Chapter 208: Ma Ling'er's Plan (Guaranteed Second Update)

Damn!

You doctors all like playing with test subjects, huh!

Fang Yue's face darkened, his heart sinking.

But soon, he noticed the strange disturbance inside his body gradually calming, then vanishing completely.

The bulges on his skin also slowly melted away.

Immediately after, Fang Yue heard a system notification.

"System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, you have slain the Specter 【Memory-Erasing Specter】. Reward: Control Power +50, Dissipate Power +30, Lifespan +1 month."

Killed… it?

Amazing! Divine Doctor Luo!

Fang Yue's expression brightened, and he quickly shared the good news with the others.

Lin Duoduo and the others finally exhaled in relief.

Many even collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.

That Memory-Erasing Specter was terrifying—multiple rounds back and forth nearly wiped us all out.

If not for Fang Yue using the parchment to negate the Memory-Erasing Specter's special ability, and guiding Lin Duoduo and the others into coordination…

The Memory-Erasing Specter would've been truly hard to handle.

But the rewards for killing the Memory-Erasing Specter were generous indeed—no wonder it's a 【Black Grade Mid-level】 Specter. So many people cooperating to kill this boss, yet the rewards exploded.

With these rewards alone, Fang Yue could train the Starfire Blade Technique to death and never reach this level.

Clearly, slaying Specters is the true path of cultivation in this game.

He cheerfully opened his attribute list.

"Name: Yese Liming."

"Realm: Postnatal Third-rate."

"Status: Ghost Curse 【Back of Hand】, limbs aching, limbs weak, stomach rotting, lung perforation…"

"HP: 200/200."

"Internal Power: 10/300."

"Control Power: 120 【Base: 100 / Reached Realm Limit】 【Status/Bonus: +20】."

"Dissipate Power: 120 【Base: 100 / Reached Realm Limit】 【Status/Bonus: +20】."

"Realm Breakthrough Progress: 0.1%."

"Talent: Night's Breath 【Human Grade Upper】."

"Skills: Analysis Pupil 【Human Grade Lower】, Starfire Blade Technique Level 1 【Postnatal Third-rate】, Water-Sky Blade Technique Level 1 【Crude Martial Arts】, Starfire Heart Method Level 3 【Postnatal Third-rate / Max Level】."

"Lifespan: 2 months 20 days."

Huh?

Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?

Never mind the stacked Kill Book statuses.

What does this "Realm Breakthrough Progress" mean? Can you break realm without Internal Energy Heart Method?

And the attributes already reached realm limit?

Does this thing even have a realm cap?

Fang Yue was momentarily confused.

He'd thought this explosion of attributes would let him smash past the 100-point base attribute barrier.

But… realm limits the maximum attribute points?

100 points is the absolute cap for Postnatal Third-rate—no further breakthrough possible.

But I've never heard of this—no one on the forums ever mentioned…

Well, maybe at this stage, no one could reach such high attribute values yet.

"System Prompt: 【Limbs Aching】 status removed."

"System Prompt: 【Limbs Weak】 status removed."

"System Prompt: 【Stomach Rotting】 status removed."

As Night's Breath activated, all sorts of bizarre statuses vanished quickly.

Fang Yue ignored the system notifications that kept popping up as Night's Breath removed the lingering side effects from Divine Doctor Luo's pills.

He carefully read the description of realm breakthrough.

"Analysis Pupil!"

"Realm Breakthrough Progress: When a character reaches maximum attribute limits and has not used conventional methods to break through, accumulated foundation from slaying Specters, consuming pills, or training Heart Methods and Martial Techniques will convert into breakthrough progress."

Brilliant~ Wow~

This is like stepping into Mickey's Magical House, ridiculously brilliant!

So even without a Heart Method, players can still break realm!

But if you don't use conventional Heart Methods, you're missing out on one, so your strength will definitely lag behind other players.

And this progress bar looks incredibly long… compared to normal Heart Method training, this path is clearly much harder and yields less—only worth considering if you can't find any other way to break through…

Wait!

Fang Yue suddenly paled, his heart jolted—two words inexplicably surfaced in his mind.

"Spirit Root!"

Lord Han once said most people are stuck at Rain Grade, unable to break into Immortal Grade—because of Spirit Root.

But players seem to need no Spirit Root—just push the breakthrough progress bar, and you can break realm, even with no other path available.

