Chapter 339 – Deadbone Questions the Meaning of Bone Existence

Under the silent, grim stare, Mu Yuan gradually figured out the reason.

“It seems that deducing skills consumes the Hall of Knowledge itself?”

“And Deadbone’s consumption during deduction might be slightly higher than others?”

His generals were not lacking in Epic Skills or Advanced Skills, which led Mu Yuan to somewhat overlook how immense the obstacles normally were to deduce and awaken an Advanced Skill.

Wisdom! Bloodline! Opportunity! None could be missing.

Even for Deadbone, without a great Opportunity, it would be impossible to deduce an Epic Skill. Even if this skill barely touched the threshold of Epic, its mystery, profundity, and practical value were far inferior to a true Epic.

But it was still Epic.

The skill deduction project was Deadbone’s great Opportunity. Under normal circumstances, this project was at most a minor opportunity, with the vast majority of strong individuals only able to deduce an ordinary skill here, passing through with a qualified performance.

Only a few exceptionally talented individuals could deduce an Advanced Skill. For them, this project could be considered an Opportunity.

And Deadbone?

In order to obtain a satisfactory Limit Cultivation Method, it forcibly deduced dozens to hundreds of skills in a short period, constructing a cultivation method that touched upon Epic.

With such great gains, the price to be paid in this creative process was naturally enormous.

However, Deadbone only paid a small part of this price—it burned its Willpower Light, causing its will to briefly sublimate and enter a ‘Half-Step Limit Sublimation State’. For it, this also damaged its Origin to some extent.

The majority of the cost was paid by the Hall of Knowledge.

Looking at the depleted ‘spiritual light’, Guardian Gabu Yu’s face was as dark as a pot bottom. He didn’t even have time to be shocked by what this young undead had done, only feeling heartache for his dried-up spiritual light.

He was stunned, he was pained, he really wanted to hit someone!

But Gabu Yu was also somewhat confused.

This young undead had deduced over a hundred skills, including many Advanced Skills. This feat could be called cheating. However, the Hall of Knowledge was a Miracle Building shaped by the rules of heaven and earth. Such structures were more mystical, grand, and indestructible compared to ordinary Wilderness Structures.

The Hall of Knowledge wasn’t this fragile.

To empty the hall, typically, several times more Advanced Skills would need to be deduced.

Gabu Yu couldn’t figure it out.

After all, he wasn’t the rules, nor had he reached the Realm where he could understand and comprehend the rules.

He just faintly felt that when this young undead deduced skills, the spiritual light it absorbed seemed likely to be far higher than others.

So what exactly did this young undead do!

Deadbone expressed innocence.

For many years, it had always deduced skills this way.

It just felt that the previous state was very familiar, like returning home and bathing in the light of evolution. But when it used the remnants of the evolution miracle to deduce skills, the mystical state visibly faded. Often, after evolution ended, it would take an extra half day to complete skill deduction.

This time, however, the mystical spiritual light was like an endless river—no matter how much it absorbed, the light remained full. This was the first time it had experienced such happiness.Unfortunately, in the end, the profound spiritual insight still faded away.

He was so close, so close to failing to deduce this skill.

He had once again committed the sin of not being cautious enough.

Deadbone silently recited the “Spirit of Caution.”

Beside him, Guardian Gabu Yu stared at Deadbone as if looking at an NTR enemy, but as the guardian of this rule-based structure, what could he do? Of course, he had to follow the procedure and give this challenger the highest evaluation.

Could he say “no,” or claim that this challenge project was truly broken? Otherwise, he wouldn’t even have the authority to refuse subsequent challengers.

「Prompt: Your Hero ‘Deadbone’ has obtained the cultivation skill ‘Death Breathing Technique.’」

Deadbone received a high evaluation, but the cultivation skills the Hall of Knowledge could bestow were limited to just these few.

The Death Breathing Technique was merely an Advanced Skill, albeit a more sophisticated and profound one among Advanced Skills.

