As the core damage dealers of the skeleton army, the choice of affixes for the Skeleton Archer and Skeleton Mage naturally leaned toward raw power. Consequently, Chen Xu chose Multi-Shot and Cold Enhancement respectively.
The former allowed the Skeleton Archer to increase its attack coverage, while the latter enhanced the Skeleton Mage's ice attribute output and granted it mastery over higher-tier ice spells.
As for the Skeleton Priest, its role was to stay standing and continuously replenish the legion's manpower. Thus, Chen Xu chose Extra Strong for it, allowing for a comprehensive development of all its attributes.
After the selection, Chen Xu's summoning skills were as follows:
【Raise Skeleton (Level 36+4): Summon a skeleton. If a corpse is consumed for the summoning, obtain extra bonuses based on the corpse's quality. Current enhancements: Cold Enhancement, Aura of Cold, Special Curse.】
【Skeleton Hero: Bone Guard One (Level 19)】
【Skeleton Hero: Bone Guard Two (Level 19)】
【Skeleton Hero: Bone Guard Three (Level 9)】
【Summon Skeleton Priest (Level 10+4): Summon a Skeleton Priest. The Skeleton Priest can cast summoning skills and defensive bone skills mastered by the practitioner. Current enhancements: Extra Strong.】
【Skeleton Hero: Not yet converted】
【Summon Skeleton Archer (Level 15+4): Summon a Skeleton Archer. The Skeleton Archer's arrows can easily pierce through flesh. Current enhancements: Multi-Shot.】
【Skeleton Hero: Not yet converted】
【Summon Skeleton Mage (Level 15+4): Summon a Skeleton Mage. The Skeleton Mage masters the powers of frost and shadow. Current enhancements: Cold Enhancement.】
【Skeleton Hero: Not yet converted】
There were still three skeleton hero slots available. Chen Xu took the time to return to the Undead Kingdom to perform the conversions. After all, he was currently in the Enlightenment Temple surrounded by so many children. It would be bad if he summoned skeletons here and frightened them.
【Skeleton hero conversion successful. Obtained skeleton hero, Type: Necrotic Priest. Please bestow a name.】
【Skeleton hero conversion successful. Obtained skeleton hero, Type: Sharpshooter. Please bestow a name.】
【Skeleton hero conversion successful. Obtained skeleton hero, Type: Soul Mage. Please bestow a name.】
"Necrotic Priest... Hmm, let us call him Rathma. I believe the sect of Necromancers was named Rathma," Chen Xu thought, frantically searching his memories from his previous life.
"The archer will be named Blood Raven. As for the mage, let us go with Tal Rasha. He was also a mage who enjoyed working with souls."
"Praise my Lord!" Rathma was the first to speak.
Unlike the other skeletons, Rathma wore a grey robe that covered his skeletal frame, complete with a hood. His exposed skull actually carried a hint of serenity, lacking the terrifying and hideous appearance of the other skeletons.
"Praise my Lord!" Led by Rathma, Tal Rasha and Blood Raven also voiced their greetings.
Tal Rasha wore white silk robes with a long blue cloak draped over his back. He held a slender staff that was a full 1.5 meters long, matching his own height.
Blood Raven stood two meters tall, just like the other skeleton heroes. He wore a set of rugged leather armor with three quivers strapped to his back. Holding a shortbow in his hand, he looked exceptionally efficient.
Chen Xu then checked the status panels of the three skeleton heroes.