Isn't this… another kind of Spirit Root!

In other words, the realm Lord Han cannot reach, players will eventually attain! This is the players' advantage!

Of course, on the condition they can grow to that level…

Think about it—mid-rank Black Grade Possession can erase you in an instant.

Fang Yue had little confidence he could grow to Lord Han's level in this dangerous game world.

After using his Analysis Pupil to carefully examine the realm breakthrough process, Fang Yue confirmed this was a path taken only when no direct route to breakthrough existed.

All he needed was to acquire an Acquired Second-Rate Mental Method and break through normally.

As for the realm's upper limit on attribute points, it was easy to understand.

It was simply the maximum attribute points the current realm could withstand—no matter how much you trained, it wouldn't increase.

Yet all training or kills of Possession that granted attribute rewards would convert into breakthrough progress.

For instance, when Fang Yue killed the Memory-Erasing Possession, the excess attributes were converted into breakthrough progress.

Thinking of this, Fang Yue felt a flicker of urgency.

Mental Method, Mental Method, Mental Method—I really need to get an Acquired Second-Rate Realm Mental Method fast and break through.

With attributes unable to increase, every second he stayed in this realm was a wasted second of growth—massive waste.

Unfortunately, such things couldn't be rushed.

Since Lin Duoduo wouldn't give him a Mental Method, he could only hope Mo Cun's caravan had such a treasure.

System Prompt: Congratulations, you have obtained 5 Black Stones.

How many?!!

Fang Yue's expression changed.

Five Black Stones?!

Fang Yue was overjoyed.

Originally, since the Memory-Erasing Possession died inside him, Fang Yue had worried about how to extract the Black Stones—the system solved the problem for him directly.

Adding the ones he'd obtained before, his total wealth became seven Black Stones.

Black Stones: 7!

At this moment, the parchment once again popped up smugly.

【I am Fang Yue, and I serve the great and noble Parchment Lord.】

【Thanks to the Parchment Lord's help during the fierce battle, I was able to survive—I truly feel the Parchment Lord's warmth…】

Warmth your ghost!

Are you lusting after my body?

You sneaky parchment, you've got ulterior motives!

【I lust for your Black Stones! Black Stones! Black Stones!!】

Fang Yue wouldn't give it any!

He tossed it five grams of Black Ember to shut it up, and it finally fell silent.

At the same time, the system alert from Night Breath also fell quiet.

Fang Yue opened his status bar to check.

Instantly, he grimaced.

Status: Ghost Curse 【Back of Hand】.

As expected.

【Of course!】

The parchment, having gotten its reward, was suddenly sweet and cooperative.

Hmph!

But I still say—Night Breath is forever the god!!

Aside from special states like 【Ghost Curse】, it crushes every minor ailment in seconds.

"Are you alright? How do you feel?"

Lin Duoduo came over, concerned.

Fang Yue shook his head slightly.

"I'm fine…"

Before Fang Yue could finish, Luo Shenyi rushed over, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"You're truly alright? What does this prove? It proves my medicine is flawless! It's ready for public release! Today, not only will I save An Shenyi, but I'll also outshine him in alchemical research! Double blessings—hahaha!"

Watching Luo Shenyi laugh hysterically, Fang Yue twitched his lips.

"Luo Shenyi, human physiques aren't interchangeable. Look at me—I endured dozens of hits from the Memory-Erasing Possession and didn't die. Would anyone else survive like that? Look at that fallen Captain from Luoye Cun—see how she looks now? Compare her to me! I can withstand the side effects of your medicine, but others can't—they'll die!"

To emphasize the difference in physiques, though somewhat uncouth, Fang Yue pointed at the corpse-like Captain.

Luo Shenyi shook his head rapidly: "How could they be different? They're all the same! Though I've never tested my medicine using combination formulas before—you're the first subject—clearly, this method works! Besides, what's so special about you?"

"I was born with divine strength!"

"Huh?"

"Ask the escort team from Gu Yue Cun—I was born with divine strength!"

Luo Shenyi looked skeptical; if someone died from his medicine, his pills would be impossible to sell—after all, killing someone who took his medicine was no different from killing a Possession victim.

"Luo Shenyi, save the medicine talk for later—first, save the patient!"

Lin Duoduo, seeing Luo Shenyi about to argue, quickly interrupted.

