Chapter 338 – This Project Won't Exist Anymore

“Your Excellency, Tianyuan Lord.”

Tilly and the other elves performed an elegant salute, slightly surprised by Mu Yuan’s sudden arrival.

The Hall of Knowledge had no time restrictions for challenges; one could attempt them whenever they wished.

Tilly glanced at the formation platform in the distance and suddenly understood.

He came for the skills.

Indeed, for a top-tier Fourth Order expert, having one more or one less ordinary skill made almost no difference. It wasn’t that ordinary skills were weak—her own combat system included several ordinary skills—but mastering ordinary skills wasn’t difficult. She could acquire them through various means.

Their Nature’s Garden also stored numerous ordinary skill manuals and secret manuals for them to select, study, and combine.

Advanced skills were different; they couldn’t be acquired through conventional methods.

Not to mention peak Fourth Order experts like herself, even Legendary Realm existences could significantly enhance their overall combat power by mastering one more Advanced skill that fit their system.

And just moments ago, several top experts from Tianyuan Territory had each created Advanced skills.

“How… confident they are!”

The elves felt pressured.

They were completely outshone!

Of course, they couldn’t represent all of Nature’s Garden. Their Legendary masters had performed excellently and outstandingly during their challenges back in the day, earning the approval of Guardian Gabu Yu.

However, when several Legendary masters visited the Hall of Knowledge, the challenges they undertook weren’t skill creation but other projects, making direct comparison with Tianyuan Territory’s current experts impossible.

“If Lady Mirena and the others had challenged this project, they definitely could have deduced Advanced skills too.”

She believed so.

But Tianyuan Territory’s experts didn’t seem to have merely deduced Advanced skills. Could Lady Mirena and the others really achieve higher scores?

Reason told her: possibly, perhaps, probably… not.

But emotion insisted: We haven’t lost! As long as there’s no direct comparison, we haven’t lost! If our Legendary masters hadn’t already visited and passed the tests back then, they definitely could have used the Hall of Knowledge’s platform to deduce more exquisite and brilliant skills.

Yes, that must be it.

Deadbone had already stepped onto the platform, where the illusion of an hourglass appeared above him, beginning the tense countdown.

The elves didn’t pay much attention, their gazes still secretly drifting toward the Tianyuan Lord.

After all, this Lord was the highest-ranking figure in Tianyuan Territory.

To command so many top experts—what capabilities this Lord possessed, they dared not imagine. What they could be certain of was that the Tianyuan Lord must possess formidable strength, brilliant talent, and extraordinary natural gifts.

Today, by passing the Guardian’s test, they might catch a glimpse of this mysterious Lord’s tip of the iceberg.

They were all waiting for the Tianyuan Lord to take the stage.

As for the black-armored undead in front? At first glance, he seemed utterly ordinary and inconspicuous—a mere extra.

Guardian Gabu Yu thought the same.

His first impression of the black-armored undead was that it was too ordinary. It wasn’t weak, just perfectly average—like a drop of water blending into its environment, the most unnoticeable person in a crowd of prodigies.

Gabu Yu instinctively overlooked him.A few seconds later, he vaguely sensed something amiss. He caught a glimpse of a shimmering spiritual light swirling around the black-armored undead—a clear sign of an impending skill breakthrough.

He was certain of it.

After all, he was the Guardian of the Hall of Knowledge, overseeing dozens of such structures and having witnessed countless visitors.

He was Gabu Yu, the Divine Venerable of Myriad Knowledge! He couldn’t possibly be mistaken!

But how could it have happened so quickly? This individual had only stepped onto the formation platform for less than seven seconds! Even with prior preparation and a rough draft in mind, breaking through the final barrier this swiftly was nothing short of astonishing.

Yet suddenly, the mystical radiance on the verge of eruption dissipated, as if it had never existed.

No new skill had been successfully derived.

Had he been mistaken? Gabu Yu fell into deep thought.

…

Deadbone was lost in contemplation.

It had indeed been on the verge of deriving the skill. After all, some ideas had already surfaced in its mind earlier, and during the journey, it had pondered them further. Stepping into the formation triggered an outpouring of inspiration, allowing it to complete the skill derivation in mere seconds—a perfectly reasonable outcome. This couldn’t be considered rushed.

