materials from the marketplace every time he resurrects an Ancestral Warrior.

More importantly, he must also master the method of producing An Yi energy.

This is truly too troublesome.

But if he doesn’t do this, his stockpile of An Yi energy will eventually be exhausted.

After all, exploration and combat outside are too frequent.

Even if he doesn’t actively join high-intensity wars, he might still encounter monsters of over level one hundred during exploration and get wiped out in one wave.

Thus, how to obtain An Yi energy has become the top priority.

“Hey, it’d be great if I could revive without loss, just like our players.”

As he sighed, Tong Xin suddenly turned his head toward the floating guidance water orb beside him.

He had almost forgotten about this constant companion guide.

Perhaps it has a solution to this problem.

“Guide Brother.”

【Fine.】The guide opened its eyes listlessly.

“Do you have a quick way to produce An Yi energy? Preferably cheap—I can’t afford anything too expensive—or a way to let An Yi warriors revive without consuming anything… Ideally, one that lets An Yi warriors retain their Qi strength upon revival: when they die at a certain Hunting Rank, they revive at the same Hunting Rank, saving them from having to level up again. Only then will the An Yi Legion truly possess combat power; otherwise, leveling up each time is just too troublesome.”

After hearing Tong Xin’s explanation, the guide sighed:

【Didn’t I already tell you last time? The faith power generated by your Divine Core’s Life Soul can replace An Yi energy—just pour it directly into the Cycle Rule. It can fully revive An Yi warriors.】

“But this method still costs a fortune. The war mortality rate among An Yi warriors is too high. My faith bond with them is only at Stage One, so the faith power produced is nowhere near enough… I originally planned to earn Sacrificial Power from An Yi warriors, but now even all the faith power from my Divine Core isn’t enough—I still have to spend extra Sacrificial Power.”

The guide nodded, understanding:

【I’ve analyzed your current situation: 500 An Yi warriors all have you at Stage One of Faith. The faith power they produce daily can only revive eight warriors. Assuming they all die once every ten days, you can only support eighty An Yi warriors. Yet you’ve recruited five hundred at once—of course it’s insufficient. The An Yi warriors are growing too fast, but your faith devotion hasn’t kept pace.】

“Is there a way to solve this problem?” Tong Xin asked, full of hope.

【Of course there is. Perhaps you could learn from the Pain Brothers and craft the portion of the Cycle Rule granted by the Dark Star into a special Life Soul and embed it. An Yi warriors bound to this Cycle Rule will then be bound to you. Afterwards, you can revive them by consuming Sacrificial Power or faith power.】

【Also, after each warrior’s death, their Qi will be purified of impurities and retained—at least 50% or more. When you revive them, you can directly use the residual Qi to boost their Hunting Rank, helping them grow faster.】

“Really?!” The Headmaster instantly perked up.

But then he curiously asked:

“Guide Brother, why can only over 50% of the Qi be retained? Why not all of it?”

【The player system doesn’t accept impurities or waste. The Qi absorbed by An Yi warriors is only crudely converted and contains too many impurities. When this energy passes through the player system’s extraction, part of it gets filtered and broken down. Retaining over 50% is already excellent… In fact, this is purely beneficial for An Yi warriors—pure Qi gives them a higher ceiling, though they’ll still consume plenty of garbage during their future growth.】

“That’s indeed good, but it’d be even better if I could revive them without loss like our players.”

【An Yi warriors aren’t worthy of entering the player system. Even growth-type pets are far superior to An Yi warriors.】

The Headmaster: …

In fact, there was another reason the guide didn’t voice.

An Yi warriors are already bound to the Cycle Rule. To make them connect to the Challenger System like players do would mean completely reshaping their life form.

They’d have to start over from Level One, abandoning everything they previously possessed.

But An Yi warriors originally had low life potential; recruiting five hundred of them is worse than recruiting five hundred new players from Earth.

More importantly, each An Yi warrior has undergone hundreds or thousands of cycles through the Cycle Rule, accumulating numerous skills, talents, and latent attributes through battle merit.

Directly reshaping them would be a waste of the early accumulated rule energy.

The guide’s idea was simple: this system could continue to exist, but only as a Life Soul.

It couldn’t enter the Challenger System like the “War” Rule granted to the Ganyi Clan by the Reverse Black Tide Legion, becoming an independent subsystem within the Challenger Framework.

It could only become a dependent subsystem within the Challenger Framework.

Having understood the reason thanks to the guide’s explanation, Tong Xin asked with renewed hope:

“Guide Brother, so how do I turn this incomplete Cycle Rule into a Life Soul?”

【You certainly can’t craft it yourself. I can help you with this, but you’ll have to pay the cost.】

Hearing the guide was willing to help, Tong Xin was ecstatic:

“Guide Brother, how much Sacrificial Power does it cost to craft it?”

【Not much—just 1.2 million Sacrificial Power.】

Upon hearing the price, Tong Xin’s eyes widened in shock—he even doubted he’d misheard:

“1.2 million?!”

“Guide Brother, did you add an extra ‘wan’?”

The guide didn’t answer, only stared at Tong Xin with a look reserved for fools.

“Last time I heard the Pain Brothers say they spent only 300,000 Sacrificial Power to craft that Pain Life Soul, right?”

【The Pain Life Soul isn’t a true rule imprint—it’s just a pseudo-rule. What you hold is a fully formed rule. The price is 1.2 million because this is only a fragment of the Cycle Rule. If it were the complete Cycle Rule, how much do you think it’d cost?】

“How much?”

【Before the Dark Star died, it split the Cycle Rule into one hundred parts. Each An Yi Legion leader received one. What you hold is one of them. Calculate the price of the full rule yourself.】

After mentally calculating the price, Tong Xin sucked in a sharp breath.

In that light, 1.2 million Sacrificial Power really wasn’t expensive.

But he was curious: would the incomplete Cycle Rule, once crafted into a Life Soul, suffer any functional loss?

(End of Chapter)