Chapter 259 – A Transformation in Mentality

“I just wanted to be an extra…”

Silence spread between the two of them.

After Su Ming had finished telling everything, he felt a sense of relief, simply gazing directly at An Zijin, waiting for her reaction.

An Zijin kept her head lowered, not saying a word.

But Su Ming could see that her emotions no longer seemed as downcast and complicated as before. Instead, she appeared to have calmed down, seriously contemplating something.

This made Su Ming somewhat curious.

What would this girl next door be thinking after learning the truth he had been hiding all along?

Unfortunately, Su Ming couldn’t read minds, nor did he possess any tool capable of doing so. Regarding An Zijin’s pensive expression, he could only watch quietly, unable to do anything else.

Fortunately, An Zijin didn’t ponder for long.

Before long, she lifted her head, a sweet smile appearing on her face as usual.

“Since Brother Su Ming has made his decision, I support him.”

An Zijin spoke such words.

“Are you sure?”

Su Ming was somewhat surprised.

Earlier, when Su Ming hadn’t mentioned leaving Longyao City but only leaving the Academy, An Zijin had shown a complex, troubled expression.

Now, not only was he leaving the Academy, but also Longyao City, heading to the distant Tianfeng City, with no telling when he might return. Yet An Zijin had instead calmed down and even accepted it.

This somewhat unusual attitude made Su Ming unable to resist saying,

“Maybe I won’t be back for a very, very long time?”

Su Ming emphasized it this way for the time being.

But not only did An Zijin not change her attitude, she continued to smile cheerfully.

“I know,” An Zijin said thus. “So, if this is what Brother Su Ming truly wants to do, I will definitely support it.”

Hearing this, Su Ming looked at An Zijin for a long, long time before finally withdrawing his gaze.

“Thank you, Little Jin.”

Su Ming patted An Zijin’s small head, expressing his gratitude from the bottom of his heart.

Grateful for this girl next door’s constant concern.

Grateful for this childhood friend’s unwavering pursuit.

From Yinze City to Longyao City, traveling thousands of miles, An Zijin came for no one else but Su Ming.

Now, he was graduating early, leaving Longyao City, essentially abandoning An Zijin who had followed him from afar, yet she chose to support him.

Therefore, no matter what, Su Ming had to voice this gratitude.

An Zijin, however, didn’t respond to Su Ming’s thanks. Instead, following his posture, she rested her head on his shoulder.

Su Ming continued to pat her head, inhaling the faint fragrance of the young girl, and said nothing more.

Leaning on each other, the two enjoyed this rare peace and tranquility.

This moment felt like forever.

……

Soon, Su Ming fell asleep.

He was already somewhat drunk, his head feeling heavy and dizzy, and now he finally couldn’t hold on any longer, collapsing into sleep.

An Zijin quietly covered Su Ming with the blanket, then tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind her, and came out into the corridor.However, An Zijin did not leave immediately. Instead, she leaned against Su Ming’s door, listening to the faint snoring coming from inside. After a long while, a resolute expression appeared on her face.

The next second, An Zijin took out her phone and dialed a number.

The call was quickly answered.

“Dad.”

An Zijin got straight to the point.

“I’ve decided to go back with them.”

Upon hearing this, An Zijin clearly detected a suppressed silence from the other end of the line.

This decision was sudden.

This decision was shocking.

But after a moment of silence, An Zijin’s father spoke just one sentence.

“I support you.”

Hearing this, An Zijin smiled.

……

The next day,

Early morning.

Perhaps because he hadn’t been completely drunk, Su Ming woke up quite early.

“What a comfortable sleep.”

Upon waking, for some reason, Su Ming felt exceptionally refreshed, with clear thoughts and an incredibly good mood. He couldn’t help but stretch lazily, letting out a groan that would make anyone’s skin crawl.

Fortunately, there was no one else around to witness this scene, sparing them from mental contamination.

Well, actually, there was a second presence here.

Though, it wasn’t human.

“Meeling!”

Accompanied by a heavenly melody-like chirp, the mist dispersed as a graceful figure threw herself into Su Ming’s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. She twisted and turned as if accusing him of neglecting her all night, refusing to let it go.

“Sorry, sorry.”

Su Ming could only offer a wry smile, quickly comforting the suddenly clingy little mermaid. After giving her several pieces of red pumice stone as compensation, the mermaid girl finally released him, satisfied.

