Chapter 99: Trait Synthesis! Is the Fox Going to Cultivate Immortality?
Outside the Secret Realm entrance, the experts of the three great nations all remained stationed there.
The people of China wore grim expressions, while the two opposing nations seemed to be in rather cheerful spirits.
Blood King Dracula was waiting for the first person to die and be teleported out, eager to see the looks on the faces of China’s higher-ups and experts. The thought alone pleased him immensely.
At that moment, activity appeared at the Secret Realm portal.
A mangled corpse was teleported out.
Seeing that miserable state, Dracula’s delight surged at once.
Several girls from China covered their mouths in distress, unable to bear the sight. But someone suddenly looked at the corpse with a strange expression.
“Those look like Freedom Empire-style shorts, don’t they?”
Why identify someone by their shorts?
Because the upper half of the corpse had practically been smashed to pieces. It was impossible to recognize the face.
And aside from that, every single piece of equipment had been stripped clean away, leaving only underwear and shorts.
If underwear and shorts had possessed attributes, they probably would not have escaped either.
The moment that doubt was voiced, the people of the Lionheart Kingdom and the Freedom Empire both changed expression and hurried over to take a closer look.
“How is that possible!? The first one to die was actually Veron!”
The person the Freedom Empire higher-up referred to was that one-eyed man.
Dracula’s face instantly darkened, and he looked deeply displeased.
“With such a massive advantage in numbers, and with a prearranged plan to hunt them down, how could he still get himself killed?”
“Arthur, your Freedom Empire is becoming more pathetic by the day!”
Seeing that the first one to die was not from China, Dracula’s mood soured considerably.
As for China, everyone let out a long breath of relief.
Though he had just been insulted, the facts were plain before him, so Knight Arthur could only snort in resentment.
“Hmph. It was just bad luck. Veron ran into a Secret Realm boss he couldn’t withstand. That’s perfectly normal!”
Dracula gave a disdainful snort.
But just then, the Secret Realm stirred again.
This time, three corpses were teleported out at once!
Likewise, they had been stripped completely clean from head to toe...
“Eh? Those shorts look like they’re from the Lionheart side...” the people of China guessed instinctively.
At that instant, Dracula’s expression changed drastically.
He stepped forward and stared at the three bodies in disbelief. “H-how is this possible!? How did so many die in a row?”
“And where did all their equipment go!?”
Seeing that, Arthur from the Freedom Empire answered with a cold laugh, “We only had one unfortunate death, but you people lost three at once. Tsk, tsk...”
The Lionheart Kingdom and the Freedom Empire had never gotten along. Now that he had a chance to mock them, there was no way he would let it pass.
Dracula ground his teeth. “So what!? Our advantage is still enormous!”
With that, the two nations that had originally held an overwhelming advantage in Secret Realm slots had already suffered noticeable losses.
Meanwhile, on China’s side, everyone felt relieved, yet also rather baffled.
“What in the world is happening inside that Secret Realm?”
“Could the Secret Realm bosses really be that strong?”
“Then wouldn’t our people be in danger too?”
As everyone discussed the matter, only Wu Ming stared at those stripped corpses and sank into thought...
That method of looting equipment looked strangely familiar...
...
Inside the Secret Realm, with the tens of thousands of EXP from the three Lionheart Kingdom Class Users added in, Ye Ze’s EXP bar rose to 80%!
It was just a pity that none of those three had been fourth-rank Summoner-type Class Users. Otherwise, he could have completed his advancement quest at the same time.
Fortunately, there were still quite a few fourth-rank Class Users in the Secret Realm, so the chances of finishing the advancement were still very high.
Then Ye Ze turned his attention back to the boss, the Spirit Rock King.
“In truth, those three couldn’t have beaten the Spirit Rock King anyway.”
“Like the stone men, the Spirit Rock King also has the special effect of splitting after death, which only makes it harder and harder to deal with...”
“By killing them, I actually saved them time. I really am kind.”
Ye Ze waved his hand grandly, and Panda and the mantis both moved to engage the boss.
The Spirit Rock King, having just shaken off the fear effect, smashed its hammer-like arms downward once again.
Faced with that blow of overwhelming force, Panda neither dodged nor retreated. Now that his attributes had soared, he was fully capable of winning a frontal clash even without opening his domain!
The two fists collided with a thunderous boom.
The Spirit Rock King’s stone fist exploded.
When it had been fighting those three Class Users from the Lionheart Kingdom earlier, they had all hurriedly avoided this attack.
But now that it had been replaced by a panda, who met it head-on and won, the Spirit Rock King actually seemed momentarily unable to adapt.
But then again, that was only natural. Panda, clad in five Legendary pieces of equipment, was already in a terrifying state when it came to direct collisions of force.
