Talent Tree (Thanks to Chi Chi C for the Alliance Leader Reward)

Amid a series of crackling pops, the faint firelight flickered several times before finally going out.

The torch stuck in the hidden stake had burned itself out.

The concealed mine tunnel sank into darkness, but Lu Ye had not completely lost the light. The surroundings, which should have been pitch-black, still held a faint glow in his eyes. He could make out the outline of Steward Yang's corpse not far away, as well as the cold gleam on the sword he had tossed aside...

It was not that the mine tunnel was not dark enough—it was that his eyesight had improved.

After opening his Spiritual Aperture, Lu Ye could clearly sense some wondrous changes in himself. Even his body, weakened by injury, had somehow gained considerable strength.

"Haha... hahaha... hahahaha..." Lu Ye could not help bursting into wild laughter. His laughter echoed through the enclosed space, and only when it tugged at his injuries did he hurriedly stop.

Suppressing the joy in his heart, he recalled what had just happened.

What was certain was that his sudden opening of his apertures had something to do with the Shadow Tree, and with that dark-red ore he had never seen before.

No, the ore was not the key. The key was the cluster of orange-yellow flame inside it!

The Shadow Tree had sprouted roots and swallowed that flame, and as a result, he had opened his apertures.

The Shadow Tree had never undergone such a change before. It must have been stimulated by that orange-yellow flame...

It seemed his previous thoughts had been correct. The Shadow Tree truly could provide him with some wondrous help; he simply had never found the right method.

Having sorted out his thoughts, he hurriedly focused his mind. He wanted to see what the Shadow Tree looked like now. No matter what, that orange-yellow flame had been devoured by the Shadow Tree, so there had to be some changes.

Perhaps because he was too excited, even though Lu Ye tried hard to concentrate, he still could not see the Shadow Tree. This had often happened before; it was because his attention was not focused enough.

He took several deep breaths to calm himself, waited for quite a while, then tried again.

This time, he saw the Shadow Tree smoothly. Sure enough, just as Lu Ye had expected, the originally gray and hazy Shadow Tree had changed somewhat.

Overall, the Shadow Tree still looked the same. The roots that had sprouted earlier were nowhere to be seen, but beneath its canopy, a single leaf was shrouded in blazing fire, as though it were burning.

Lu Ye focused with all his strength and looked toward that burning leaf. Faintly, he could see an exceedingly complex and intricate pattern branded upon it.

He concentrated, wanting to see that pattern clearly.

A sudden change erupted!

The tiny leaf rapidly enlarged before his eyes, instantly blotting out his vision. At the same time, a flood of incomprehensible information surged uncontrollably into his mind. Lu Ye immediately felt as though someone had smashed his head viciously with a giant hammer. Without even letting out a groan, he passed out cold.

When he woke again, Lu Ye was completely groggy, and his head felt as though it were splitting apart.

He shook his head, forced himself up, and leaned his back against the rock wall.

He recalled what he had experienced before losing consciousness, only to discover in astonishment that his mind now contained a great deal of information he had never encountered before. This information was deeply rooted, as though it had always been his own memory.

Lu Ye calmed his mind and carefully examined these memories that should not have existed. Before long, he understood the whole story.

It was still because of the Shadow Tree. After the Shadow Tree devoured that orange-yellow flame, a burning leaf had appeared on it.

There was a profound pattern on the leaf, carrying a vast amount of miraculous knowledge. When Lu Ye examined it with intent, that knowledge had been forcibly poured into his mind.

Sharpness!

That was what the leaf contained: a Spiritual Pattern called Sharpness.

Lu Ye had heard of Spiritual Patterns. They were things that contained mysterious power and were intimately tied to cultivators' lives, cultivation, and battles.

There also seemed to be people who specialized in studying Spiritual Patterns, known as Spirit Pattern Masters. However, such people were generally few in number, because Spiritual Patterns were difficult to study.

After understanding this, Lu Ye wanted to mobilize the Spiritual Power within his Spiritual Aperture.

