Shock

After the longsword flew out of the arena, the scene fell silent, only for it to be broken moments later by cries of pain.

"Ow, ow, ow~"

Xuan Ye closed his eyes, supported his forehead with one hand, and collapsed to one knee in the sand. He felt as if his entire head were about to explode.

The image of him casually defeating his enemy while chatting and laughing instantly crumbled. He could not even stay cool for three seconds.

If it had only been the power of the Eyes of Lawbreaking, then at most he would have been able to see through the moves. How to judge and respond would still have depended on himself.

And if he had only possessed the Soul Data from those long years of experience, then he would merely have been able to see all sorts of useless data as usual. Even if he could see it, he still would not have been able to dodge, just like when he had crossed swords with Gypsy.

But once the two were combined, the bonus they granted each other was so absurd it became twisted. Even Xuan Ye himself suffered a massive backlash from that power!

The Eyes of Lawbreaking had always been one of the highest-grade Bloodline Powers! The burden it placed on both body and mind was tremendous. On top of that, he was still injured and had yet to recover, making matters even worse.

Now, with that enormous volume of data analysis added in, Xuan Ye had the urge to pry open his own skull!

To put it simply, a top student might be able to memorize a thousand English words in one day. But if the contents of those thousand English words were compressed into a few seconds and stuffed into his brain, he would probably cough up blood.

But Xuan Ye's situation was far more than a thousand English words. During that time, every object in his field of vision had turned into English words. Every change and every piece of data had also become English words. Letters, words, meanings, subjects, predicates, objects—every single variation had been forcefully compressed and precisely branded into his memory!

Even ten thousand Li Yangs chanting different English versions of Buddhist scriptures in the tone of Crazy English inside his head would not have been this terrifying!

Even countless Lin Zicongs hacking people apart with Dragon-Slaying Sabers would have been far more beautiful!

What kind of grudge was this mental pollution?!

Even though Xuan Ye was doing everything he could, racking his brains to stuff that data bit by bit into his Soul Database, he was still limited by his own memory capacity and processing speed.

He even felt a trace of regret. Damn it, he might as well have closed his eyes and let that guy beat him up. Anything would have been better than suffering like this.

Xuan Ye's pained groans finally pulled Luo Luoji out of his dazed confusion. He looked at Xuan Ye as though he were looking at a magical beast, then cleared his throat and said,

"Oh, you pulled your shoulder wound, huh? Your willpower really sucks, kid. You're not even as tough as a woman. All right, all right, disperse. Haven't you seen a young genius with an inheritance before?"

As he spoke, he impatiently waved at the scavengers watching nearby, signaling for them to scatter.

With Luo Luoji's absolute authority within the team, the onlookers instinctively believed him and followed his order.

After all, this was a scavenger team with an utterly terrible average standard. How much insight could ordinary members have? Since the captain, a Professional Rank Expert, had already reached a conclusion, naturally none of them doubted it. Even as they left, though, they excitedly discussed the duel they had just witnessed.

To them, it had been an incredible sight they would rarely get to see given their status. A Sixth Grade Knight Attendant had actually turned the tables on an Eighth Grade Knight Attendant. Was this the terror of having an inheritance? They had no idea what level of technique it was, but it had actually produced such an effect.

A few younger people, who still had other plans for their futures, had longing in their eyes. They seemed to hope that they too could reach such a level one day. Gypsy, whose face was full of admiration and envy, was among them.

But Jack clearly was not included.

"Boss."

Jack's expression was complicated. After moving his lips, he looked somewhat wistful. His ability to suppress low-level Knight Attendants had always been something he took pride in. Perhaps he could not fight above his rank, and perhaps he was not especially outstanding even among those of the same grade, but it was still a strength earned through relentless daily practice.

Even if he had truly lost to the children of wealthy noble families, he could have accepted that. After all, the gap in resources was too great. As for martial techniques and moves, all he possessed was proficiency; he simply could not compare in quality.

But when he recalled that duel just now—the terrifying Blood Pupils that had flashed for an instant and seemed to suck in his very soul, along with his opponent's still somewhat improper sword grip—he could not help feeling unsettled.

When he relived the sensation of his soul being devoured, he still shuddered involuntarily, and a nearly imperceptible trace of fear flashed through his eyes.

"Haha! What, do you want me to lecture you too? Stop being so damn wishy-washy. It's not shameful to lose to him. I'll tell you a secret: this kid has probably awakened a rather rare Bloodline Power."

