1108 Cleaned out

The elven elder exclaimed, his ethereal form shimmering as if rocked by an invisible force. "You've gained an insight into the Frost Arcane Slash in mere hours? That took me decades to accomplish!"

The ethereal form of the elf faded in and out as if struggling to stay visible. This was an unimaginable phenomenon, beyond his anticipation.

He had assumed that the human would need at least a couple of years to even comprehend such a skill, fully digesting the image of what he saw.

However, here was this young man, not even a few decades old, who had managed to not only replicate the slash but gain an insight into the essence of it in a fraction of the time.

Just who was this human being? Perhaps he had underestimated him? Could he be some hidden powerhouse from an A-ranked world?

Liam, entirely unaware of the elven elder's shock, continued his relentless practice.

His body was drenched in sweat, and his muscles screamed in protest, but he paid them no mind. His focus was solely on his movements and the sensation of icy power flowing through him.

It was as if the frosty aura from the memory had come alive within him. He could feel it, not just in the sword but in his veins, coursing through him like a powerful undercurrent. With each movement, he felt more connected to the power, more in sync with it.

Eventually, the power seemed to peak, the frosty aura around him flaring up and then settling down. Liam felt a strange sensation of everything clicking together. He memorized this sensation.

This continued for a few hours until he could no longer focus.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the glowing runes on the walls had dimmed considerably. The chill in the air had dissipated and the blood crystals were once again providing a warm, soothing glow. He was back in the corridor, standing as if time had not passed.

He looked at the sword in his hand, its blade now shimmering with a faint aura as if the sword was pleased. He could feel the power coursing through it, waiting for his command.

Before he could wonder why, a few notifications sounded.

A smile spread across Liam's face.

[Ding! You have learned a new skill Arcane Frost Slash]

[Ding! You have obtained Dao seed of Ice Element]

[Ding! You have leveled up!]

…

Liam couldn't believe his eyes. In just a few hours, he had actually gained so much, a new skill along with a dao seed.

Liam doubted if he actually learned the skill. It was probably an inferior version of the skill. He also still did not understand the significance of these dao seeds.

However, he had leveled up 51 times which was a huge gain!

Liam immediately opened his status screen to check the progress.

______________

Name: Liam Chang

Level: 285

Class: Necromancer [C]; Soulmancer [SSS] (Locked)

Race: Human

Alignment: Earth

Titles: Earth's First Evolver, Earth's First Realmhopper

Mana Core: Red, Awakened [Broken]

Nether Core: Obsidian, Awakened [Broken]

Soul: Second Order [Broken]

Pathway: Dao seed of Mana manipulation; Dao seed of Nether manipulation; Dao seed of Ice Elemental

______________

Vitality: 350 (520)

Stamina: 300 (530)

Strength: 400 (515)

Intellect: 380 (501)

Agility: 450 (504)

Luck: 625

Physical Defense: 300

Mental Defense: 800

Soul Defense: 5

Free Stat Points: 300

______________

Liam saw that his stats had boosted quite impressively. He had also acquired more free stat points, thanks to his newly gained Dao seed.

In his current perilous state, he did not dare to save his free stat points. Since at the moment, he was physically a lot weaker, he added the 300 points to his vitality.

Liam took a deep breath and meditated, trying to sense the change in his constitution after adding so many stat points at once. However, seconds ticked by and he did not feel any different.

Just like when he had leveled up so many times and gained a huge boost in his overall stat points, he once again did not feel anything change.

Liam sighed. He already knew why this was the case. His body was currently extremely imbalanced and fundamentally fucked up which was probably why he did not feel any noticeable difference in his strength.

He had a long way to go, but for now, he was satisfied with his progress.

Exhausted, Liam fell back, landing softly on the ground. He was too tired to move.

He decided to take a short rest before continuing forward, unaware of the shocked ethereal figure observing him from a corner. He had no clue about the great uproar he was causing in the ghostly figure's heart.

The elf was left wondering just who this human was and how he managed to achieve such a feat in an unimaginably short span of time.

The figure observed Liam silently, its face reflecting a blend of surprise, admiration, and a trace of worry.

Earlier when the elven elder had mentioned baptism of blood he had simply spoken in a flow but now it looked like things might really come to that.

As the elf continued to ponder, his gaze fell onto Liam, who was resting peacefully on the cold, blood essence soaked rocky floor.

The next second, the elf became even more shocked as he witnessed the human being do something unbelievably outrageous.

Liam took out one of the Verdant Heartroot stalks.

The elf's eyes became round like saucers. "That's! That's! That's the S-Ranked herb Vedant Heartroot!" Even a noble, lefty figure like him, trembled at the sight of the precious herb.

The Verdant Heartroot was an extremely rare herb that grows only in the higher realms.

It was a special herb that could aid in the healing of both physical and soul-related injuries. It was known as the divine healer among herbs.

But more importantly, it was not something that should be used lightly or casually, especially not by a lower being like the human in front of him.

But there Liam was, holding the precious S-ranked herb as if it was a common trash herb.

The next second, once again he was shocked when the herb started trembling. The aura from the herb began to throb and the herb started absorbing all the blood essence in the small enclosed space.

The blood essence seeped deep into the rocks and the stones for decades after decades slowly started to drift off into the small herb which greedily absorbed everything in sight.

The surrounding blood crystals dimmed visibly as the Verdant Heartroot sucked them dry.

This time the herb was no longer the shade of red it was before. The herb that Liam held was a deep crimson, not even a single spot on the herb was left vacant. If it absorbed any more of the blood essence, it might even start dripping blood!

Both Liam and the elven elder were shocked to see such a phenomenon.

The elven elder gasped, his form wavering erratically as he watched the scene unfold.

"This... this is impossible! A Verdant Heartroot consuming blood essence directly... and in such a large quantity! This... This…" He was unable to form any coherent sentences, lost in utter disbelief.

"This herb has to be a supreme quality herb, at least aged a thousand years!" He gasped.

Meanwhile, Liam, who held the crimson Heartroot, was just as shocked, but he was quick to recover. He had seen many unexpected things already. A herb turning blood red was just another addition to that list.

He was far more interested in what this herb could do for him.

Liam carefully held the Heartroot, his eyes reflecting the red glow. It was still absorbing the essence, the herb pulsating rhythmically, as if it was alive.

A few minutes later, the herb finally settled down. The crimson glow faded, and the Verdant Heartroot now appeared as if it was made of polished rubies, its surface glistening eerily.

With the elven elder still watching in horror and disbelief, Liam didn't hesitate as he plucked one of the leaves and started to chew on it.

His eyes lit up at the sweet, rich taste, akin to the richest honey he'd ever had, with a hint of a frosty mint aftertaste.

Almost immediately, he felt a warm sensation spreading through his body. It was as if he had taken a sip of a hot beverage on a cold day, warming him from the inside.

He could feel his tired, aching muscles relaxing, and a soothing coolness gradually replacing the warmth.

The elven elder's eyes almost popped out of his ethereal head as he watched this scene unfold. What was going on? Who was this human being? How could this be possible?

He looked at the weak and inconspicuous human who was chewing the treasured herb like it was nothing, even savoring the taste of the herb.

Then he looked at the cave where he had set up his inheritance which was now barely red in color. Most of the blood essence had been sucked out!

This weakling who had suddenly entered his final resting place not only benefited from his inheritance but also cleaned out everything so that no one else would ever be able to access it!

Sure, the part of his soul that he had left in this place would still be there but without the blood essence, his inheritance would not appear again.

The elven elder had a bitter taste in his mouth as he watched the human being slowly assimilate the effects of the Verdant Heartroot.