But Deadbone was still unsatisfied.

This place offered uniquely favorable conditions, and a missed opportunity would not come again. It had to seize this chance firmly.

Out of caution, Deadbone immediately halted the nearly complete skill derivation in its mind, forcibly stalling it at 99.99% progress.

This was a lesson learned from Isloria’s precedent.

If it couldn’t derive a satisfactory skill within the 30-minute state of inspiration, then at the very least, it could continue to linger in this Treasure Land and borrow another half-hour of inspirational light.

Guardian Gabu Yu had no inkling of Deadbone’s thoughts.

Having encountered all sorts of challengers, Gabu Yu had naturally come across those who tried to exploit loopholes—avoiding skill creation to prolong their stay under the rules’ inspirational glow.

Such maneuvers might seem simple, but achieving them was exceedingly difficult.

Nearly impossible.

In a state of Epiphany, the thinker’s mind brims with inspiration, thoughts flowing continuously until they reach a conclusion. That is the essence of Epiphany. If one could control, halt, or initiate it at will, it would no longer be Epiphany.

Stopping a skill derivation that was only a hair’s breadth away from completion, especially amid surging inspiration, was nothing short of a fantasy.

Either one refrains from derivation, or fails to produce a result when time runs out;

Or, one pushes through to the end;

Such is the nature of the ‘Skill Creation’ trial.

For Deadbone, forcibly halting the process was no easy feat. Fortunately, it possessed barely passable willpower, average comprehension, and a sliver of experience with Epiphany, allowing it to restrain the nearly derived skill just short of the finish line.

It began to ponder once more.

It immersed itself again in the derivation process.

This time, it aimed to derive a relatively comprehensive Limit Cultivation Method—suitable for widespread use, with significantly higher cultivation efficiency than the previous version, and, if possible, with some special effects.

Deadbone sat upright on the formation platform, still as withered wood, devoid of any vitality.

Only the hourglass above continued its gradual descent.

‘Can he, this Tianyuan Expert, derive an Advanced skill?’

So wondered the elves.

Gabu Yu thought otherwise.

Coexisting with the Hall of Knowledge, he could perceive the unique Miracle Power—the spiritual light—welling up on the formation platform.

The rules had granted the challenger ‘inspiration,’ enabling an outpouring of ideas.It also bestowed an intangible, elusive, and untraceable “spiritual light,” allowing the test-taker who deduced the skill to complete the final step.

Otherwise, no matter how exceptionally talented one might be, how could they possibly create an advanced skill that cannot be mastered through conventional means in just half an hour?

Even the most brilliant minds, if they could deduce it, would still need to rely on certain treasures or methods to compensate for its flaws before it could be truly perfected.

But here, there was spiritual light.

If a test-taker deduced an ordinary skill, a faint, barely perceptible spiritual light would flash.

If a test-taker deduced an advanced skill, at the final stage, spiritual light would surge forth, eventually becoming mist-like, profound and mysterious.

But now, why does your spiritual light keep surging, surging, surging, and surging again?

How many times has it surged already?!

It was like trying to relieve oneself multiple times, almost succeeding but never quite making it! Guardian Gabu Yu widened his eyes in disbelief, feeling he had truly lived long enough to see everything.

“Based on universal theories and experience, shortly after the spiritual light surges, it should condense into a mist-like form, signaling the completion of the skill deduction. But now, this spiritual light keeps surging, which means this person’s inspiration is gushing like a spring, and their deduction speed is extremely fast, yet they still haven’t perfected the skill.”

“Hmm, could it be… Hiss!”

After ruling out all impossibilities, Gabu Yu was left with only one truth.

This person, he—he actually dared to attempt to deduce an Epic Skill?

How overconfident!

He wanted to say this, but when he saw the spiritual light surging around Deadbone, Gabu Yu didn’t dare to voice it.

However,

“Epic Skills are not something that can be deduced. Even with the aid of miraculous spiritual light, it is absolutely impossible, far beyond the capabilities of any living being.”

Only Epic beings can awaken Epic Skills.

This is closely tied to bloodline and the blessings of heaven and earth.

No matter how exceptionally talented this black-armored undead might be, he could never deduce an Epic Skill. It wasn’t a matter of insufficient comprehension ability—it was simply an impossible feat.

