Golden Bell Shield Second Layer, Seven Kill Saber Art Perfection

Boom...

After adding that single point of merit to the Seven Kill Saber Art, the martial skill column on the status panel suddenly blazed with dazzling light. The information for the Seven Kill Saber Art immediately changed.

[Martial Skill: Seven Kill Saber Art (Minor Success 28%)]

Lin Baichuan's gaze sharpened, a gleam of brilliance flashing in his eyes as excitement surged in his heart. One point of merit had directly elevated the Seven Kill Saber Art from beginner to minor success, equivalent to at least a year of bitter cultivation. This effect was simply too heaven-defying.

"At this rate, five points of merit might very well bring the Seven Kill Saber Art to perfection."

Lin Baichuan mused silently to himself.

Suddenly, at that very moment, a powerful surge of information instantly merged into Lin Baichuan's mind. It was the minor success realm of the Seven Kill Saber Art. In that instant, Lin Baichuan's consciousness shifted, as if through a reversal of stars and time, entering another world.

In this world, he transformed into a youth, diligently training the Seven Kill Saber Art.

Between life and death, he fought against Demonic Beasts, spending a full year before finally cultivating this Seven Kill Saber Art to minor success.

"Hah..."

Letting out a turbid breath, a sharp light flickered in Lin Baichuan's pupils, instantly growing deep and weathered. This was the power of the system—though only a moment had passed in reality, he had experienced an entire year within the world woven by the system.

In that year, he had fought countless opponents, comprehending great terror and great opportunity between life and death, finally succeeding in elevating the Seven Kill Saber Art from the beginner stage to minor success. This feeling was exquisite. At this moment, Lin Baichuan could clearly sense that his understanding of the Seven Kill Saber Art had indeed deepened; he could perfectly unleash the combat power of the minor success Seven Kill Saber Art.

At the same time, this secretly eased Lin Baichuan's mind. His greatest worry before had been whether boosting his strength through merit points would only raise his realm without actually improving his power, or even cause unstable foundations due to rapid advancement.

Now it seemed he had simply overthought it.

The system's power far exceeded his imagination. Though it used merit to elevate techniques and martial skills, it spawned an alternate space where his mind could enter, as if living another life, with an incredibly solid foundation.

"Since I can't leave anyway, I might as well focus on raising the Golden Bell Shield and the Seven Kill Saber Art first."

Having made up his mind, Lin Baichuan wasted no time and immediately began adding points to the Golden Bell Shield. Compared to the Seven Kill Saber Art, improving the Golden Bell Shield was clearly more important. Without hesitation, he added 4 points of merit to the Golden Bell Shield.

Buzz...

Instantly, as a golden light flashed, Lin Baichuan's consciousness seemed to enter a mysterious world, transforming into a youth who trained the Golden Bell Shield for three grueling years, finally elevating it to the second layer.

The next moment, a surge of vast energy instantly merged into Lin Baichuan's body, frantically tempering his physical form. He could clearly feel his skin and flesh undergoing an unprecedented transformation.

On the surface of his skin, faint golden light could be seen emerging, merging seamlessly with his flesh.

In that moment, Lin Baichuan's entire skin and flesh seemed to undergo an extreme sublimation, his physical strength skyrocketing to nearly three thousand jin.

"The Golden Bell Shield has three layers total. Completing all three means perfecting the skin refinement, with physical strength reaching five thousand jin."

Lin Baichuan's eyes snapped open, beams of sharp light shooting from his pupils as he murmured to himself, "But that's not what I want. With the system's advantage, every step must be solid. If I do it, I do it to the best.

Set a small goal first: push physical strength to the human limit, then think about breaking through to the eighth-rank Bone Forging Realm."

Feeling the transformation of his skin and flesh, Lin Baichuan let out a long breath of turbid air, countless thoughts flashing through his mind. He didn't continue adding points to the Golden Bell Shield. The shield had three layers; raising it from the first to the second had consumed five merit points.

Going from the second to the third would certainly require more than five points, and he only had five left. Since he couldn't reach the third layer anyway, he might as well pour everything into the Seven Kill Saber Art!

"Don't let me down, Seven Kill Saber Art. Add points..."

With a thought, Lin Baichuan used his will to add points to the Seven Kill Saber Art.

Martial skills and techniques were different. Techniques had layers, like the Golden Bell Shield's three layers. Martial skills, however, had no such divisions; they were simply categorized by realm: beginner, minor success, major success, and perfection.

Lin Baichuan didn't bother testing with a single point again—he had already experimented before, and one point had directly pushed the Seven Kill Saber Art from beginner to minor success.

By his estimate, adding the remaining 4 points might very well bring the Seven Kill Saber Art straight to perfection.

With that thought, Lin Baichuan willed it, and the remaining 4 merit points were all poured into the Seven Kill Saber Art.

Boom!

A thunderclap exploded in his mind, and the martial skill column on the status panel blazed with blinding light.

[Martial Skill: Seven Kill Saber Art (Perfection 19%)]

Sure enough, the information had changed directly. The Seven Kill Saber Art had leaped from minor success straight to perfection. At the same time, a profound and mysterious intent swept over him again, pulling Lin Baichuan's consciousness into an enigmatic world, where he once again became that youth.

The youth trained for ten years as if it were a single day, contending with men and Demonic Beasts, honing himself between life and death, cultivating the Seven Kill Saber Art. Ten years of cultivation blurred into a haze; after countless life-and-death trials, he finally achieved enlightenment in a single moment, bringing the Seven Kill Saber Art to perfection and becoming a generation's Blade Path master.

"Hah!"

Instantly, Lin Baichuan's consciousness returned, and he let out a long breath of turbid air.

The ten years of saber-training memories merged perfectly with him. His pupils grew deep, a sharp intent hidden within his gaze. At that moment, Lin Baichuan himself seemed to transform into a blade, his edge fully exposed.

"Ten years of comprehending the blade, success in a single moment—finally, the Seven Kill Saber Art is perfected." Lin Baichuan's mind settled on the status panel, and he immediately frowned.

[Name: Lin Baichuan]

[Identity: Demon Suppression Division Junior Demon Slayer]

[Cultivation: Ninth Rank]

[Technique: Golden Bell Shield (Second Layer, 12%)]

[Martial Skill: Seven Kill Saber Art (Perfection, 19%)]

[Merit: 0]

"What's going on? After the Seven Kill Saber Art reached perfection, why hasn't the percentage disappeared? Could it be that perfection isn't the final realm, and there's a higher level beyond?" Lin Baichuan's brows knitted tightly, utterly perplexed.

He had never heard that there was a realm beyond martial skill perfection.

Yet, judging by his current mastery of the Seven Kill Saber Art, he truly felt that the state of perfection was not the limit—there should be room to go further. He had a vague premonition that once the Seven Kill Saber Art took that step, his combat power would skyrocket.

Unfortunately, he had no merit points now and simply couldn't advance, or else he would have loved to give it a try.

"Merit points, everything comes down to merit points... I have to find a way to earn merit points..."

Lin Baichuan thought to himself, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as he looked toward the entrance of the great prison.