With just a brief attempt, Deadbone discovered at least three nodes that could be improved. However, without the boost in Comprehension Ability and the profound spiritual insight, it couldn’t immediately deduce and refine this cultivation skill.

Deadbone felt somewhat regretful.

Suddenly, it thought of something. Wait, “There’s no skill deduction project anymore?!”

Gabu Yu let out a displeased snort, “Due to special circumstances, this project has been canceled. Future challengers will be tested with other projects.”

Ah, wait, this…!

Does that mean its Lord won’t be able to deduce skills?

Deadbone vaguely sensed that the project’s closure might have… a tiny bit to do with itself. It felt ashamed, remorseful.

Not remorseful toward the Hall of Knowledge.

What did it matter to it if this Miracle Building was broken or not?

It’s just that if it had to break, it should at least wait until Lord and the rest of their territory’s companions had used this Opportunity before breaking.

This Hall of Knowledge building isn’t very reliable.

In the distance, Tilly and the other elves looked at each other, utterly confused about what had happened. They only vaguely sensed that something major had occurred.

This unremarkable undead powerhouse seemed to have deduced an incredibly powerful skill, leaving the guardian so astonished he was speechless.

But what was the special reason that led to the project’s closure?

Does this mean the human Lord from Tianyuan Territory won’t be able to perform skill deduction?

The elves felt somewhat relieved, yet also regretful and disappointed. After all, the pressure exuded by the several powerhouses from Tianyuan Territory was overwhelming. If even Tianyuan Generals were so exceptionally talented, what about this Lord who commanded the respect of so many powerhouses?

They were very eager to see what skill Tianyuan Lord would deduce!

But they were fated not to witness it.

Tianyuan Lord himself would surely be even more regretful, having missed this Opportunity for nothing.

…

As for Mu Yuan, did he feel regretful? A little, but not that much.

He had always been a man who knew his limits. With his Comprehension Ability, slightly inferior to Deadbone’s, on par with Isloria’s, and far surpassing Dolai’s, he couldn’t possibly deduce an Epic Skill.

At best, he could only deduce an Advanced one.

Advanced Skills were something he currently needed but not urgently. During battles, he could always utilize templates from Dolai and the others. However, fully mastering an Advanced Skill himself would help him deepen his understanding of energy and the world.

Now that the opportunity was gone, so be it.

Once he stepped into the Legendary Realm, there would be plenty of chances to create his own system.Now, with the ‘Limit Cultivation Method’ deduced by Deadbone, the time for Lord Mu to step into the Legendary Realm would be significantly shortened.

Thanks to his Lord Power, Mu Yuan didn’t need to put in any effort to learn this skill.

He only needed to know how to use it.

However, in terms of refined ranks, Mu Someone had not yet reached the peak of the Fourth Order, still a few minor levels away. The same was true for key generals like Lu Liu, Red Robe, and Uta.

Some time ago, they had actually found a few Upgrade Shards, but the quantity was too small, far from enough for everyone to use.

The generals’ ranks had improved slightly, but they were still some distance from the peak of the Fourth Order.

This gap would require a considerable amount of time to bridge.

And now, it was almost impossible to find Upgrade Shards in the wild.

“For the Tianyuan Faction generals, having one more Advanced skill would be nice, but it wasn’t a big loss if they missed out. After all, they weren’t lacking in powerful, well-suited abilities…”

During their epic-stage evolutions, each evolution often came with the awakening of one to three Advanced skills. The generals’ combat systems were built around their epic abilities, and many Advanced skills didn’t even get a chance to be used.

They weren’t short on skill options.

At most, they felt a bit of regret for missing the opportunity to participate in the skill deduction process.

Mu Yuan pulled back his thoughts and turned to Guardian Gabu Yu, proposing to attempt another type of trial.

Gabu Yu, his face as dark as a pot bottom, randomly selected the next trial.