【Skeleton Hero: Rathma (Level 1)】
【Skills: Blessing of the Dead, Necrotic Ground, Heretic Bone Cage】
【Blessing of the Dead (Level 1): The skeleton hero blesses surrounding undead creatures, increasing all their attributes.】
【Necrotic Ground (Level 1): The skeleton hero briefly twists the attributes of a patch of land, transforming it into grey soil filled with necrotic energy.】
【Heretic Bone Cage (Level 1): The skeleton hero traps enemies in a cage covered in spikes, continuously torturing the souls of the heretical foes.】
【Skeleton Hero: Blood Raven (Level 1)】
【Skills: Mobile Rapid Fire, Barrage, Star Chase】
【Mobile Rapid Fire (Level 1): Through long-term training, the skeleton hero can accurately fire arrows even while moving at high speeds.】
【Barrage (Level 1): Aim at a single target and instantly fire a massive volley of arrows toward it.】
【Star Chase (Level 1): Concentrates the sharpshooter's entire understanding of archery to fire a guaranteed hit at the target. This arrow possesses extreme penetration.】
【Skeleton Hero: Tal Rasha (Level 1)】
【Skills: Archmage, Soul Lash, Energy Ring】
【Archmage (Level 1): The skeleton hero is well-read and knowledgeable, capable of casting various types of spells.】
【Soul Lash (Level 1): The soul is the most fragile part of any living being. A soul mage specializing in this field created this wicked spell to strike directly at the depths of an enemy's soul.】
【Energy Ring (Level 1): The skeleton hero can gather the energy of Skeleton Mages, amplifying the power of his own spells based on the number of mages gathered.】
After reviewing the panels, Chen Xu handed the three skeleton heroes over to Xuan Chu for arrangement and returned to the Enlightenment Temple to continue his studies.
A mere seven days of filling in the blanks of his foundation had given Chen Xu a significant understanding of the applications of the mental strength system. At the very least, there were many new developments regarding the Undead Kingdom.
For instance, in addition to Chen Xu being able to appear near a skeleton hero through the Undead Kingdom at any time, the skeleton heroes could now also use the Undead Kingdom to quickly reinforce one another.
By relying on this function, they had easily taken down several powerful boss monsters during their campaign. Those Fallen Demon leader staves were obtained in exactly this manner.
Feeling that the mental system was of immense use to him, what had started as a desperate attempt to salvage his dignity had transformed into a genuine appreciation for the power of this system.
Back at the Enlightenment Temple, Chen Xu immersed himself in learning once more. Before he knew it, another week had passed.
"Is that all there is to the knowledge of the enlightenment stage?" Chen Xu asked, looking at Karen and the other teachers who stood before him with open palms.
"Mr. Chen Xu, we have even explained our individual classroom verbal tics to you. There is truly nothing left to teach."
"Indeed..."
"That is correct," the other mages chimed in.
"What about the knowledge beyond enlightenment? Or rather, the teaching methods?"
Since he had completed the speedrun of the enlightenment content, Chen Xu was ready to move on to the next stage of learning.
To his surprise, the mages all shook their heads.
Seeing their reactions, Chen Xu thought they were asking for more benefits, so he pulled out new items recently collected by his skeleton army from the Undead Kingdom.
"No matter how much you offer, they will not teach you the subsequent content unless they no longer wish to stay in the Akhan Dynasty," Karen interrupted Chen Xu's actions. "Knowledge beyond enlightenment falls under the category of equivalent exchange. You must either join a school and serve it to exchange for corresponding knowledge, or exchange knowledge for knowledge."
The mages nodded one after another, making gestures to show they were truly powerless.
"Alright, Mr. Chen Xu, your journey of seeking knowledge at the Enlightenment Temple ends here. Two weeks... such speed. According to the rules, we should award you the Enlightenment Temple Outstanding Student Medal, but I doubt you would want it. I will take you directly to Professor Cyntia."
...
The Tower of Balance. This was Chen Xu's second time here.
The first time he came, he was an unknown nobody, but things were different now. On the right chest of his Enlightenment Robes, he wore a silver-grey badge.
Yes, the Enlightenment Temple Outstanding Student Medal.
Just when Karen thought Chen Xu would not want the badge, he had done the opposite and applied for one directly, even solemnly pinning it to his robes.
This resulted in the walk from the Enlightenment Temple to the Tower of Balance attracting the attention of many passersby.
It was already rare enough for someone of his age to wear Enlightenment Robes, let alone with an outstanding student medal. Passersby clicked their tongues in wonder, and some even discussed whether they could pull strings with a school to apply for one, causing Karen's face to turn red with embarrassment the entire way.
At this moment in the first-floor hall, most people were mages who paid even more attention to the Enlightenment Robes. Furthermore, with Karen, a mage from the Balance School, beside him, the eyes of everyone gathered on Chen Xu from the moment he stepped into the hall.
The mage who had been sleeping at the counter happened to be awake today. His mouth fell open as he watched Chen Xu walk in wearing the robes and the medal.
