Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

Chen Li’s heart was filled with excitement.

He didn’t want to delay for even a moment.

He immediately took out a blank notebook, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and after a moment of contemplation, he wrote:

"Project One: Flash Skill"

The Flash Skill was two levels lower than the Traction Skill, and he decided to start with the comparatively simpler Flash Skill for his attempted modification.

The Flash Skill truly was simple.

It had only a single syllable incantation, and a corresponding route for the flow of Spiritual Power.

It didn’t even require a hand sign.

Chen Li’s lips moved slightly, silently resonating the incantation with the universe.

His eyes instantly lit up with a blinding light that was enough to blind someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

For a moment, the whole quiet room seemed to turn into an ocean of light, a state which lasted for a good five or six seconds before it gradually died down.

He pondered the sensation thoroughly.

Then, he recited the incantation again, but this time without the cooperation of the Spiritual Power inside his body.

Chen Li found that Mana still fluctuated slightly, but it was very faint, and without the cooperation of internal Spiritual Power, it quickly disappeared without a trace.

He picked up the brush and recorded the experimental data.

After that, he tried running the Spiritual Power independently.

...

A few days later, Chen Li regretted his decision.

Only by actually attempting to modify spells did he understand how incredibly difficult it was. Chen Li’s once prideful proficiency in spellcraft seemed laughably insignificant and unworthy of mention during this process.

He had overestimated his abilities.

Without systematic knowledge and the guidance of theory, he could only grope around in the dark, staggering forward bit by bit, experimenting his way through.

He felt as though he had been through a grueling war, having stepped into a quagmire from the start, and before he could even free himself from the mire, he was faced with fortress after fortress that he had to breach on his own. And that was nothing compared to the pain of having no leads, not even a direction to proceed in.

The only thing Chen Li could do was to try every possible combination of the incantations, hand signs, and routes of Spiritual Power flow he had mastered, and keep experimenting over and over.

This method was not only pitifully inefficient, but also extremely dangerous.

Explosions were a common occurrence, and it was ordinary for internal Spiritual Power to run amok and lead to demonic possession.

Fortunately, he could use a phantom body as a substitute.

Otherwise, not even several lives would suffice for all the trials he was putting himself through.

And the key point was that the results were minimal.

Sometimes, in his frustration, Chen Li could hardly stop himself from tearing up the spell manuscripts, cursing all spells to damnation.

But once he calmed down, he chose to start again.

It was his capital for establishing a foothold in this dangerous world.

It was his technique for protecting his path.

It was the guarantee of his survival.

Today, he was only fifty-five years old.

Compared to a lifespan of nearly three hundred years, he was still just a child.

He couldn’t afford to pass away prematurely.

Compared to safety, what did a little hardship matter?

In order to solidify his foundation and obtain more material for modification, he also sought out a large number of low-level spells to study.

Within the Returning True Sect’s collection, there was a pitiful shortage of advanced spells for the Foundation Establishment Stage, but there was an abundance of low-level spells, leaving one spoiled for choice, with over a hundred variations from First Order First Grade to First Order Ninth Grade. Acting on the principle that it was better to be busy than idle, he gritted his teeth and learned them one by one.

Then, he had the phantom body level each one up to max level.

With his efficiency, he basically learned a new spell every two to three days.

For several consecutive months, aside from his routine cultivation, he spent the majority of his time studying and modifying spells, even putting his talisman drawing on hold.

Fortuitously, he had grown accustomed to this kind of busyness.

With the study of a large number of low-order spells, he felt his understanding of spells had leaped to a new level. Many of the barriers in the modification process were broken through stubbornly, bit by bit, and at the same time, a vague sense of enlightenment gradually began to emerge in his mind.

During this period, Xiao Yuan and the couple Peng Yan Wenhui visited him several times.

Xiao Yuan was preparing to respond to the call from the Artefact Sect, to clear the scourge of demon beasts there, but Chen Li persuaded him not to go.

"If some calamity has truly arisen deep within the forest, not even a Golden Core is necessarily safe, let alone an average practitioner at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Going there is practically asking for a death wish."

...

Half a year later.

In an underground quiet room.

A phantom figure’s mouth silently opened and closed as one hand swiftly formed seals.

There was a soft "hum" sound.

A glaring light flashed and vanished in an instant.

The phantom’s eyeballs burst, and as the body suffered damage, the entire phantom quickly began to collapse.

"The spiritual power consumed is of the First Order Sixth Grade!" Chen Li thought to himself, "The flaw is that it’s too violent, and it’s mixed with some fire elemental power... It seems that the hand seals and the route of spiritual power need further adjustment."

He recorded his experimental insights.

Then he released another phantom and continued the experiment.

Adjustments, time and again.

Improvements, time and again.

The spell became more and more stable, and also more and more gentle. At first, the phantom’s eyeballs would burst with each experiment, but by the fifth time, it no longer happened, showing astonishing progress.

Hours later.

A blinding light flared up instantaneously, stabilizing for a full half second before gradually fading away.

"Phew, success!"

Chen Li let out a breath, his face full of joy.

Although it was only a stage of success, still far from the final goal of the Second Order technique, the hardest step had been taken, and the light of success was visible.

He opened the attributes panel.

As expected, an unnamed spell appeared in the list of spells, situated between the Hemostasis Healing Skill and the Disease Removal Skill.

"A First Order Sixth Grade spell... let’s call it Flash Skill 2.0," Chen Li thought to himself.

As his thoughts moved,

The word "Unnamed" on the spell list quickly changed to "Flash Skill 2.0".

In fact, this technique was indeed rough and incomplete, in need of constant improvement. Though named as a First Order Sixth Grade spell, its effects were only at the level of a First Order Fifth Grade, roughly the standard of an entry-level master Flash Skill.

...

Master, the Second Order technique you requested has finally appeared. There will be an auction at the true grand auction house in ten days," Sun said as he ran up, presenting a catalog for the auction house.

"Let me see!" Chen Li took the catalog.

Half a year earlier, he had asked Sun to keep an eye out for any auction events in the city, to see if there were auctions for Foundation Establishment techniques.

For a full half year, not to mention an auction, not even a shadow had been seen.

If it weren’t for Sun’s continuous, earnest loyalty, even showing honesty with tasks as lucrative and greasy as food procurement, Chen Li would have suspected that he was being deceitful.

But at last, there was news.

Chen Li’s eyes quickly skipped over the treasures of the Third Order at the front of the catalog, going straight to the last item.

Second Order Fourth Grade Technique: Void Flight Escape Skill

A flight technique.

His heart leaped with joy.

Although this was not the Second Order Fifth Grade technique he wanted most,

A Fourth Grade Second Order technique was not bad either, especially since it was a flight technique which he urgently needed.

The Rainbow Transformation Skill he was using now was learned when he first entered the Foundation Establishment Stage. It was only a Second Order First Level technique and was already struggling to keep up. During the highway robbery last winter, he felt his speed was a bit too slow

He was nearly encircled and killed.

It was far too dangerous.

"I must win this technique at the auction!"