Luo Luoji first laughed heartily and patted Jack on the shoulder. That cheerful presence dispersed much of the gloom around Jack. Then he lowered his voice mysteriously, though Xuan Ye, who was rubbing his temples, still heard every word.

It seemed that Luo Luoji had sent the spectators away because he did not want Xuan Ye's circumstances to be revealed.

"Right, don't go spreading this around. This kid obviously lacks experience. There's no benefit in exposing certain things, especially when you don't have the ability to protect them."

After first winking at Jack to tell him to keep quiet, Luo Luoji turned to Xuan Ye, who was struggling to his feet, and spoke with a hint of amusement. Xuan Ye froze slightly, but once he came back to his senses and thought about it, his expression changed a little.

Although he lacked experience and occasionally had bouts of stupidity, he was not dumb. After Luo Luoji's reminder, he also realized that letting everyone know about his Bloodline Power was indeed not a good thing, especially when he was already carrying some troubles with him.

Jack had also recovered his composure by then. He was, after all, an experienced senior Knight Attendant. He knew how to control his emotions!

Though he felt a little envious that the other party had awakened a Bloodline, he had not lost the motivation deep in his heart!

I can do it too! I'll definitely succeed! I'm only forty years old! As long as I break through to Ninth Grade Knight Attendant, I'll definitely be able to change professions with the savings I've accumulated over the years! There's still a chance!

With that thought, Jack clenched his fists...

"Here, kid. I'm lending this to you. You're good with a bow, right?"

By the time Xuan Ye had recovered much of his mental strength, leaving only a slight dizziness that he did not know was caused by the heat or the aftereffects, he was carrying the beast-hide bag assigned to him and continuing onward. At the same time, he was digesting Luo Luoji's advice and inwardly praising the man's broad knowledge for being able to identify the source of his Bloodline Power.

The team had already regrouped and set out again. Luo Luoji, who should have been leading at the very front, instead walked back over to Xuan Ye and tossed him a longbow.

Xuan Ye caught the bow instinctively. The force of the throw made his hand sink noticeably, and surprise flashed through his eyes.

For his current body to be dragged down involuntarily, the bow was clearly no lightweight. The result automatically calculated in his mind confirmed it: 73.4 jin!

If another weapon weighed this much, it would not seem like much. But a longbow normally would not be this heavy. This somewhat dark longbow was actually a heavy bow mixed with metal!

After receiving the heavy bow and realizing what it was, Xuan Ye became even more confused. What was this supposed to mean? Uh, as for archery, the original owner of this body had only been capable of using it to "lure monsters." Of course, for his current self, both archery and the swordsmanship he had once been skilled in were still in an unopened state.

"Tch, do you think you can still hide it from me? I've already seen through you, all right?"

Luo Luoji put on a smug expression.

"Uh, seen through what?"

As he accepted the bow, Xuan Ye asked instinctively, still confused.

"Your Bloodline Power is in your eyes, right?"

The burly, rough-looking man extended a finger as thick as a carrot and waved it around.

Xuan Ye could not help wearing an expression that said, Isn't that obvious?

"I don't know exactly what kind it is, but Bloodline Powers in the eyes are undoubtedly about insight, vision, perspective, discernment, and seeing minute details. Your target profession is either a Ranger who specializes in archery or a professional worker engaged in delicate specialized work."

Luo Luoji casually spoke to Xuan Ye with an expression that said he had already seen through everything. After asking Jack about some details of the fight,

he had automatically imagined that his old brother had been distracted when the other party suddenly opened those color-changing eyes, exposing a flaw. Then, a major mistake had been noticed and exploited by the opponent's insight, combined with some special martial technique, resulting in that outcome.

Though his general direction was indeed not wrong, the actual degree was worlds apart! Jack had suffered an instant mental freeze, so much so that his body had not shown much of a reaction and had continued operating on instinct. Xuan Ye also had no foundation whatsoever in sword techniques. With errors in all these areas, Luo Luoji had arrived at a completely different conclusion.

Xuan Ye, holding the heavy bow, could not help twitching at the corner of his eye. So the guy he had admired a little was only half-informed after all. The old man of this body had said that this Bloodline Power was suited for the Special Profession of Barrier Master, not some Ranger...

Still, this also brought him some good news. Although Bloodline Powers involving eye techniques were generally rather rare, it seemed they would not reveal exactly which one he possessed.