Soon,

Lord Mu passed the puzzle trial called ‘Six Harmonies Magic Cube.’ Because he completed it in a very short time, he received a high-level evaluation.

The baptism of rules showered down.

Mu Someone felt as if he were soaking in a warm spring, and his thought speed instantly collided with endless sparks of inspiration, as if ascending to a higher dimension. Unfortunately, this profoundly mysterious and wondrous feeling came abruptly and vanished even faster, almost like an illusion.

By the time he regained his senses, he had already mastered the newly cultivated skill.

「Prompt: Through the baptism of rules, you have learned the Advanced skill ‘Advanced Ordinary Breathing Technique.’ This cultivation method has the marvelous effect of simultaneously increasing physique, spirit, and energy, though the growth in any single attribute is inferior to other cultivation methods.」

“Interesting.”

Studying this Advanced skill, Mu Yuan immediately gained new insights into the application of energy and the essence of power.

As expected of me~!

After all, the number of skills he truly mastered was very limited, while borrowed skills were like viewing flowers through a fog—visible but untouchable.

Through this study, Mu Yuan felt that his Concept was vaguely on the verge of a breakthrough.

…

Twenty hours later, Mu Yuan and the others returned to the territory.

The gains from this trip were substantial.

The cultivation skill was one of them. Such skills remained highly useful even in the Legendary Realm. Moreover, mastering several cultivation-type skills could greatly assist Legendary Realm experts in deducing the most suitable cultivation method for themselves.

When paired with cultivation structures—such as the Gravity Training Field and the Iceheart Lotus Platform—cultivation skills could produce even more remarkable effects.

Mu Yuan certainly planned to send Dolai, Sario, Uta, and others to the Hall of Knowledge to take advantage of this opportunity.

However, they would have to go in batches and discreetly.

Especially Dolai.

If it weren’t for Deadbone and the fully-formed Military Soul Legion holding down the fort in his territory, Mu Yuan would feel quite insecure without Dolai around.

While cultivation skills wouldn’t bring significant combat power improvements to the generals in the short term, the reduction in grinding time offered by the ‘Limit Cultivation Method’ was visibly apparent.It can increase the polishing speed by 399%!

That is five times the original speed!

If Deadbone previously needed two and a half months to polish, now it only takes a mere half month. Becoming a legend is within reach!

Mu Yuan tried using this cultivation method and soon made a delightful discovery.

“When absorbing Soul Sand for cultivation, combining it with this Secret Method can significantly increase the absorption speed of Soul Sand and also raise the daily cultivation limit.”

“Marvelous, truly marvelous.”

The Limit Cultivation Method holds immense value and significance for the Tianyuan Territory at this stage. To truly unleash its potential, the method must be widely promoted.

At the very least, the top-tier experts of the Tianyuan Faction must master it.

When Deadbone deduced the skill, it also considered this point. It continuously lowered the entry barrier, hoping that everyone could learn and practice it.

Soon,

The Undead Emperor’s small lecture began!

Inside the cultivation structure ‘Iceheart Lotus Platform,’ experts like Lu Liu, Isloria, Sario, and Bone Two focused their minds and waited with great anticipation.

Deadbone began its explanation.

“To practice this method, one must first unblock 206 nodes in the body and 33 facets in the consciousness. After that, one can begin to grasp the basics.”

Isloria: “???”

Lu Liu: “???”

Sario: “(＠_＠;)”

And then? What comes next?

What about the process? The formulas? The understanding? The reasoning? None of it was there!

Deadbone fell silent as well.

How strange. It felt it had explained everything clearly. After all, this cultivation method only had these few challenging points to note.

However, as a cautious skeleton, Deadbone had naturally prepared alternative plans.

It had learned the Lord’s cautious spirit—always keeping various backup plans ready.

It had also considered how to teach in more detail if some companions couldn’t understand.

“Second Brother, come up here.”