However, Little Hai’er seemed drawn to the scent on Su Ming. Even while holding the red pumice stones, her cute little nose kept sniffing around his body, eventually revealing an expression of pure enjoyment.

Her expression was exactly the same as when a certain young miss had been drawn to the scent of Su Ming’s blood and had happily inhaled her fill.

Su Ming immediately became wary.

“You’re not going to suck my blood too, are you?”

Su Ming quickly adopted a defensive posture.

“Meeling!”

Little Hai’er puffed out her cheeks, looking genuinely offended at being wrongly accused.

“Meeling! Meeling meeling!”

The beautiful mermaid girl gestured animatedly before Su Ming, chirping continuously as if trying to explain something.

In the past, Su Ming would have had considerable difficulty understanding Little Hai’er’s meaning.

But ever since Little Hai’er successfully evolved and developed some inexplicable connection with him, Su Ming could instinctively comprehend what she wanted to express.

Therefore, watching Little Hai’er’s continuous gesturing, Su Ming almost immediately understood what she was saying.

“You’re saying something has changed about me?”

Su Ming asked in surprise.

“Meeling!”

Little Hai’er nodded repeatedly, confirming Su Ming’s interpretation.

“What kind of change?”

Su Ming looked completely baffled and began examining himself.

Physically, everything remained the same as always, with no apparent changes.

Su Ming also checked his reflection in the mirror. Well, aside from slightly messy hair, his face was still as handsome as ever.

Then, Su Ming focused his senses inward to check his internal condition.

Bloodline… no issues.Right hand… no issues.

Demon Emperor Sword… no issues.

Blue Demon Cessation Ring… also no issues.

Even his demonic power remained as usual, without any problems.

However, when Su Ming checked his Spirit Power, he was stunned.

Inside his body, Spirit Power flowed with a potency more than ten times stronger than before, quietly suppressing the total amount of demonic power within him.

“Why has my Spirit Power suddenly increased so much?”

Su Ming was utterly astonished.

It wasn’t just Spirit Power.

Su Ming discovered that his already exceptional Spirit Sense had also grown stronger. His spirituality burned like ignited flames, intensely active.

“Could it be…”

A speculation arose in Su Ming’s mind, prompting him to activate his Vision Mark without hesitation.

“Hum!”

With the bloom of an eerie red light, intricate patterns spread across Su Ming’s forehead.

The activated Vision Mark quickly emerged, consuming Spirit Power at an extreme rate as the price, causing Su Ming’s spirituality to surge once again.

With his current level of spirituality, Su Ming could now cast Spirit Arts faster, more fiercely, and more swiftly, amplifying their power by over tenfold.

This degree of enhancement far surpassed what he had achieved before.

Indeed, Su Ming’s Vision Mark had also grown stronger.

This wasn’t impossible.

Just as Demonization varies in amplification multiples, the Vision Mark can also boost a Sorcerer’s Spirit Art potency by several times or even dozens of times. Some can only increase power by a few multiples, while others can enhance it by more than tenfold.

However, the amplification mechanism of the Vision Mark differs from Demonization.

The extent of power amplification from Demonization depends on the user’s Bloodline Rank.

The higher the Bloodline and the higher the Rank of the Phantom Demon, the original source of the Bloodline, the greater the enhancement a Hunter receives upon Demonization, as their nature becomes closer to that Phantom Demon.

For example, a Hunter with the Bloodline of a Hazardous Species among the upper-class Phantom Demons, upon Awakening Demonization, gains a power boost of at least ten times their normal state.

If the Bloodline is from a lower-class Phantom Demon instead, the amplification typically ranges from three to five times, depending on the strength of that Phantom Demon. Only mutant Bloodlines among lower-class Phantom Demons might reach seven times.

In the case of a Nightmare Species Bloodline, the amplification starts at no less than over ten times.

The Nightmare Species Bloodline Su Ming obtained is likely among the more exceptional even within Nightmare Species, so his amplification upon Demonization far exceeds just over ten times—it must be at least twenty times.

If this level of amplification is already exaggerated enough, even Lord Crow, ranked no.3 among the ‘Ten Demons’, has never heard of such a feat. It’s conceivable that even among the strongest Seven-Star Hunters, almost no one can achieve this level after Demonization.

In contrast, while a Sorcerer’s Vision Mark also varies in amplification multiples, the degree of enhancement depends entirely on the level of spirituality.