"I'll talk to you later!"

Luo Shenyi finally dropped Fang Yue and went to find An Shenyi, whose front arm was severed halfway and waist nearly cut in two.

When possessed, An Shenyi's body was robust. But after the possession left, An Shenyi was utterly weak.

"Can he be cured?"

Fang Yue asked with concern.

"He must be cured! Healing An Shenyi with my own hands is the absolute core of my plan to make a name for myself and overshadow An Shenyi!"

Luo Shenyi swore solemnly, then ordered men to carefully carry An Shenyi back to his clinic, along with the severely injured Captain of Luoye Cun and other wounded.

This tumultuous night had finally come to an end.

Although Fang Yue's physical condition was fully replenished by Night Breath.

He still felt mentally exhausted.

This night, he outwitted and fought the Memory-Erasing Possession, enduring several fierce clashes, nearly failing—but in the end, the outcome was good.

The only problem was… this Memory-Erasing Possession was so powerful it could have killed him on first sight.

Why, when first exposed, did it choose to erase memories instead of killing him and the others in the escort team?

Also, during the battle, Fang Yue sensed several times the Memory-Erasing Possession could have struck him at more lethal spots—but each time, it held back.

Only when he was on the brink of death did the Memory-Erasing Possession truly intend to kill him.

But when fighting Lin Duoduo and the others, it went all out—no mercy at all.

Could this Memory-Erasing Possession… be an accomplice of the Bladeless Possession from Gu Yue Cun?

Fang Yue frowned, lost in thought, his mind on guard.

If true, then this time it failed—next time, it wouldn't quietly lurk beside him anymore, but would kill him outright, or use some even more violent method.

Fang Yue felt it was troublesome.

Other threats were manageable, but if a Bladeless Possession-level entity came, Fang Yue knew for certain he couldn't withstand it—not even Night Breath could save his life!

Thinking of this, Fang Yue pulled out something, lost in thought.

"I'll probably need to change my identity for the road ahead."

In his hand was clearly the Specter Artifact—Human Skin Mask!

Since acquiring it, he had never actually used it.

But for a human face, he had previously recorded one—clearly… Lin Ling's face!

He put on the Human Skin Mask.

Fang Yue felt as if a thin film had been stuck on his face—cold.

Burn… Human Soul!

The cold sensation on his face gradually intensified, icy and chilling, like an ice block pressed against his skin.

At the same time, the Human Skin Mask slowly tightened, molding perfectly to Fang Yue's face.

When the Human Skin Mask stopped changing, Fang Yue took out his small handheld mirror and looked.

His face had become identical to Lin Ling's—only his body build was significantly different.

Someone familiar with Lin Ling might notice the difference.

But Lin Ling spent the entire year in Gu Yue Cun, rarely leaving to visit other villages—others probably didn't know Lin Ling well.

Besides, while the body build differed, it wasn't extreme; height, however, couldn't be simulated—that was troublesome.

He checked the consumption of his lifespan and immediately sighed in relief.

This thing didn't burn lifespan as much as he feared—roughly one day of lifespan burned every half month—he could use it safely.

A great item.

Fang Yue sighed again.

He took off the Human Skin Mask for now, planning to wear it only after leaving Luoye Cun.

…

Luoye Inn.

In the room, Ma Ling'er grimly cracked open a sliver of the window and peered outside.

At first glance, everything outside seemed unchanged—the full moon hung peacefully in the night sky, serene and calm.

But Ma Ling'er, whose strength far exceeded ordinary people, could see the escort team members lurking on the rooftiles, the faint breathing around her room, and even the Giant-Headed Blood Dog sitting on the ground outside the inn's entrance, panting heavily, and the Blood Hunter pretending to admire the moon.

All of this made Ma Ling'er realize one thing—she had been exposed!

Ma Ling'er didn't know when she had been exposed, nor where she had slipped up.

But from these people's actions, there was no doubt—she had indeed been exposed!

This level of vigilance, surveillance, and the unnaturally large number of watchers all screamed unnaturalness.

Such intense attention had never occurred during her ten years of infiltration in Gu Yue Cun!

She couldn't just wait to be captured!

Ma Ling'er analyzed the strength of these people and her own, assessing the possibility of escaping wounded.

But soon, she slumped in despair.

(End of Chapter)