However, he discovered that the Spiritual Power in his Spiritual Aperture was incredibly heavy and could not be moved at all.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Ye remembered that he was still beneath the Primordial Magnetic Field. How could it be easy to mobilize Spiritual Power here?

That was precisely why Steward Yang had died by his hand earlier.

He rose to his feet and staggered into the distance. As he walked, he sensed the response of the Spiritual Power in his Spiritual Aperture. Only once he could mobilize it did he stop. This location was already beyond the range covered by the Primordial Magnetic Field.

The Spiritual Power that had once been so heavy became exceptionally active. Under Lu Ye's control, it flowed through his body. Wherever it passed, warmth spread through him. Having never experienced anything like this before, he found it utterly amazing.

After playing with it for a while, he remembered the Spiritual Pattern. Almost instinctively, he poured Spiritual Power into his palm. In an instant, a flash of light swept across it.

Though it vanished in a moment, Lu Ye still saw it clearly. The light was an exceedingly complex and intricate pattern, identical to the pattern carried on the burning leaf!

"So this is Sharpness?" Lu Ye lowered his head and examined his palm. By all rights, he had only just opened his Spiritual Aperture and barely understood how to use Spiritual Power, much less construct a Spiritual Pattern with it.

Yet he had accomplished it so effortlessly, as though he had practiced it countless times.

A faint radiant light bloomed from his palm, like an oversized firefly. At the same time, waves of stabbing pain came from his hand, making Lu Ye feel as though countless needles were piercing his flesh.

It was only a hand, yet it now gave off an exceptionally sharp impression. Lu Ye felt that he could split a stone with one palm strike!

With that thought, he immediately dragged over a stone the size of a washbasin. Such stones could be found everywhere in the mine tunnel and had no value whatsoever.

Setting the stone before him, Lu Ye raised one hand like a blade and chopped downward.

The washbasin-sized stone split apart at once, its cut surface clean and even.

Lu Ye was stunned. Although he had just felt that he could split the stone, he had never expected such an outcome. This was not splitting—it was cutting. And what had cut through the stone was merely one of his hands!

All of this was only because of Sharpness's enhancement. This Spiritual Pattern seemed capable of making whatever it enhanced extraordinarily sharp.

Previously, when he had seen an Evil Moon Valley cultivator shatter a stone with one palm strike, he had regarded him as a god among men. But now, it seemed that he too could do it—and even do it better.

That was only cutting stone. What if he cut a person?

The radiant light on his palm slowly dissipated after cutting the stone. This was because his Spiritual Power had run dry. At the same time, Lu Ye felt hollowed out, and boundless weakness swept over him.

This is bad.

He had only just opened his apertures, yet in a moment of impulse, he had formed a Spiritual Pattern. He had overestimated himself somewhat; this was severe overexertion.

Drowsiness came over him, and Lu Ye fought it desperately. If he fell asleep at a time like this, who knew whether he would wake up again?

He hurried back to where he had been before, picked up a bottle of Qi and Blood Pills, poured out several pills and stuffed them into his mouth, then grabbed a piece of beast meat and began wolfing it down.

The medicinal effects of the Qi and Blood Pills spread, gradually filling his body, and the feeling of weakness slowly receded.

Leaning against the rock wall, he sorted through his thoughts.

After swallowing a cluster of orange-yellow flame, the Shadow Tree that had accompanied him for over a year had enabled him to open his Spiritual Aperture and become a cultivator. Then, while examining the Shadow Tree, he had discovered a burning leaf, and from that burning leaf, he had obtained the Spiritual Pattern Sharpness...

Looking at the Shadow Tree again, Lu Ye could not help feeling a powerful sense of déjà vu.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Ye suddenly realized. "Isn't this a Talent Tree?"

Out of habit, he opened Martial Refinement, intending to prepare an update, only to discover that it had already been completed...

Also, thanks to Chi Chi C for the reward. The first Alliance Leader of Human Path has been born. I am overwhelmed by this undeserved favor and moved to tears. Thanks as well to all the other brothers and sisters who gave rewards; there are too many to thank one by one.