Chapter 411 - 13: Self-Service Character Creation-Style True Body Cultivation Technique

At this very moment, Su Zhou was using Sacred Geometry as his core, circulating the "Spore" True Body Cultivation Method and starting to build the foundation for his future True Body. ’Sacred Geometry is the Cultivation Method that determines the fundamental Attributes of my physical body,’ he thought. ’Although it hasn’t condensed into a Spiritual Power Organ, it’s even more important than one.’

’The True Body also requires immense mass. It’s impossible for me to accomplish this all at once, but it’s fine if I establish a general framework first and then slowly adjust it later.’

Intense fluctuations of Spiritual Power began to surge within Su Zhou’s body, but he kept them locked down completely, not allowing a single trace to escape. Even Elias, dozing nearby, wasn’t startled awake.

’First, Defense Power. I’ll use the Five Spirits Colored Scales as a base. I’ll remove the function that releases Spiritual Power and weaken the one that converts it. Instead of treating it as a Spiritual Power conversion organ, I’ll make it a pure Spiritual Power Absorption Scale Armor. It will be able to break down any Attribute into Spiritual Power of other Attributes. Each scale will convert the energy differently, and they’ll counteract and neutralize each other, creating an effect similar to reactive armor.’

As he thought this, faint, translucent scales began to form one by one beneath his skin. ’I’ll create a small portion first to see how it works. If it’s effective, I’ll make adjustments and improvements based on the data.’

This made him sigh. "The hero who slays a Dragon bathes in Dragon Blood and gradually grows Dragon Scales... It’s true what they say: the Dragon Slayer eventually becomes the Dragon."

Yara immediately retorted, "Hey, you were a Dragon to begin with! You didn’t need to slay one to become one!"

「Time flew by in a flash.」

Su Zhou had been in Naisel City’s sphere of influence for nearly ten days.

The round trip wasn’t long, so Su Zhou didn’t stay in the Maze to cultivate his True Body the entire time, occasionally returning to the main city. Nor did Elias accompany Su Zhou to the Maze every time. In those ten days, the young Duke had gradually taken substantive control of the entire city. He began to reorganize the exploration of the Maze and the management of its adventurers, restoring the normal flow of resources.

During this time, Su Zhou also visited the 8th Layer, the section of the Maze the previous Duke had named the ’Mist Domain,’ to search for the Water God Divine Hall. But the place lived up to its reputation; even the former Duke, an Extraordinary Peak expert, had found his Perception limited there. Su Zhou couldn’t see very far either. Worse, there was no Yabo leaving an aura to guide him this time, so he failed to find the Divine Hall.

Nevertheless, Su Zhou sensed something different about the 8th Layer. The Spiritual Power in that part of the Maze was faintly similar to what he had sensed from the spy Fishmaid and the Crystal Altar. He was currently trying to grasp the details of this similarity. Once he did, his sensitivity to that faint aura would allow him to quickly pinpoint the Divine Hall’s location.

Su Zhou felt that finding the Water God Divine Hall was only a matter of time—it would likely happen within the next few days.

Su Zhou’s True Body Cultivation was also getting on track. After some tests, his specialized ’Spiritual Power Reactive Scale Armor’ proved to have decent defensive effects. At the very least, if an ordinary Extraordinary Early Stage Magical Beast from the 5th Layer tried to break his defense up close, it would have to risk getting hit by a counter-blast. However, it wasn’t as effective at blocking attacks from an Extraordinary Middle Stage opponent. After all, it was something Su Zhou had just cobbled together. Once he collected enough data to make adjustments, its Defense Power would surely reach a whole new level.

And so, Su Zhou would occasionally venture into the Maze to hunt down new Extraordinary Creatures and farm experience while cultivating his True Body. Other times, he would return to the main city to feast, stocking up on mass and energy for his eventual transformation.

Everything was progressing smoothly.

Until one day, a travel-worn member of a merchant caravan arrived at the Duke’s Mansion, delivering an urgent message to Elias, the Little Duke who was already beginning to exude an air of Majesty.

"The closest Shelter City to us, ’Mickelson Castle,’ was attacked by an unknown force. The entire city fell several months ago."

Inside the Duke’s Mansion, which was already undergoing renovations, the serious, gray-eyed youth sat in the large chair behind his desk. He looked down at the caravan member—who was in fact an intelligence agent for Naisel City—respectfully kneeling on one knee. "And Mickelson Castle was breached from within," Elias confirmed. "That unknown force had numerous inside agents. They took the fortress by surprise, leading an elite squad to storm the castellan’s residence and seize control of the entire shelter."

His small frame seemed out of place with the oversized desk and chair, but it did not diminish the Majesty of his ducal status. "That’s the gist of it, correct?"

"Yes, Your Grace. Mickelson has fallen. Many caravans that were heading in that direction have turned back, and large numbers of refugees and pursuers are following close behind. I rushed back to Naisel ahead of the others to inform you."

The merchant looked exhausted and terrified, his voice tinged with lingering fear. "That mysterious force is skilled in Water Magic; nearly all of them are Water Spellcasters, but they have other specializations, too. Some are adept at controlling Undead and using Curses. I saw it with my own eyes—several caravans I knew were too slow to retreat and were swarmed by shadowy, water-like Ghosts. I can only imagine their fate..."

At this point, he hesitated, as if unsure of the information’s reliability. But with an encouraging look from Elias, he continued, "However, I did overhear a few key phrases... They said they wanted to ’select potential bloodlines,’ ’transform their essence,’ and ’increase the number of their brethren’..."

Clearly, the merchant had left too early and returned too late. He had no idea that Naisel City itself had been occupied by this same "unknown force" within the past year. Their identity was obvious: they were undoubtedly the Water God Believers.

As for increasing the number of their brethren, that was even easier to understand. Just as the Fishmaid and the Yabo from the journal had been converted into Fishmen, humans who possessed a latent bloodline from their era could indeed be transformed into their kin by the Water God’s Divine Power. In the process, they would be assimilated, body and soul.

It wasn’t exactly brainwashing. Humans were fragile creatures, after all. Once they learned they were fundamentally different from other people, once they saw a future and a hope for survival under the guidance of a God, who wouldn’t be willing to contribute to the very organization that gave them that hope?

’It seems that as the end approaches, the Water God and His believers are starting to run rampant... Naisel City is on the front lines. Whether it’s the refugees, the pursuers, or the next target for their main force—it will definitely be us.’

Taking a deep breath, the gray-eyed youth clenched his fists under the desk to suppress his anxiety. He calmly had a maidservant lead the exhausted merchant away to rest. Then, he rose hastily, preparing to go and inform Su Zhou, who was in seclusion for his Cultivation.

’The enemy is coming!’