This made Xuan Ye, who had originally intended to refute Luo Luoji and mock him a little, obediently close his mouth as if accepting the assumption. Well, for him right now, using a bow and using a sword were about the same.

The original owner had indeed been skilled with the sword, but for Xuan Ye, all that remained were memory images stripped of their soul imprints. He was at the same starting point as with the bow, which he only knew how to use roughly. At most, the path guided by those memory images was slightly longer.

Given his current combat strength, where he would be suppressed and beaten by Gypsy's techniques without using the Eyes of Lawbreaking, it was safer to stay in the back with a bow and put on a show. He could slowly absorb and digest experience along the journey.

At least, even without using the Eyes of Lawbreaking, the various data he automatically derived in normal circumstances would provide much greater assistance for archery. After all, at long range he had enough time to aim and prepare, allowing him to absorb and analyze the data instead of being as miserable as in close combat.

Still, Xuan Ye was absolutely certain that no eye-based Bloodline Power could compare with the altered Bloodline Power he had personally experienced. The only thing he was uncertain about was whether Jack had been startled by his eyes during their fight, or whether those eyes possessed other functions as well.

Thinking of those brainwashing-like instructions from back then, Xuan Ye vaguely leaned toward the latter possibility. He would have to test it again when he had the chance, though definitely not anytime soon. He still had lingering fear of that mental pollution.

The wound on his shoulder had not healed, and he had not yet begun the meditation that trained Spiritual Power. His resistance to mental pollution was insufficient, and his identity as a Sixth Grade Knight Attendant was far too weak compared to the backlash of his Bloodline Power. All of that showed that he could not sustain prolonged use right now.

But he was still full of expectations for his future. After reaching the Professional Rank, he could inscribe Talent Runes. The only rune he knew and also the one most suited to him, the "Bright Eyes" rune, should greatly reduce the side effects of the Eyes of Lawbreaking because it was compatible with his Bloodline.

That made him feel rather delighted, diluting much of the oppressive emotion he had carried ever since transmigrating.

Hehe, all of this was just a side gig anyway. In the end, he was going to become the man who became the Magic King.

A useless shut-in was that easy to satisfy.

But just as he was feeling smug inside, Luo Luoji casually dumped a basin of icy water over him.

"Your Bloodline is the kind with huge side effects too, isn't it?"

Xuan Ye nodded somewhat blankly, having no idea why he was bringing this up.

"So, you're already a Sixth Grade Knight Attendant. It's time to choose your path. Are you planning to first develop the Endurance or Qi and Blood Inner Palace to improve your body's tolerance, or take the Perception Inner Palace to further strengthen your Bloodline Power? I can't really give you advice on that. It depends on whether your family left behind any instructions and on your own feelings."

While casually stabbing Xuan Ye's heart full of holes, Luo Luoji remained utterly oblivious. He waved one hand behind his back and continued walking toward the front of the team.

The dream of a certain man who had resolved to become the Magic King not long ago instantly shattered, leaving his mind full of despair.

Those brainwashing-like images appeared again. A haggard middle-aged man held his shoulders, his lifeless voice echoing endlessly in his mind.

"Little Ye, listen. In the future, you must become a Barrier Master. A Barrier Master... master... master..."

Fuck, no wonder such a top-grade Bloodline Power and such an innate advantage still didn't follow the route of a profession focused on magic. It actually had to take a Special Profession that shifted from the physical path into a half-magic path. So it was because the body couldn't bear the burden, damn it!!

After personally experiencing it and receiving Luo Luoji's reminder, Xuan Ye realized with some frustration that he apparently could not abandon the tempering of his body unless he wanted to give up his greatest reliance.

He was already a Sixth Grade Knight Attendant, and casually using it had left him like this. As his strength improved and his Bloodline Power continued growing, if his body could not keep pace in the future, would using it not kill him?

But the cultivation of Star Palaces and Inner Palaces was one still and one moving, their conflict enormous. Although Barrier Master was also considered a Special Profession of dual cultivation, opening only one Earth Star Palace would clearly make any involvement with space and time tragically limited.

"Tch, with such special conditions, I refuse to believe that after opening the Six Paths of Flesh Inner Palace, I still won't be able to open the Six Great Spiritual Star Palaces. What's the difference between transmigrating without Dual Cultivation of Magic and Martial Arts and being a salted fish...?"

After comforting himself, Xuan Ye silently revised his path once again. The more said about it, the more tears there were.