…

“Impossible, truly impossible. It feels as if there’s an insurmountable chasm in between.”

Deadbone frowned.

He truly wanted to create an Epic-level Limit Cultivation Method. He knew all too well the gap between Epic Skills and non-Epic Skills.

Epic Skills often possess powers that defy conventional logic.

And he wanted to temper his body to its limits at a speed that surpassed logic—so, of course, it had to be Epic.

Not only that, Deadbone also hoped that the skill he deduced would be suitable for the majority of generals in the territory to learn. Everyone faced the same problem of spending excessive time and effort to temper their bodies to the limit.

But indeed, it seemed impossible.

“I am still not strong enough to shoulder the burden of the Tianyuan Territory.”

As his thoughts drifted, Deadbone deduced two high-grade Limit Cultivation Methods.

One was tailored specifically for himself, with higher cultivation efficiency.

The other had 65% lower cultivation efficiency but was suitable for most people to use. Others should find it relatively easy to learn.

There was still time. Perhaps he could deduce a few more cultivation methods with different focuses.

Wait, Deadbone suddenly had another idea.

“Although there is no direct bridge to the Epic level, by continuously stacking, accumulating, and combining methods, perhaps creating an Epic method isn’t… entirely impossible!”

“I have to take the gamble!”

He already had a fallback skill, so he could afford to take the risk.

Time was running out.

Deadbone didn’t dare to waste any more time or let his thoughts drift aimlessly.It summoned all its strength, devoting its entire being to the deduction.

At this moment, it was fully immersed in the Epiphany of bones!

Boom——!!!

In the eyes of others, the world remained calm, with Deadbone sitting alone like a withered tree.

But in Gabu Yu’s eyes, pure spiritual light surged forth, transforming into a misty haze.

Before this mist could dissipate, a second wave of wondrous light erupted.

Deduction!

Deduction!

Continuous deduction!

Mu Someone listened to the successive chimes of notifications ringing in his ears, his mouth slightly agape.

‘So that’s it, this is Deadbone’s idea.’

‘Since it can’t create an Epic Skill in one go, it’s crafting one skill after another, merging them through combination and integration to form an Epic Skill.’

This line of thinking was indeed very reasonable.

Or not.

Mu Yuan fell silent.

Gabu Yu was petrified.

Yet the spiritual light around Deadbone continued to surge.

It deduced one skill after another. There were ordinary-grade skills and high-tier skills. Many of these skills lacked practical utility—they were unsuitable for cultivation or use, serving merely as individual components.

All for the sake of the final combination.

A framework emerged in its mind. This framework was being filled bit by bit, completed piece by piece.

But it was still too slow.

It had taken the wrong approach initially, wasting a considerable amount of time.

It had to be fast, faster, even faster, surpassing all limits!

With the aid of the rule-based spiritual light, Deadbone’s thoughts accelerated rapidly, as if entering the mystical state of evolution, maintaining and elevating it continuously.

It drew upon the intangible spiritual light, creating one skill after another.

It was still creating.

“What is a Limitless Body? What is the realm of limits?”

“The potential of the body can be tapped at two hundred and six points.”

“The potential of the spirit can be broken through at thirty-three facets.”

“The potential of energy… the sublimation of the Soul… the leap of life…”

Deadbone gained numerous insights during the deduction process.

Its understanding of the world, of status, and of life grew clearer.

Its eyes shone brightly, the azure glow of its soul flames blazing forth, illuminating the already bright hall with even more divine radiance.

Its deduction speed increased further.

Its bones creaked and cracked.

Its consciousness, its Soul, had long been bearing an indescribable burden.

But it was smiling.

This was an ineffable joy, the delight of gradually parting the mist and glimpsing the truth.

“He, he…”

The light in Guardian Gabu Yu’s eyes grew brighter.

The spiritual light surged like a pillar, as if the earth had split open and an underground spring was gushing forth.

“Crack~”

He seemed to hear a sound.

A precarious sound.

The spiritual light suddenly dimmed—still surging, yet the underground spring appeared to be drying up.

“No, wait, this can’t…”

Gabu Yu’s eyes widened. The Hall of Knowledge was dimming, the miraculous spiritual light was withering and collapsing.

