Mystical Journey

"Like the Scarlet Snow Technique, according to the secret technique categorizations, it should be a first-rate special secret technique. If I trained it by itself, I would be at best a first-rate powerhouse, but if I train it together with my Willpower and computing power, absorbing a large amount of powerful resources, I'll be able to surpass the limits of the secret technique itself in the future." Garen circulated the Ice Coffin, excreting the impurities in his body, while he considered his own techniques.

"And according to the categorizations, Ice Coffin should be a second-grade technique in the Secret Technique World. It's a more accessible secret technique." Thinking back carefully, Garen realized that back then, Senior Sister Rainy, Aloran, and even Carthage also seemed to have practiced this secret technique, using it to filter their own power. Because their power seemed to be purer than his, this purity could be used to nurture their own computing power, increasing their computing power at a higher rate, and raising their abilities.

"This Ice Coffin technique is easy to learn but difficult to master, many people stop at the second grade, and just use it to filter the impurities out of their power, to decent effects." Suddenly, Carthage's voice rang out beside Garen's ear.

"Looks like you just entered the beginner stage, my advice is that you shouldn't spend too much time and effort on this. This technique is a slow grind, the first grade is still okay, since it just requires eighty years, whereas the second takes 160. The third grade actually needs up to a thousand years, you could completely master any other technique in such a long time, so who would want to practice this thing? That's why we usually stop at the second grade."

Carthage advised him.

"Thank you, Senior Brother, for the advice," replied Garen from inside the Ice Coffin.

"Aren't my potential points best used for upgrading a grinding technique like this!?"

When he heard that, Garen's heart was instantly tempted.

He still had several hundred potential points, and it would be too much of a waste for him to use all that on upgrading his physical cbilities. The key was upgrading his abilities, and techniques such as Ice Coffin gave him a stroke of inspiration.

"If I can find a lot more of these secret techniques that require grinding, stack them up, and train them, then I can make the most of my advantage, and reduce the large difference in training time between those ancient monsters and me. I might even able to push my computing power to increase faster!"

As soon as that train of thought occurred to him, it could not be stopped.

"But before that, I need to see if this Ice Coffin works at all or not."

Garen instantly closed his eyes, his gaze in the darkness landing on his attribute pane.

'Nonosiva Lin – Strength 24.1, Agility 12.1, Vitality 24.8, Intelligence 8.1, potential power 50530%. Soul Limit 40.'

He still had 505 potential points, that should be enough.

Then he looked at the skill pane, and quickly found Ice Coffin from the large stack of skills.

'Energy Machinist secret method – Ice Coffin: Beginner.

Frost-type secret technique, may filter frost-type power, three levels in total. Legend has it that at the highest realm, it can filter out 100% of the impurities, and reach a realm of purity. Increases own aptitudes. The first grade requires eighty years of extensive training, the second grade requires 160 years, and the third requires 1600 years. To complete the whole training, you will need at least 1840 years.'

As soon as Garen's gaze landed on the technique for three consecutive seconds, his potential points began to change.

With a whoosh, as Garen watched on regretfully, it reduced by… two points.

"Phew, thank goodness, thank goodness, it really is just as I thought, the rules of the Ability here in this world are the same as they were in the Secret Technique World, Ice Coffin is a second-rate secret technique, so I just needed to use two potential points to increase it by one level, the same as a middle-level secret technique."

His Ice Coffin immediately went from beginner to the first grade.

Garen looked inward, and could clearly see that the ice coffin inside him seemed to have become slightly more complicated, and had gotten more transparent.

"Once more." Ever since Garen came to this world, he had always been relying on his accumulated power from the past to progress, and rarely relied on his natural ability. In other words, he suffered a lot, and had to take many a detour, before he realized that he needed to sacrifice so much in order to truly grow strong.

Now, the potential points were properly in play again, and surprised him once more.

He stared at Ice Coffin for three seconds, and his potential points went down by two again.

And his Ice Coffin instantly went from the first grade to the second.

In practically an instant, Garen saw many miniature ice coffins appear inside his body, floating in his blood densely along the flow of his blood. These coffins were extremely tiny, and could even squeeze into the capillary ends that were as thin as a hair. They constantly purified the chill in his blood, and even helped to slowly upgrade and improve the quality of this body of his.

"It really is impressive!" Garen sighed in admiration inwardly. "No wonder so many people choose to cultivate this accessible support technique, it even has this side-effect, slowly improving my body. Right now, it doesn't look like much, but as time goes on and it accumulates, it will be significant indeed!"

According to his calculations, at this slow rate of modification and purification, his Vitality would be increased by one point after just two years. It was indeed worth it to use a hundred years to reach the second grade.

"Even the weakest Energy Machinist can live for several centuries, if they just use more than a hundred years to reach the second grade, and slowly upgrade their Vitality, they would be able to benefit from the several hundred years later, and would surely be able to reach the limit of another technique."

If the second grade already had such an effect, Garen was even more interested in the third grade now.

As a support technique, Ice Coffin did not have many requirements in the way of Willpower or computing power, and that was its biggest advantage. That was why Garen could just use his Willpower to increase it.

"Again!"

His gaze gathered on the Ice Coffin again.