Deadbone called Bone Two onto the platform and extended its hand. A jade-white bone palm surged with overwhelming black mist. The mist descended, enveloping Bone Two, so thick that no light could penetrate.

It was transmitting its power.

In fact, this was how most experts passed on advanced skills to others—expending their own energy to condense a skill seed and transfer it to someone else. This method also skipped the intermediate step of inscribing the power onto a Scroll.

To use this method, the expert must have reached the pinnacle of understanding and application of the skill.

Even so, the expert transmitting the power would suffer significant losses, and the recipient might still fail to learn it. It depended on the learner’s compatibility with the skill and their own Comprehension Ability.

The skill ‘Limit Cultivation Method,’ as refined by Deadbone, had a very low threshold and could suit most living beings.

It transmitted the skill to Bone Two.

Half an hour later, Deadbone withdrew its power. The thick black mist dissipated, revealing Bone Two’s skeletal frame, full of gaps.

“How was it? Which realm have you reached in the basics?”

Deadbone asked with anticipation.

It had designed the Limit Cultivation Method with three realms, precisely to account for those who couldn’t master it all at once. In such cases, they could at least learn the first or second part.

Bone Two widened its eyes.

In its hollow eye sockets, the faint soul fire reflected three parts confusion, three parts innocence, and four parts bewilderment.

It… hadn’t learned a single thing.

Deadbone was so frustrated it wanted to pull out the Desolate Kingbone and give Bone Two’s skull a good whack.This bone is beyond teaching!

“Next!”

Another half hour later, the Undead General fell into slight silence.

“Next.”

Another two half-hours later, the Undead General felt somewhat powerless.

“Next…”

After another three half-hours, the Undead General began questioning his skeletal existence.

How strange, is this really reasonable?

Perhaps… is it too difficult to learn an Epic Skill through conventional means? Is that it?

Deadbone thought not.

But the remaining truth told him that perhaps it was.

Not far away, a certain General who had come to join the excitement using a liquid incarnation patted his chest with lingering fear. “Fortunately, fortunately, this Dolai is already a Legend and doesn’t need to learn this whatever method. This is too terrifying!”

In Dolai’s entire life, it had never experienced such a terrifying scene.

Even powerful beings like Isloria found it obscure and dizzying to listen to. If it hadn’t stepped into Legend and had to learn this skill… just thinking about it made Dolai turn pale.

Terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!

Xiliu looked pale-faced at Dolai, “Big sister, save me!”

Dolai: “No saving, can’t save, farewell!”

In the entire venue, there was only one handsome guy who could understand Deadbone’s explanation.

That was the great and extraordinarily brilliant Lord Mu.

Ahem, after all, he could borrow Deadbone’s skills. Although his understanding of borrowed skills was like viewing flowers through fog, he had at least experienced them firsthand, so he could deduce the cause from the effect.

Under Lord Mu’s explanations and Deadbone’s repeated transmissions of power, finally…

Everyone gradually gained an outline and some understanding of this skill, no longer feeling like they were listening to incomprehensible texts.

Going forward like this, with more time, they could barely get started with this skill.

Of course, this only applied to Isloria, Lu Liu, Tree Spirit Grandma, Red Robe, and others. A certain bone second-in-command, dragon girl, and muscular punch man who wished to remain anonymous couldn’t understand a single bit no matter what.

In the end,

The first Tianyuan General to learn this skill was…

Rakshasa!

「Skill: …、Limit Cultivation Method (Epic·Incomplete).」

The reason Rakshasa could stand out was…

Lord Mu exploited a bug for him.

Rakshasa first learned the general idea, then, taking advantage of his evolution to Epic Two Stars and the lingering effect of miracle power, he mastered this method in one go.

Although, it was only at the incomplete level.

Why can’t I still learn it?

Deadbone sat by the lotus pond stream, gazing at the sparkling water, sighing alone.

(End of Chapter)