A person can only become a Sorcerer upon Awakening a Spirit Constitution.

From the moment of Awakening, a person’s spirituality varies in strength.

Some possess strong spirituality, leading to rapid growth in Spirit Power, a Spirit Sense far superior to ordinary Sorcerers, and even faster learning and casting speeds for Spirit Arts compared to typical Sorcerers.Conversely, some individuals possess lower spiritual nature, resulting in slower growth of Spirit Power, duller Spirit Sense, and reduced speed in learning and utilizing Spirit Arts.

This is what is known as the disparity in talent.

For Hunters, talent and potential are determined by the grade of their Bloodline.

The higher the Bloodline Rank, the greater their potential and talent, allowing them to advance further in the future.

For Sorcerers, talent and potential are determined by the level of their spiritual nature.

Thus, spiritual nature is as crucial to Sorcerers as Bloodline is to Hunters.

The difference lies in the fact that a Hunter’s Bloodline grade is fixed from the very beginning. Whether they have consumed Phantom Demon Potions or were born into a Hunter Family, their Bloodline Rank is determined at birth. Unless, like Mo Leng, they undergo a ritual to replace it, a Hunter’s talent and potential remain permanently set.

Sorcerers, however, are different.

As previously mentioned, Sorcerers utilize the spiritual laws of the world to wield Spirit Arts and exercise supernatural power. Whether they can Awaken a Vision Mark depends on an elusive sense of perception and enlightenment.

Once Spirit Power reaches the limit of the Mortal realm, a Sorcerer can Breakthrough at any moment.

Perhaps they inexplicably comprehend something and advance, thereby Awakening a Vision Mark.

Or perhaps they gain no insight at all, remaining stagnant and missing the opportunity to transcend the Mortal realm in their lifetime.

This is what is referred to as spiritual nature—a mysterious, almost mystical, form of perception.

This leads to a particular phenomenon.

Even after advancing to a higher Rank, a Sorcerer may suddenly experience an Epiphany, causing their spiritual nature to surge and their Spirit Power to leap, making them significantly stronger.

When this occurs, Breaking through their current Star Rank and advancing to a higher one overnight becomes an effortless feat.

For Hunters seeking improvement, the focus is on finding ways to enhance the Rank and concentration of their Bloodline, allowing the Phantom Demon Bloodline to further transform their bodies and strengthen their physique and stamina.

For Sorcerers seeking improvement, it is purely a matter of increasing Spirit Power. The stronger their Spirit Power, the more Spirit Arts they can use, and the greater the power of those Arts.

If they suddenly gain insight, leading to an enhancement in spiritual nature and a surge in Spirit Power, a Breakthrough occurs naturally.

At that point, not only does their Star Rank increase, but the enhancement of their spiritual nature also strengthens the amplification of their Vision Mark. It is no exaggeration to call this a second rebirth after advancing to a higher Rank.

Now, Su Ming has encountered such a situation.

His spiritual nature has improved.

His Spirit Power has increased.

His Vision Mark has grown stronger.

He has Broken through.

“Am I a Five-Star Sorcerer now?”

Su Ming was utterly bewildered.

This sudden advancement caught him completely off guard.

But soon, Su Ming understood why this had happened.

“Was it because of the change in my state of mind last night?”

That was exactly it.

During his all-night conversation with An Zijin, Su Ming let down his guard and revealed almost everything about himself.

This left Su Ming feeling an unprecedented sense of relief and ease, as the accumulated depression and pressure in his heart were swept away entirely.

For Su Ming, who felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, the change in his state of mind at that moment was easy to imagine.Thus, Su Ming’s spirituality naturally began to grow, and his Spirit Power increased accordingly, allowing him to unconsciously Breakthrough once again, advancing to a higher level.

Originally, in order to obtain the treasure that suppressed the Demon Emperor Sword, Su Ming had exhausted all his crystal chips. The numerous items he obtained to enhance Spirit Power were all devoured by him.

Under such circumstances, coupled with the change in his state of mind that led to the transformation of his spirituality, Su Ming’s Breakthrough became a natural progression.

Little Hai’er felt that Su Ming was more comfortable to be around today compared to yesterday because his Spirit Constitution had transformed, causing a spiritual mutation. As someone spiritually connected to Su Ming, Little Hai’er instinctively felt comfort and closeness.

The reason Su Ming felt so refreshed upon waking up was also due to this.

(End of Chapter)