Chapter 16: S-Rank Talent

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Indeed, the Fountain of Life was ultimately nothing more than a spiritual treasure capable of restoring damage. Its regenerative power had limits, and using potions without restraint could indeed create risks.

Using them as he was now, keeping the side effects within the body’s tolerable limits, was ideal—stable, with no unexpected dangers.

“I’d like to soak in the Fountain of Life as soon as possible. When could that be arranged?” Ye Mingqiu asked.

“Any time.”

The director of instruction smiled.

“What about now?”

“No problem.”

“Then may I go right now?”

“Of course.”

Still smiling, the director of instruction wore an unruffled, refined expression. He walked over to Ye Mingqiu, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said, “We’re leaving. Prepare yourself mentally.”

“Hmm?”

Before Ye Mingqiu could think any further, a sensation of warped space-time suddenly descended upon him. In an instant, he felt as though someone had thrown him into a washing machine and spun him around for ten minutes. The nausea was almost unbearable.

He staggered, but quickly regained his balance. As his blurred vision gradually cleared, the surrounding space transformed into an underground cavern. At its center lay a pool of crystal-clear spring water, radiating an intense aura of life.

The Fountain of Life!

“We’re here,” the director of instruction said with a smile.

One hand was clasped behind his back. The cuff of his sleeve was stained with sweat he had just wiped away, yet his expression remained calm and composed, as though he had expended no energy at all.

“This is the Fountain of Life?”

“Yes.”

“Do I just get in and soak?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm…”

Ye Mingqiu thought for a moment, then asked, “What if I go in with my clothes on and dirty the water? Would the people who come afterward have to soak in my bathwater?”

How many points did this kid even get in his theory classes…?

The veins on the director’s forehead bulged. His serene smile nearly broke, but he managed to hold it together and explained, “The Fountain of Life is not actually spring water. It is a liquid-like form of spiritual energy created under special conditions, containing an immeasurably powerful force of life. So you needn’t worry about anything like that.”

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“Oh, I see.”

Ye Mingqiu nodded in relief. He then approached the Fountain of Life and cautiously lowered one foot into it.

Ripples soon spread across the surface. The sensation of his shoe becoming soaked, as he had imagined, never came. Instead, he felt a warm force enveloping his foot inside the fountain—a force so comfortable and invigorating that it seemed to fill him completely.

As expected of the Fountain of Life!

Ye Mingqiu entered the spring completely and sat cross-legged in the water, feeling the spiritual energy and life force wash through his body. It was an indescribably pleasant sensation, as though even his soul were becoming lighter. The toxicity accumulated from using potions over the past two days faded away with it.

His body felt lighter and lighter, as though he might float away at any moment.

[Notice: The spiritual-energy concentration in your current area is excessively high. You have developed the Minor Spiritual Energy Poisoning effect.]

Spiritual energy poisoning occurred when weak spiritualists or ordinary people entered a place where spiritual energy was too powerful for them to endure. Unable to withstand the constant surge of energy, they suffered adverse effects—too much nourishment becoming harmful.

As the warning from the Spirit Realm sounded, Ye Mingqiu’s consciousness suddenly cleared. He forced himself to stay alert, opened his attribute panel, and rapidly tapped the plus sign beside his talents.

[Fourth talent awakening in progress…]

In an instant, the excess spiritual energy and life force within Ye Mingqiu were siphoned away. The new power continuously surging into the Fountain of Life was also absorbed by the awakening talent, transforming into the power of awakening that rippled endlessly through his body.

A full, comfortable sensation spread throughout him. The feeling of breaking free from a cocoon and being reborn emerged with astonishing speed. At the moment of awakening, Ye Mingqiu thought of his thirst for power—and of Tang Ruobing beating him mercilessly with her staff in the training room.

I’ll defeat her one day!

[Talent awakened: Valor]

Ye Mingqiu thought for a moment. He felt excellent—better than excellent. Awakening a single talent was nowhere near his limit. The life force within the Fountain of Life remained extraordinarily dense and had barely been depleted.

So he tapped the plus sign again.

[Fifth talent awakening in progress…]

The familiar sensation struck once more, even more intensely than before. At the same time, Ye Mingqiu felt a tearing pain throughout his body. The energy was being consumed almost faster than he could absorb it from the Fountain of Life. His body was reaching its limit.

This is bad! My constitution is too weak!

Fortunately, the awakening did not take long, and Ye Mingqiu did not have to endure that tearing pain for very long.

[Talent awakened: Peerless]

[Notice: Your talents Valor and Peerless have an exceptionally high compatibility. They will automatically fuse and advance.]

[You have obtained the talent: Peerless Valor]

Peerless Valor

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Rank: S

Effect: Increases Strength, Agility, and Constitution by 30%. Grants the effects of the talents [Valor] and [Peerless].

Valor: Permanently negates 1% of damage to Life. Increases resistance to abnormal statuses and improves resistance against control-type skill effects.

Peerless: Herculean Might, unrivaled. When attacking with a long weapon, grants an additional 50% Strength calculation.

Looking at his newly acquired talent, Ye Mingqiu’s eyes flew open. This was the first time he had ever seen an S-rank talent, and it even possessed three separate effects. The passive increase to his basic attributes alone completely eclipsed his first talent, [Spiritual Energy—Abundance]. This was an unconditional boost to his fundamental attributes.

The other two special effects were also extraordinarily powerful. Valor could greatly reduce the chance of being controlled while enhancing his survivability, while Peerless’s additional Strength calculation was simply absurd.

After entering the Spirit Realm, spiritualists could use equipped weapons. Equipment and weapons could both increase attributes, while bonuses to basic attributes were not counted as equipment attributes.

But…

Peerless’s Strength calculation was applied after all other attribute bonuses had been calculated, granting an additional final bonus. Its practical value was outrageously high, making it a truly worthy S-rank talent effect.

But…

This was a top-tier warrior talent!

If I were a warrior, wouldn’t I be unstoppable?

Ye Mingqiu looked at his panel, where his Spirit stood at an impressive 9.4 while his Strength was a mere 3.1. A look of utter anguish appeared on his face.

The problem was not the talent. The problem was how he had distributed his attributes.

His basic attributes had now reached 18.1, and he could no longer redistribute them. In the end, the only professions available to him would be spellcasting or support classes.

Sigh!

The regret was painful, but looking on the bright side, Peerless Valor was still an outrageously powerful S-rank talent. It would undoubtedly prove tremendously effective during the Spirit Realm trial, and might even allow him to obtain a Heroic profession outright.

A Heroic profession…?

That actually sounds pretty good…

But immediately afterward, Ye Mingqiu discovered a terrifying piece of bad news on his panel.

The plus sign at the bottom of his talent panel had turned gray, meaning it could no longer be clicked.

I can’t add any more talents!