New Skill

For the next month or so, Silas dedicated most of his free time to practicing Balzaha Lightning. He was surprised to find that as his understanding of the "burst" principle behind Vishanti Energy deepened and his basic skills improved, Balzaha Lightning leveled up much faster than he had anticipated. It felt like he had unlocked a major meridian, and subsequent cultivation naturally followed.

Finally, late one Friday night, after he once again precisely shattered a dummy with a condensed, greenish-blue bolt of lightning, the Balzaha Lightning icon on his skill tree interface shone brightly, jumping from LV4 to LV5!

[Ding! Congratulations, Host! Balzaha Lightning has reached max level! Successfully unlocked the fourth tier of Vishanti Origin spells: Borsat's Thunder and Sekern Red Belt!]

The system notification chimed, and above the Balzaha Lightning on the skill tree, two new, even cooler icons lit up! One depicted raging red lightning, and the other showed several intertwined beams of bright red energy.

Silas's spirits soared, and he immediately began to experiment with impatience.

He first focused his attention on "Borsat's Thunder." He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and the golden runes of the Ring of the Ragaddor reappeared. This time, however, the golden light was quickly infused with raging red energy! He thrust his hands forward!

"Borsat's Thunder!"

An incredibly thick pillar of crimson lightning, as scorching as lava, erupted from the center of the Ring of the Ragaddor with a destructive aura! Upon hitting the first dummy, the pillar didn't dissipate but instead, like a living red lightning serpent, lashed out at the second dummy next to it, then the third! It ricocheted four or five times, each impact causing a violent explosion that reduced the dummies in its path to charred fragments! Its power was several times greater than Balzaha Lightning!

"Whoa! This power! It's intense!" Silas looked at the devastated practice area and nodded in satisfaction.

Next, he turned to "Sekern Red Belt." He extended his right hand, fingers spread, imagining restraint and entanglement.

"Sekern Red Belt!"

Several beams of energy, like living creatures emitting a bright red glow, shot out from his fingertips! They acted like intelligent venomous snakes, quickly wrapping around a nearby intact dummy, binding it tightly from head to toe! The dummy struggled desperately, but the crimson energy beams remained motionless, tightening their grip!

[Also, a friendly reminder,] the system's voice said with a hint of pride, [once Sekern Red Belt successfully binds a target, its energy structure is extremely stable and possesses an 'indestructible' characteristic. Unless the caster actively dispels it, or the target's magic power far exceeds the caster's, it can hardly be destroyed or broken free by any external force.]

"Indestructible?" Silas's eyes lit up. "This is great! It'll be much more convenient for capturing people or restraining things in the future!"

He felt the significant drain on his magic power from casting two advanced spells consecutively, yet his face was filled with excitement. The power of the fourth-tier spells greatly pleased him. With Borsat's Thunder for offense and Sekern Red Belt for control, and the Seraphim Shield for both attack and defense within reach, his combat capabilities had taken a huge leap forward.

"It seems it's time to find an opportunity... to test the practical combat effectiveness of these new toys," Silas said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he looked at the dummy bound immobile by the red belt.

With the successful mastery of Borsat's Thunder and Sekern Red Belt from the fourth tier, Silas's confidence soared. He brought up his skill tree, his gaze passing over the now-lit spells to the still-grayed-out icons above them, his heart filled with a yearning for even greater power.

However, he first thought of another crucial skill. "System, I have a question," he asked, stroking his chin. "How exactly do I train the magic dispelling skill, Lord of Hogus? I can't just practice it in front of a mirror, can I?"

The system's answer was simple and direct: [The most effective method: find someone, have them attack you with magic, and practice dispelling in actual combat.]

Silas's face immediately fell upon hearing this. "Forget it! That would hurt too much! And where would I find someone willing to practice getting beaten up with me, without killing me?" He immediately dismissed the idea. The risk was too high, not fitting his "safety first" survival principle.

"Let's check out what good stuff is in the fifth tier first, give me some motivation," Silas shifted his attention to the fifth tier of the skill tree.

Above Borsat's Thunder and Sekern Red Belt were two new, more complex, and esoteric gray icons, emitting a tempting glow.

The system began its explanation at the opportune moment, its tone carrying the solemnity of introducing ultimate weapons:

[The fifth tier of Vishanti Origin spells represents the highest level currently previewable by the Host's authority. They are--]

As the system introduced them, the first gray icon lit up slightly, revealing its form: a complex pattern composed of seven nested, slowly rotating energy rings, with an extremely compressed, heart-stopping energy core at the center.

[Synigrus Seven Suns.] The system's voice held a trace of awe. [This spell requires the caster to construct seven Vishanti energy rings with their hands, performing extremely precise manipulation to compress and stack magic power to its limit seven times, ultimately firing a highly condensed, unbreakable arcane laser from the center point. Its penetration and single-point destructive power are top-tier among Vishanti spells.]

Silas imagined the scene of wearing seven energy rings on his hands and firing a destructive beam, involuntarily swallowing. "This... this sounds like a Jedi Knight's ultimate move from Star Wars! It's so cool!"

The system continued its explanation, and the second gray icon lit up. The pattern was a cluster of pure, sacred golden flames, yet containing the power to incinerate all things.

[And, Vishanti's Flame.] The system's tone became even more solemn. [This is the ultimate energy burst form within the Vishanti magic system. It summons and controls sacred flames from the Vishanti origin, pure gold in color, capable of purifying evil and burning away darkness. This is the purest power of light, and also the most destructive energy. It is one of the ultimate manifestations of Vishanti magic in terms of offense.]

"Vishanti's Flame... golden fire..." Silas looked at the icon, as if he could feel the scorching yet sacred aura. "It sounds like a super weapon specifically designed to burn all sorts of demons and monsters!"

Looking at these two ultimate spells in the fifth tier, which were enough to make one's blood boil just from their descriptions, Silas felt his motivation to level up surge again! Although he knew there was still a long way to go from maxing out the fourth tier to unlocking the fifth, having a clear goal made everything worth looking forward to.

"Synigrus Seven Suns... Vishanti's Flame..." Silas murmured, excitement flashing in his eyes. "Alright! To be able to cast these cool ultimate moves, I guess I need to buckle down!"

He closed the skill tree interface and began to condense the energy for Balzaha Lightning once more. Although the practice was tedious, the thought of being able to wield the Seven Suns rings or unleash sacred golden flames in the future made the current hardship seem insignificant. The path to becoming stronger was always filled with temptation.