No, stop!

“No, wait, not yet…”

Deadbone’s eyes widened, sensing that inspiration was becoming increasingly difficult to draw upon, and it was still slightly short.

It couldn’t stop like this!

Deadbone gritted its teeth, its will nearly burning away.

Countless eyes watched intently.

In mid-air, the final grains of sand fell, the countdown reaching zero.

The barrier on the platform vanished, the enhancements disappeared, leaving only the withered-tree-like figure still seated there.

“So, what’s the situation now?”

Tilly glanced left and right.According to previous patterns, when powerful individuals deduced advanced skills, they would often unconsciously display their new abilities with dazzling light and shadow effects.

Yet this powerful figure remained as still as withered wood.

Had he failed?

But judging by the expressions of the Tianyuan Territory expert and Guardian Gabu Yu, that didn’t seem to be the case. Speaking of which, had Lord Gabu Yu gone offline? He had maintained that posture for quite some time.

Gabu Yu remained silent.

Silence filled the Hall of Knowledge at this moment.

Mu Yuan was also silent, silently staring at the panel before him.

「Prompt: Your hero ‘Deadbone’ has deduced a special cultivation method. The current method is unnamed and has reached the threshold of epic grade.」

——

「Skill: (Unnamed)」

「Category: Limit Cultivation Method」

「Description①: A unique secret method specifically designed for those at the peak of Fourth Order striving toward the Fourth Order limit. Practitioners can significantly increase their tempering speed and shorten tempering time. This secret method has three realms: the first realm increases tempering speed by 120%; the second realm increases it by 240%; the third realm increases it by 399%.」

「Description②: Practitioners can uncover more potential during the tempering phase, reaching higher Fourth Order limits. Simultaneously, practicing this method can also tap into potential in life, soul, and willpower.」

「Description③: Practitioners can slowly enhance their own potential, but cannot cross into epic rank.」

「Note: Practicing this method requires supplementary materials.」

Whether such limit cultivation methods existed in the Eternal World, Mu Yuan estimated they probably did.

But Taixuan didn’t have them.

At least Mu Yuan had never heard of them.

Even if they existed elsewhere, the body-tempering effect might only be incidental. Who would specifically create a skill mainly for tempering limits!

Deadbone’s skill could be considered quite unique.

“It’s rather useless to others. Other Fourth Order peak practitioners don’t need to fight for every bit of time – what difference does being slightly faster or slower make? What they truly find difficult are Domain and Willpower Light. But for our Tianyuan Territory commanders, this cultivation method is quite suitable. It’s just… can others actually learn it?”

Deadbone’s skill was very special.

It seemed widely applicable with low learning difficulty, without special thresholds or requirements, but…

This was also a high-grade skill!

Regardless, it was worthwhile if Deadbone could use it himself, and he, Lord Mu, could also use it.

Perfect.

People from outside would also covet this skill. Its third effect was the precious ‘potential enhancement’ type. With long-term practice of this method, military units might achieve self-evolution.

This was rather useless for Tianyuan Territory.

It was probably because the tempering phase involved potential excavation and development that the skill derived its third effect.

Quite redundant for Tianyuan Territory.

Actually redundant for outsiders too. The skill grade was evident here – it wasn’t something just anyone could learn.

Mu Yuan closed the panel and stepped forward.

Next, it was time for him, the great prodigy Mu, to make his appearance.

He truly possessed few advanced skills and was quite looking forward to using the power of heavenly rules to deduce a skill suitable for his own use – one with both power and style.

Deadbone slowly awakened, “This bone has not failed your expectations.”Mu Yuan patted its shoulder. Solid work. My bone truly has the bearing of an emperor.

He walked towards the nearby formation platform and stepped into it.

The barrier’s light screen did not rise.

The hourglass for timing did not appear.

Most importantly, Mu Yuan did not enter that state of sudden inspiration!

Was it necessary to wait for Deadbone to finish the scoring?

He looked at the Guardian of this place.

Guardian Gabu Yu was also watching the two of them. Despite having a body woven from light and shadow, his face for some reason appeared rather dark.

As black as the bottom of a pot.

“From now on, there will be no more deduction skill test.”

Mu Yuan: Huh?

5K…

(End of Chapter)