There was a whoosh, but this time he lost three potential points. Evidently, the Ability had decided that at its current level, it was now a high-level secret technique.

But to Garen right now, two or three points made no difference, they were a drop in the ocean.

The Ice Coffin icon blurred, and in an instant, it rapidly returned to normal. This time, it seemed to have changed more drastically.

'Ice Coffin: third grade complete, Heart of Ice obtained. 100% filtration for frost-type power, highly resistant toward hypnosis-type attacks. Greatly increases Vitality and Intelligence (one point per year, for twenty consecutive years).'

"One point a year!" Garen was overjoyed, trying to wrap his mind around it. A one-point increase in Vitality and Intelligence every year, that was borderline terrifying! Putting aside Vitality for now, just consider Intelligence.

He was at 8.1 points now, and was already considered a prodigy among the Energy Machinists. If he could amp up his Intelligence by one point to go with the results of his efforts, just how high could his aptitude reach?

"Alright, time to go." Suddenly, Carthage's voice came from beside Garen's ear. It pulled him out of his reverie.

For one last time, Garen glanced at his Scarlet Snow Technique.

As he expected, it had changed again.

'Scarlet Snow Technique: eleventh grade, Two-Moons level. (Coldness Strengthening third grade, Sharpness Strengthening third grade, Purity Strengthening third grade.)'

"I got the Coldness Strengthening and Sharpness Strengthening when I absorbed that wisp of Inherited power, and I think that Purity Strengthening came from the Heart of Ice."

Garen pulled back his thoughts, and scattered the ice coffin outside him with a crash, standing up.

By now, many of the other people who were meditating in the desert all got up, patting the sand off their clothes. They looked at Carthage, evidently making him out as the sole leader.

Garen also moved his gaze to Carthage.

"Prepare the jump portal, Treefish."

"Yes."

Watching as the jump portal was slowly released, Carthage narrowed his eyes slightly, saying nothing, as though he was waiting for something.

Time passed by slowly, but no one looked impatient. To Energy Machinists, their long lifespans had given them extensive patience.

All of a sudden, a bright and piercing golden light abruptly appeared in the distant desert.

"Let's go!"

When Carthage saw that golden light, the corners of his lips immediately curved.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh…

The many figures rapidly darted into the jump portal's black whirlpool, and soon, only Garen and Carthage were left.

Carthage signaled Garen with his eyes, and the two of them slowly walked into the jump portal, one after the other.

Hiss… Amidst the soft static of the jump, the two of them appeared in the sky above a giant white desert city, floating in the air as they looked down at the apocalyptic scene below.

Inside the giant white crescent-shaped city, several giant black beasts, each twenty or thirty meters tall, were rampaging madly.

Huge rumbling crashes and the sounds of buildings collapsing came constantly from everywhere.

Looking down from the sky, they could see buildings falling all over the city, powder and dust rising high in the air. They could vaguely see figures dressed in blue surrounding and attacking the beasts, but it was no use. Those black gorilla-like beasts moved nimbly, and if you were accidentally hit by one, you were either instantly injured or simply dead.

The two of them floated in the air, watching the tragedy unfold below. The people in the city were running, sobbing, screaming, their voices of despair rising and falling, with the occasional wail or mad roar. But many more of them were just crushed to death by the buildings the beasts had casually knocked over, and died without a sound.

In the entire white crescent-shaped city, there were black dots everywhere, and they could faintly see a patch of the desert stained with red around the black dot. They looked like spots on the landscape.

"General." Suddenly, a figure abruptly appeared beside Garen. He was a middle-aged man dressed in blue, and his face was covered with blood. One of his arms seemed to have been freshly severed, and fresh blood clots still remained.

Most importantly, this man had the violent aura of someone fresh out of a fierce fight.

"Another Non-Falling level…" Garen's heart gave a jolt, he sensed what level this man was.

"Where are the Elders from this place?" asked Carthage nonchalantly.

"Three died, but we got two alive," replied the middle-aged man calmly. "We need your true form to personally finish off the guardian here, sir."

"Relax… I'm already on it…" Carthage smiled rather meaningfully.

Garen was getting chills down his spine as he listened, could it be that this Carthage here with Non-Falling-Level power was not even his original form?!

"If that truly is the case, then this guy is far too fearsome…" Garen's heart was shaking slightly, if the Non-Falling Level one was just one of his clones, then just how strong was Carthage's true form?

The Non-Falling Level was Level Seven in power, and the guardian of the Blue Frost Sect would surely be stronger than that, it would be Level Eight at least. If he could kill off a Level Eight guardian, then Carthage's own power…

Garen almost did not dare to continue thinking. Level Nine, that was a level near the Perpetual Motioners. Such an extreme powerhouse was not something he could compare to his past experiences. Only the personal appearance of the Nine-Headed Dragon Queen's true body could match up to that.

"Wait here for a moment then, it's the best chance for me to give my prodigy junior brother a little gift," laughed Carthage with a glance at Garen.

The middle-aged man lowered his head respectfully and stood to a side without moving.

The three of them floated in the sky, and in the city underneath, a high-level battle had already erupted, some of the self-secluded or outstation powerhouses had returned, their ice-cold frost slowly stopping the beasts' rampaging.