The True Years

Ten Thousand Jun Thunder (modified)

Quality: complex

Consumes 100 mana to unleash a saturation lightning strike within a 3-meter radius, dealing magic x2.5 lightning damage.

When you suffer a sudden attack, such as an assassination attempt or ambush, this skill activates passively, consuming 20 mana to deal magic x1.5 lightning damage to the enemy and reduce their speed by 50% for 0.3s.

Duration: 3s

Cooldown: 120s

Learning requirement 1: if the learner is a Longevity Family player, study closely for 6 hours.

Learning requirement 2: if the learner is not a Longevity Family player, Thunderstruck Wood x10.

Learning requirement 3: if the learner is not a Longevity Family player, Lightning Attribute Reduction: 20.

Learning requirement 4: if the learner is not a Longevity Family player, magic: 20.

After reading the skill details, Zhou Heng shook his head and put the skill book away.

Things like this were what widened the gap between ordinary players and Longevity Family players, little by little.

No matter how he looked at this skill's learning requirements, only one word came to mind: "discrimination."

Longevity Family players could learn it with just six hours of close study, while ordinary players needed not only the corresponding Lightning Attribute Reduction and magic attack, but even the rare Thunderstruck Wood.

The Lightning Attribute Reduction and magic attack were manageable, but Thunderstruck Wood was difficult to obtain.

Zhou Heng recalled the relevant information he had learned from his textbooks. There was only a chance of obtaining it in areas blanketed by lightning. It was extremely rare.

All in all, in terms of difficulty alone, this skill was every bit as difficult to learn as Raging Waves.

Fortunately, although he could not learn it, neither could that Longevity Family girl, which indirectly weakened her.

After killing her this time, he probably would not have to worry about her rising again in the short term.

After all, even obtaining her family's resources again would take a day.

And that day would be enough for him to advance further.

However, just as Zhou Heng finished gathering his things and was about to turn to leave, an aged, gentle laugh came from the other end of the alley.

"Little Heng, I never imagined you would grow this much after just two days apart."

"You even dared to kill people from the Longevity Family. Very good, very good..."

The newcomer was none other than the Farm Old Woman who had let Zhou Heng reap 15 attack, 60 health, and 60 mana.

"Granny, what are you doing here?"

"We'd better leave quickly."

Zhou Heng was quite surprised to see the old woman, but he knew full well that this was no place to talk.

He had killed people inside the town, after all. Little Bird Town's Patrol Soldiers were surely heading this way.

He was only level 10. There was absolutely no way he could defeat Little Bird Town's Patrol Soldiers.

"It's fine. I've dealt with the Patrol Soldiers and those people from the Black Bear Guild for you!"

The old woman raised her head, her back hunched, and looked Zhou Heng over.

At first, she had thought this young man was rather promising and worth nurturing a little.

Now it seemed she had misjudged him. He was far more than someone worth nurturing a little-he was entirely one of their own.

Leaving aside the Great Sun Divine Bow he had stolen from the Black Bear Guild, killing those cancers from the Longevity Family right in the street was enough to establish where he stood.

"Come with me. Granny will take you somewhere."

The old woman smiled gently at Zhou Heng, then turned and headed back the way she had come.

Soon, Zhou Heng saw her tear through space, leaving a spatial rift at the end of the alley.

Seeing that Fate Hint had not triggered, Zhou Heng hesitated no longer and followed the old woman into the spatial rift...

Inside the spatial rift lay a vast, Boundless Starsea.

The moment Zhou Heng stepped inside, he saw countless stars and meteors streaking from one end of the Sea of Stars to the other.

At the end of this Boundless Starsea stood a colossal sword.

Its height and distance were unknown, but from Zhou Heng's perspective, the sword was at least ten thousand meters tall.

"This is the Holy Sword!"

"Hero King Karenna's Holy Sword!"

At some point, the old woman had appeared beside Zhou Heng. She gazed at the Holy Sword at the end of the Boundless Starsea, her voice distant.

"Legend has it that Hero King Karenna used this very sword to sever all of the Sakaste Empire's destined fate, obliterating that empire, which bore the ancient years, from the river of history."

"Sadly, during that contest between power and technology, this Holy Sword, passed down from the ancient years, also shattered and disappeared, leaving only this phantom behind."

"Little Heng, I gave you that badge because I hoped to use it to assess your quick thinking and ability to respond. Now, it seems there's no need."

"Would you be willing to join the Sword of Light and bring a radiance called 'hope' to this decaying empire?"

[Fate turned at this moment. The information left behind in the ancient years had finally found you.]

[Fate offers you hints.]

[Fate Hint 1: join the Sword of Light and become a Sword-Bearer within its ranks. Cut down the Sakas Empire, destroy the Longevity Family, and save the Sakas Empire's three hundred billion people. Choosing this path will trigger chapter nine, "Radiance of the Light Sword," in the first expansion, "The Ancient Years."]

[Fate Hint 2: the Sword of Light carries Hero King Karenna's will and aims to overthrow the Sakas Empire. What it pursues may differ somewhat from what you pursue. Refuse to join the Sword of Light, establish your own destiny, and seek the truth for yourself. Choosing this path will open a new chapter in the expansion for you. You can unlock chapter one, "The True Years," in "The Ancient Years."]

Before transmigrating, no one could resist the temptation of having a new page in the family genealogy devoted to them.

Now, Zhou Heng likewise could not resist the temptation of having an expansion open a new chapter just for him.

Although he did not know why he could trigger an entirely new chapter in the expansion, he trusted that Fate Hint would not deceive him.

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Heng replied.

"Granny, I want to join the Sword of Light right this instant too, become a Sword-Bearer, and add radiance to hope."

"But please allow me to think it over. I feel I should gain a more detailed understanding of the Sword of Light."

The old woman visibly froze for a moment.

She turned and gave Zhou Heng a long look. To be honest, she had not expected this young fellow to refuse so firmly.

Shrewd and calculating as she was, she had probably met more people than Zhou Heng had eaten grains of rice.

In Zhou Heng's eyes, she could see no desire whatsoever to join the Sword of Light.

Still, she did not mind.

Every promising young talent had ideas of their own. The Sword of Light never forced anyone.

Besides, the Sword of Light had already beheaded the emperor. Those who wanted to join them were as numerous as fish crossing a river, beyond counting.

She only hoped this young fellow would not regret today's decision in the future.

"All right!"

"Granny understands!"

"Think it over some more, then. Granny will take the badge back for now."

The old woman chuckled and beckoned through the air. The Light Tree and Sword Badge flew out of Zhou Heng's backpack and landed back in her hand.

With the badge in hand, the old woman stayed no longer and strode out of the Boundless Starsea.

No sooner had she left than the unidentified Ceramic Shard flew out of Zhou Heng's backpack, heading toward the Holy Sword at the end of the Boundless Starsea...