Spirit Devouring Enhanced, Rankings Settlement!

[Spirit Devouring]: Your attacks carry devouring power, allowing you to absorb a portion of your opponent's energy to heal your injuries and restore your stamina and spiritual power.

Lin An's eyes lit up as he looked at the upgraded effects of the Spirit Devouring divine ability.

Previously, Spirit Devouring could only absorb a target's energy to restore him after he killed them.

But things were different now. As long as his attacks landed, he could plunder his opponent's energy.

That way, even against enemies stronger than himself, he could fight a battle of attrition and wear them down to death.

Lin An nodded in satisfaction. His staying power had improved again.

Then he opened his panel.

[Player]: Lin An

[Title]: First Blood

[Realm]: Silver First Grade

[Cultivation techniques]: Lin Clan Cultivation Technique (perfection), One Saber Slash (perfection), Star-Chasing Steps (perfection), Vajra Body (perfection), Triple Saber (perfection), Wind-Breaking Saber Technique (perfection), Flowing Cloud Steps (perfection), Black Armor Technique (perfection)

[Divine abilities]: Resentful Tiger's Eye, Spirit Devouring, Earth Vein Power

[Attribute points]: 131259

"So fast. I'm already in the silver realm."

Lin An couldn't help marveling.

Although he cultivated quickly, he wasn't worried about an unstable foundation.

After all, he hadn't killed all those Sin Beasts in the Spirit Realm for nothing. The slaughter had already tempered his foundation until it was exceptionally solid.

"Now that I'm in the silver realm, I'll keep cultivating and strive to break through to the gold realm soon."

Lin An worked out the dates and realized it hadn't even been two months since he transmigrated.

Yet in that short time, he had gone from an ordinary person to a silver first grade powerhouse.

The game servers would open and the players would arrive on September 1, Year 3215 of the Sin Abyss calendar.

In other words, the players wouldn't arrive for another year and one month.

"I broke through to silver in two months. Breaking through to platinum in the year or so remaining isn't too much to ask, right?"

A smile appeared on Lin An's face.

He was already looking forward to the sight of all the players entering the game, opening the rankings, and seeing him in first place.

Soon.

As soon as midnight passed, a notification popped up.

[The rankings have been settled. Please claim your rewards before the next settlement.]

Lin An opened the rankings as well.

[Server-wide Realm Rankings]

[First place]: Lin An, realm: silver first grade (can be hidden)

[Second place]: None

[Third place]: None

...

(Note: The rankings are settled once a month. Players ranked in the top 100 will receive additional rewards.)

"It's a little lonely being the only one here."

"But in another year, once the other players arrive, things will liven up."

With that thought, Lin An claimed his reward.

[Congratulations on taking first place in the Server-wide Realm Rankings at silver first grade. You may freely choose your reward type: attribute points, cultivation techniques, weapons, or pills.]

Just like the previous settlement, the rewards were all resources.

"Attribute points," Lin An said.

He had no shortage of cultivation techniques, weapons, or pills. Attribute points were still the best choice.

[You have selected attribute points as your reward. Congratulations on obtaining attribute points x1000.]

"A thousand points? Not bad."

Lin An nodded to himself. Although a thousand attribute points weren't much to him when he already had a hundred and thirty thousand, they were still something.

For other players, however, that was no small amount.

After all, taking a silver tier cultivation technique from initial learning to perfection only cost 480 attribute points in total.

A thousand attribute points were enough to bring two silver tier cultivation techniques to perfection, providing an enormous increase in strength.

And for Lin An, there was no reason to turn down free attribute points.

After claiming his reward, Lin An closed the interface and went straight to sleep.

After fighting in the Spirit Realm for several days, he really did need a good rest.

Early the next morning.

As usual, Lin An came to the living room to have breakfast with his bargain father.

Lin Xiao naturally noticed that Lin An had broken through to silver, but he was used to it by now. He showed no surprise and didn't even ask about it.

"Father, with the Heaven and Earth Spirit Crystal and my assistance, roughly how long will you need to perfect your cultivation technique?" Lin An asked.

"Why do I get the feeling you're even more impatient than I am?"

Lin Xiao smiled. "I originally estimated a year, but now I should be able to perfect it in six months at most. If I'm lucky and have an epiphany, perhaps two or three months will be enough."

Lin An nodded as he listened.

Even if his father needed six months to perfect his cultivation technique before breaking through to the platinum realm, that would still be enough.

After all, there was still over a year before Shenglin City fell.

Once his father broke through to the platinum realm, he could easily make a trip to Black Mountain, find the Sin Beast that would reach the platinum realm a year later, and nip the threat in the bud.

Lin An felt somewhat more at ease. The crisis of Shenglin City's fall could already be considered resolved. All that remained was to wait for Lin Xiao to break through to the platinum realm.

As father and son talked, the steward, Qian Yang, walked in from outside.

"City Lord, Young Master, the heads of the three great families have arrived. Each has brought several cartloads of resources."

"The three family heads said these resources were all obtained from the Spirit Realm, and that, as previously agreed, they were giving fifty percent to the young master."

A slightly odd expression appeared on Qian Yang's face as he continued, "However, I noticed that some of the resources are already gold tier."

Gold tier resources in a bronze tier Spirit Realm?

That was naturally impossible. They could only reach silver tier at most.

As for the Heaven and Earth Spirit Crystal, that was a special treasure and had no grade classification to begin with.

"They're throwing in their own resources."

Lin Xiao looked at Lin An. "They probably heard about your performance in the Spirit Realm, so they're taking this opportunity to build ties with you. You can decide how to handle this yourself."

"I won't meet them. Since they want to give us gifts, we'll accept them."

Lin An smiled as he spoke.

He could naturally see that the three great families wanted to cling to his coattails.

But he was destined not to stay in Shenglin City forever. Once his strength reached gold or platinum, it would be time to leave Shenglin City and head to the upper city.

As for these resources, although he might not necessarily have a use for them, he could still use them to train the City Lord's Residence's personal guards.

"Yes, I'll see to it right away."

Qian Yang nodded, turned, and headed outside the City Lord's Residence.

Lin An and Lin Xiao also headed toward the quiet room, making the most of their time to cultivate.

Outside the City Lord's Residence.

Qian Yang slowly emerged through the vermilion gates.

Zhao Tong and the other two family heads, who had been waiting anxiously at the entrance, hurried forward to meet him.

With a trace of apprehension on their faces, the three asked cautiously, "Steward Qian, may we ask what the city lord and young city lord said?"