Chapter 1076: A Breakthrough with the Upgrade Technique
Due to the Core Stone's teleportation abilities, Bai Yunfei and the group with him were able to travel at an incredibly fast pace. The only thing preventing him from teleporting again and again in quick succession was due to the soulforce consumption. He'd teleport in short bursts and then recover half the soulforce lost and flew with Wu Dijian and the others. Once healed, Bai Yunfei would repeat the process.
And so the group was able to reach the very outskirts of the Qimang Mountains by the time the day was over. Not even a single feral class seven soulbeast was met during their travel.
The group wasn't in an urgent rush to get to the Soulbeast Forest despite their goal. When night fell, they would retreat into the Core World and rest until the next day.
As per usual, the group used the Core Stone to travel once the morning of the second day came. The only difference was that the Core Stone was now entrusted to Tang Xinyun while Bai Yunfei meditated within the Core World.
He sat upon his bed with both eyes closed. Under the effects of his meditation and Dual Flame Arts, Bai Yunfei was recovering his soulforce at an accelerated rate.
"Phew..."
The red light abated from Bai Yunfei's body and drained away any energy from the room after a while. Breathing aloud, Bai Yunfei tilted his head up and opened both eyes.
"Both my fireseeds have changed—I've never thought both would be able to reside in my origin acupoint now. Was it because of the Truth of Reincarnation or the seal on me three years ago? Either way, something like this should be impossible..."
His hands touched at the part of his chest where the origin acupoint lay. Both of his fireseeds laid motionlessly within that place. In the past, both fireseeds would fight one another for a place in the acupoint, forcing Bai Yunfei to leave one of them into the Cataclysmic Seal. But now, both were rendered into a docile state.
It wasn't a bad thing. In fact, Bai Yunfei would say this was a very good thing. Having two permanent fireseeds in his body would help his meditation and training by multiple degrees.
Bai Yunfei's conjecture was that when his soul was sealed, his ability to cultivate was sealed up as well. Forced in such a state, both fireseeds—which were both inside his body at the time—was turned into a type of energy that was soaked into his body. Through a gradual process, the energies harmonized with one another before being restored to their true form once the Truth of Reincarnation unlocked the seal. Once reformed, both fireseeds were now fully compatible with one another and were able to co-exist in the same spot without rejection.
Needless to say, this meant Bai Yunfei was now capable of drawing out even more power from both the 'Coil' and 'Berserk' forms.
"Let's move onto the Upgrade Technique then..."
A soul armament appeared at once in his hand.
Thanks to the Truth of Reincarnation, Bai Yunfei was able to gleam additional insights for the Upgrade Technique in addition to cultivation. He hadn't the time until now to really ponder upon those new insights since up to this point, he was using the spare time (when hunting the allied army) to familiarize himself with his new strength and the Law of Fire. Right now, however, Bai Yunfei was free to think about those insights and divine what new paths he could tread with them.
Equipment Grade: High Earth
Elemental Affinity: Metal
Attack: 1500
Upgrade Requirement: 110 Soulpoints
This soul armament he held was a simple shortsword. It was ordinary and unupgraded, making it the perfect testing material.
He studied the soul armament for a bit but didn't upgrade it. Instead, he allowed for some energy to envelop the soul armament and held it afloat between both hands.
This was the Manual Upgrade Technique.
Held afloat by the energy from both palms, the soul armament began to hum and draw in slivers of semi-transparent energy. Each sliver that was taken into the soul armament saw to the item glimmering brighter and brighter with light.
Eventually...
Equipment Grade: High Earth
Elemental Affinity: Metal
Upgrade Level: +10
Attack: 1500
Additional Attack: 700
Soul Compatibility: 20%
+10 Additional Effect: 10% Chance to double the attack power when attacking.
Cooldown of 10 seconds.
Upgrade Requirement: 110 Soulpoints
Bai Yunfei's eyes flew open. He clenched the soul armament into his hand in pleasant surprise—it was already +10!