Karen wordlessly sent Chen Xu onto the teleportation array. She activated the formation before he even had a chance to turn around and stand properly. The experiences along the way had pushed this mage to the limit of her patience.
After sending Chen Xu away, she let out a long sigh of relief.
"Karen, although being an enlightenment teacher is not a high-point mission, it is not quite right to issue a medal against the regulations. If the other schools find out, especially the Sun School, it might not be good."
This single sentence from the counter mage set Karen off. She turned and glared at him fiercely. However, since this was school territory and there were many mages around, she could not do much. She simply said one word at a time, "Philen, I hope your cultivation is as good as your sleeping habits. Otherwise, you will be sleeping on the arena floor during this year's spell duel!"
After dropping the threat, Karen quickly left the Tower of Balance, leaving a bewildered Philen behind.
Third floor of the Tower of Balance, the Red Witch Forest.
Chen Xu arrived outside the wooden cabin with practiced ease. Just as he was about to open the door and walk in, Professor Cyntia's voice drifted out from inside, "Entering without an invitation is quite rude for a child, you know."
Left with no choice, Chen Xu knocked on the door.
"Please come in, outstanding student of the Enlightenment Temple!"
Professor Cyntia was still resting her chin on one hand while pouring tea with the other.
As soon as Chen Xu sat down, the surrounding scene gradually shifted, returning to that crimson forest.
Once again, the ground suddenly split open, and numerous branches dripping with blood-red slime shot out from the cracks, attacking Chen Xu.
However, Chen Xu was no longer the same person he was two weeks ago.
First, he used his mental strength to kick up a massive amount of soil, using it to absorb the slime on the branches.
Then, he mobilized his mental strength to guide and deflect the direction of the branches' attacks, causing them to tangle with each other. He then used five low-level runes to cast a sealing spell, locking the branches in place.
"Professor Cyntia, I will not be defeated by these old tricks a second time."
Professor Cyntia did not reply. More cracks appeared on the surrounding ground, and even more branches flew out, their speed twice as fast as before.
Even the ground beneath Chen Xu's feet split open, shooting out branches.
With no other choice, Chen Xu used his mental strength to levitate in the air while continuing to guide the branches into tangles.
But the number of branches grew larger, and the resulting knots piled higher and higher, forcing Chen Xu to constantly increase his flight altitude.
Chen Xu had thought about clearing these branches, but of the runes he currently mastered, only the sealing one was effective. Moreover, the branches were increasing in number and speed, keeping him so busy responding that he had no time for further thought.
Suddenly, Chen Xu felt the sky darken above him. He looked up only to find that the giant tree was actually hovering in the air, and Professor Cyntia had already opened her massive mouth.
Boom!
The giant mouth snapped shut, and Chen Xu was swallowed once again.
Shivering, Chen Xu woke up and quickly drank a cup of tea to calm his nerves.
He did not know if it was because he had grown significantly or if Professor Cyntia had done it on purpose, but while he had lost all perception immediately after being swallowed last time, this time he actually retained his senses until he woke up.
"Not bad. Growing to this level in two weeks... now I am starting to believe you are a disciple of Archmage Zhang Jingping."
Professor Cyntia nodded, seemingly very satisfied with Chen Xu's performance.
"Then, congratulations, Chen Xu. You have passed the school's assessment."
With a wave of Professor Cyntia's hand, the surrounding scene shifted rapidly, and the two of them arrived inside a library.
"Oh, Professor Cyntia! What wind blows you to the Balance Library?"
Behind Professor Cyntia, a scale floating in the air asked enthusiastically.
"Lord Balance of Knowledge, please help design the curriculum for this young student, Chen Xu. He is a student who came by recommendation." Professor Cyntia pointed her index finger at Chen Xu.
The Balance of Knowledge flew over Chen Xu's head, circled once, and said, "No problem."
"Make sure to arrange it well. He was recommended by Archmage Zhang Jingping!"
Hearing this, the tiny eyes on the left and right pans of the Balance of Knowledge snapped wide open. It circled Chen Xu several more times.
"I see, so he was recommended by the Archmage. He truly does have extraordinary qualities." It nodded, mimicking human behavior. "In that case, follow me. I will arrange it personally."
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