Panda struck out again with both palms.
【Taiji - Twin Peaks Pierce the Ears】!
This attack was not infused with Martial Saint Aura, because he needed to ensure that the Spirit Rock King would be left heavily wounded rather than shattered into fragments. After all, Panda did not have an anti-revival effect like Death Verdict.
For the finishing blow, the mantis, lurking in the void, slashed out with one blade. The Spirit Rock King cracked apart and was annihilated, ultimately reduced to nothingness.
【Killed Spirit Rock King, gained EXP +20000 (+100%)!】
【Ding! Your level has risen to: Level 22!】
【Infinite Golden Traits — You have gained one draw chance!】
The boss, Spirit Rock King, dropped a full fifty Lotus Petals!
Ye Ze glanced at the map. The exchange point for treasures on this layer was not far away now, so he could go take a look at what was available there a bit later.
He put away the petals, then immediately began the Trait draw!
The twenty-second Trait...
This time, amidst the swirling sea of golden Traits, Ye Ze reached out on his own initiative:
【You have drawn the Golden Legend-grade Trait: Dao Follows Nature!】
【Dao Follows Nature: Freely draws upon the power of heaven and earth. Can use that power to cultivate Dao arts, or enhance the effects of spells.】
Seeing the Trait, Ye Ze froze for a moment. “What does that even mean?”
From the sound of it, it seemed faintly connected to the Daoist arts, or even immortal cultivation, from his previous life.
But he had never truly understood that world in detail.
Then the next prompt left him even more confused.
【A synthesizable Trait has been detected!】
【“Lord of Elements” + “Telekinetic Controller” + “Dao Follows Nature” (Can be synthesized!)】
“These three Traits...” Ye Ze could not help growing curious.
Lord of Elements was about controlling all kinds of elemental forces.
Telekinetic Controller was a form of high-level control over spiritual power.
And Dao Follows Nature was about controlling the natural power of heaven and earth...
What would the result of fusing those three even be?
Though he was puzzled, that did not stop Ye Ze from continuing.
He synthesized them immediately!
After all, it was a higher-order Legendary Trait. No matter what, it was bound to be better than an ordinary Legendary one.
【Golden Legend · Higher-order Trait synthesized: Boundless Dao Arts!】
【Boundless Dao Arts: Grants mastery over immortal Dao arts, allowing the user to wield all kinds of spells and immortal arts.】
“Holy hell?” Ye Ze was stunned.
Immortal arts?
He had never imagined that immortal cultivation was actually on the table too.
If that was the case...
“Wouldn’t that mean the fox is going to cultivate immortality?”
A fox immortal?
And the next prompt perfectly confirmed Ye Ze’s guess.
Because the first two Traits were already on the fox, the third Trait naturally fused on her as well:
【Summoned Beast: Three-Tailed Demon Fox (Legendary ☆☆) advanced → Fox Immortal - Six-Tailed Celestial Fox (Legendary ☆☆☆☆☆)!】
Before Ye Ze could even fully process the fact that this had increased her by a full three stars,
the little fox he had always carried with him suddenly changed from three tails to six.
Then the fox’s fur began to shine with white light!
The mass of white light enveloping her grew taller, and taller still, until it gradually took on a humanoid form...The white radiance flashed.
And before him appeared an enchantingly beautiful woman. Her long silver-white hair spilled over her shoulders, her pale golden fox eyes were lively and sly, her features exquisitely delicate, and her skin was as fair as snow.
The splendid silk-like gown hanging from her body displayed her alluring curves to perfection, while beneath the hem, her two long legs looked slender and pale. Behind her floated six soft, snowy-white fox tails.
She possessed a beauty that was distinctly strange and supernatural.
“Master~!”
The little fox—no, now the big fox—threw herself straight into Ye Ze’s arms.
It seemed that after becoming six-tailed, the fox’s originally sweet and clear voice had gained a touch of mature allure.
Her arms looped around Ye Ze’s neck as she blinked at him with a playful smile.
“Master?”
Feeling the overwhelming softness pressing against him, Ye Ze hesitated for a moment before saying, “Fox Immortal, you...”
“Why are you wearing clothes?”
Do not misunderstand. As an upright gentleman, he was simply curious...
After all, in her fox form, she had not been wearing clothes.
Fox Immortal froze for a moment. Then a charming smile spread across her face, and she leaned toward Ye Ze’s ear, just about to speak...
when a familiar ripple of space suddenly appeared behind Ye Ze.
Looking at Ye Ze before her, Liu Anran could not help going blank for a moment.
Did this look like someone in danger?
After hesitating, Liu Anran could not help saying,
“Am I... interrupting something?”
Ye Ze replied at once, “No, you came at exactly the right time!”