"That was smooth!!" Bai Yunfei could hardly believe his eyes at how smooth the upgrading went. He hadn't experienced a single hitch from +1 to +10. Even more important was the efficiency of this task. Not only was he able to upgrade the soul armament in half the time than average, but the soulforce consumption was also cut in half!
"And now the important part..."
Slowly breathing out, Bai Yunfei let the soul armament float back between both palms so he could attempt to upgrade it to +11.
Half an hour passed. Bai Yunfei's head was entirely drenched with sweat and his face troubled. It seemed upgrading it to +11 was proving to be difficult.
"Keuk...this isn't enough still?"
Forty minutes passed and still no success. Bai Yunfei was close to giving up now. "There's still a huge 'gap' in being able to upgrade an item to +11." He grunted, "Am I going to fail again?
"I can't...it's too early to give up, there has to be another way!"
Renewing the flow of energy from palm to soul armament, Bai Yunfei exhaled.
"Upgrade!"
A sliver of his soulforce entered the soul armament. A notification started to appear in his mind, but before it could fully form, Bai Yunfei swiped his right hand over the soul armament!
It looked like he was grabbing and pulling at something over the soul armament. A strange light began to shine from the soul armament, but before anything else could happen, it disappeared. Immediately, the soul armament crumbled into dust and fell through Bai Yunfei's fingers...
Upgrade Failed
Equipment Destroyed
The notification of failing to upgrade immediately appeared into Bai Yunfei's mind.
He was pensive rather than disappointed. This failure taught him something new. Humming to himself for several seconds, he took out a dark-purple dagger into his hand.
This was a soul armament that was already +10.
"Upgrade!"
There was no hesitation. It was time for Bai Yunfei to use the Upgrade Technique. He was trying something new with it to change the outcome, but...
Upgrade FailedEquipment Destroyed
Like the last time, this soul armament was destroyed and burst into dust.
"Again!!"
Bai Yunfei wasn't discouraged. This failure only meant something new for Bai Yunfei learn from. Excited, he took out yet another +10 high-earth tier soul armament.
"Upgrade!!"
Upgrade FaiUpgrade SuccessfulEquipment Grade: High Earth
Elemental Affinity: Earth
Upgrade Level: +11
Attack: 1600
"It worked!!" Bai Yunfei heaved a breath of relieved excitement.
"This was the feeling! It was like that!" He murmured. He took out another soul armament without pause. It was another +10 soul armament.
"Upgrade!"
Bai Yunfei was in the zone now. Almost mechanically, he upgraded soul armament after soul armament without regard to failure or success. The only difference was the light that glimmered in his eyes whenever he succeeded. It almost looked like he was a mad scientist that was on the verge of a new scientific breakthrough...
But the number of soul armaments he was going through was mind-boggling. Not even a Soul King would be able to keep calm at the rate Bai Yunfei was going through soul armaments. From mid-earth to high-earth tier...Bai Yunfei was burning through them all! Then when those ran out...Bai Yunfei pulled out a heaven-tier!
Upgrade FaiUpgrade SuccessfulEquipment Grade: Mid Earth
Elemental Affinity: Earth
Upgrade Level: +11
Attack: 3600
Additional Attack: 2000
Soul Compatibility: 15%
Equipment Effect: In exchange for 20% soulforce, inflict 20% more damage when attacking with earth-type attacks.
+10 Additional Effect: 10% Chance of ignoring earth-type defenses when attacking.
Upgrade Requirement: 210 Soulpoints
At last, Bai Yunfei managed to alter the outcome of upgrading another soul armament to +11. Furious joy lit up in Bai Yunfei's eyes...he had finally managed to grasp onto that important feeling he had!
"I got it now! This is that energy!! That's how you use it! Haha! Finally!" Bai Yunfei roared with laughter.
After so many years of research...Bai Yunfei had a breakthrough in the Upgrade Technique! A breakthrough that could allow him to alter the results of upgrading and gain a +11 soul armament!
In other words, the 'limit' was no longer +10, but +11!