Chapter Fifty-Two: Finally, I Can Add Attribute Points

At the mere thought of such a possibility, even Zhou Yi, with his cultivated composure and all he had experienced, found it utterly unacceptable—this was simply too terrifying!

“No wonder they say the path of martial arts is fraught with peril, and every breakthrough is a hurdle. Isn’t this a hurdle?” Zhou Yi silently recited in his heart, a faint smile appearing on his face. Fortunately, fate has favored me—I wasn’t trapped here.

“Enough of these pointless thoughts. Since I’ve already crossed this threshold and have so much energy at my disposal, my strength is destined for a great leap forward!” With resolute eyes, Zhou Yi slowly closed them.

Name: Zhou Yi
Spirit: 11
Body: 100
Qi: 20,000
Realm: Mountain Intent
Cell Count: 9,999 (Second Metamorphosis)
Energy: 899,900
Martial Skill: Reliant Mountain Blade 0/100
Reliant Mountain Core Method, Fifth Layer (Blue Mountain Realm) 0/100

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Zhou Yi opened his eyes, a divine light flashing through them like lightning. He focused on his attribute panel and, with a thought, increased his Spirit by one.

“It really works!” Seeing the tangible increase in his attributes, Zhou Yi’s tension instantly dissipated, replaced by excitement. He had truly broken through this barrier.

“One hundred thousand!” His gaze shifted to the energy column, watching as the leading digit dropped by one. He couldn’t help but mutter, “One hundred thousand for a single point of Spirit—how high is that!”

Faced with this exchange rate, Zhou Yi couldn’t help feeling a pang in his teeth—and his heart. How long had he saved up to accumulate just under a million energy? And now, with a single move, a tenth of it was gone. It was hard not to feel the sting.

After all, he was no longer in a secret realm. Gathering so much kinetic energy outside was no easy feat.

“But the Primordial Spirit is truly vital—the foundation of everything. Even if it costs more than one hundred thousand per point, I could never give up!” After a fleeting moment of heartache, Zhou Yi’s gaze regained its resolve. The Primordial Spirit was the cornerstone that underpinned his strength—the highest priority. Even if it cost a million per point, he would grit his teeth and bear it.

It was a necessity—there was no alternative!

Clenching his teeth, Zhou Yi quickly acted. In an instant, his energy was almost depleted, while his Spirit increased accordingly.

Name: Zhou Yi
Spirit: 19
Body: 100

Qi: 20,000
Realm: Mountain Intent
Cell Count: 9,999 (Second Metamorphosis)
Energy: 99,900
Martial Skill: Reliant Mountain Blade 0/100
Reliant Mountain Core Method, Fifth Layer (Blue Mountain Realm) 0/100

In the blink of an eye, as Zhou Yi acted, his energy plummeted from 999,900 to 99,900, and his Spirit rose from 10 to 19—nearly doubling his original value.

“Only ninety-nine thousand left!” Looking at the remaining digits, Zhou Yi steeled himself. Since he had already spent nine hundred thousand, the leftover ninety-nine thousand was just an eyesore—he might as well spend it all.

With a few swift commands, Zhou Yi used up all but 9,900 of his energy, allocating the rest to his skills. His attributes now stood as follows:

Name: Zhou Yi
Spirit: 19
Body: 100
Qi: 20,000
Realm: Mountain Intent
Cell Count: 9,999 (Second Metamorphosis)
Energy: 9,900
Martial Skill: Reliant Mountain Blade 9/100
Reliant Mountain Core Method, Fifth Layer (Blue Mountain Realm) 0/100

He had invested all his remaining energy into the Reliant Mountain Blade, raising its proficiency by nine points—at a rate of ten thousand energy per point, leaving him with only 9,900. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to use more; he simply couldn’t, as the minimum requirement for any further improvement was ten thousand per point.

Even for internal power, now that his inner strength had reached two hundred years and his Reliant Mountain Core Method had advanced to the Blue Mountain Realm, each additional point also required ten thousand energy.

In other words, one hundred points equaled one year of inner strength, and ten thousand energy equaled one point—so now, to gain one more year’s worth of internal power, he needed a million energy. The number was staggering—almost frightening.

But Zhou Yi understood this well and had long been prepared for it.

This was because, when he broke through to the innate level, achieving unity with heaven and man, the circulation of spiritual energy not only granted him twenty more years of inner strength—allowing him to reach the Blue Mountain Realm—but, more importantly, the resonance of spiritual energy with his internal power greatly improved its quality.

He estimated that his current internal strength was about fifty percent stronger than before—one year now surpassed his previous two years.

Such a qualitative leap in power was extraordinary. While there were many ways to increase the quantity of internal strength, improving its quality was far more difficult.

To put it in numbers: with a fifty percent increase in quality, his strength now equaled double what it was before. With two hundred years of internal strength, he now possessed the power of his former four hundred years.

What a stroke of fortune! This was his great opportunity!

Given his former circumstances, raising his internal strength to four hundred years would have been unimaginably difficult. Yet now, with a single ascent to unity with heaven and man, he had achieved it!

Thus, after realizing this, Zhou Yi completely accepted the fact that it would take a million energy to gain one more year of internal strength. In fact, he welcomed it.

This was like a dream—such fortune was rare enough to call it sheer luck.

A million for a year’s worth of internal power? Not expensive at all—almost too cheap!

Moreover, Zhou Yi thought of another point. Although his current internal power equaled four hundred years of his former self, it only occupied the space of two hundred years, meaning he had half again as much capacity—he could store even more power!

Just the thought made him happy.

“Hss—ha!” After finishing his allocations, Zhou Yi let out a long breath, his mood elated. Everything was settled—it was time for the much-anticipated assessment of his new strength.

First, the hallmark of the innate realm: True Intent!

True Intent had two functions: suppressing the enemy's strength and amplifying one's own.

Depending on the martial arts practiced before breaking through to the innate, the strength of one's foundation, natural talent, and experiences, the intensity and effect of True Intent varied after entering the innate realm.

Generally, True Intent was classified into three grades: superior, intermediate, and inferior.

Inferior: suppresses ten years of the enemy’s internal power and boosts one’s own strength by ten percent.
Intermediate: suppresses thirty years and boosts by thirty percent.
Superior: suppresses sixty years (a full cycle) and boosts by fifty percent.

In the martial world, most who reached the innate realm only managed to forge inferior True Intent; the elite might attain intermediate, and those with extraordinary fortune might achieve superior—such individuals appeared perhaps once every ten years.

In the great sects, however, becoming a true disciple required, at minimum, superior True Intent.

From this, the gap between ordinary cultivators and those within great sects is abundantly clear.