The Statue Hall of the temple headquarters in the Royal Capital was located deep within the complex, an independent circular domed building.
Standing in the center of the hall were seven statues of gods, each ten meters high and carved from pure white jade.
Twelve stone pillars surrounded the statues, with a crystal ball floating atop each one, emitting a soft glow.
The hall was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, with only a few temple members sitting cross-legged on prayer mats before the statues, eyes closed in prayer or meditation.
Jiang Lin's footsteps echoed through the hall as he walked to the front of the statues, sat down, and began to activate his apostle's heart.
In the next moment, Jiang Lin felt as if he were floating in a warm ocean.
A massive stream of information flooded his mind—rules and principles concerning holy art evolution.
"To evolve a holy art, one must use an existing skill as a foundation, combining the essence of the soul, the characteristics of magic power, and the combat style under the guidance of the holy light origin to nurture a unique and exclusive holy art."
"Please provide a skill sample."
Jiang Lin thought for a moment and decided to try using his 【Chronowalker's Evil Eye】 as a sample to evolve other time-related abilities.
This was the most high-end ability he possessed.
Unfortunately, as the 【Chronowalker's Evil Eye】 was a talent, it did not count as a skill.
Ultimately, he decided to evolve the eight-colored sword qi, which he used most effectively, as the skill sample.
Although the eight-colored sword qi consisted of eight high-tier skills, after Jiang Lin's fusion and reorganization, it was already equivalent to using a super-tier or even higher-level skill.
Originally, this skill was already a combat method he had developed himself by adjusting and combining his magic characteristics with his understanding of swordsmanship.
Enhancing it specifically now should yield an effect even more perfectly suited to him.
With a thought, he transmitted the information regarding the eight-element sword qi.
In an instant, he felt as if he were pulled into a pure white space where there was no up, down, left, or right, only endless holy light.
In front of him, eight colored light spots emerged.
The sharpness of metal, the vitality of wood, the flexibility of water, the violence of fire, the thickness of earth, the swiftness of wind, the fury of thunder, and the holiness of light.
These light spots rotated around him, gradually merging and transforming, beginning to resonate with the understanding of sword qi deep within his soul under the guidance of the apostle's heart.
Jiang Lin saw countless images flash by:
He easily cut down storm eagles and purple lightning pythons with his eight-colored sword qi;
When facing gloom-shadow demonic wolves, the sword qi tore through their crystal scales;
While maneuvering around lava great lizards, the sword qi persisted without dissipating in the high heat;
When fighting the bald warrior, he defeated him despite a gap of two major ranks...
Every use, every improvement, every realization.
These memory fragments were extracted, analyzed, and reorganized by the holy light.
The eight colored spots began to condense, transforming into an illusory longsword.
The blade was transparent, with eight colors of light flowing inside; they were not simply mixed, but interwoven, layered, and circulating in a sophisticated pattern.
The form of the illusory sword became increasingly solid, and the eight-colored light flow was no longer just a stack of energy attributes but began to exhibit a wondrous rhythm of symbiosis and transformation.
Metal on the outer layer provided sharpness, wood on the inner layer maintained structural stability, water acted as a buffer and connection, fire granted explosive power, earth added weight and penetration, wind accelerated the flight and change of the sword qi, thunder brought paralysis and destruction, and light permeated throughout, providing the holy attribute and special effectiveness against evil.
The holy light origin continued to pour in, and Jiang Lin felt his apostle's heart thumping violently.
Immersed in the pure white space, a brand-new understanding flooded Jiang Lin's mind.
The holy light origin was analyzing and reshaping the eight-colored sword qi.
Like a master craftsman, the holy light origin broke down, refined, and reorganized all of Jiang Lin's understanding of sword qi—from the initial clumsy release of magic to the later precise elemental control, and finally the fusion of the eight elements into a unique combat style.
Gradually, the form of the illusory longsword began to change.
It was no longer a fixed sword but turned into a constantly flowing and changing eight-colored halo.
At the center of the halo, a speck of pure white light ignited—the power of the apostle's heart, the core of the holy light origin.
This speck of pure white was like a seed, rapidly growing and spreading, completely enveloping and saturating the eight-colored halo.
Jiang Lin began to actively guide this process.
He infused his understanding of the way of the sword—precision, speed, versatility, lethality—into it.
The eight-colored light sword began its transformation.
The blade gradually solidified, its surface light becoming restrained, but the internal light flow operated with even greater complexity and sophistication.
More importantly, the eight elements were no longer isolated; they formed a complete cycle system.
Metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal—the generation cycle of the five elements.
Wind aids the fire, thunder excites the water vapor, and light governs all—the coordination of extra elements.
This cycle allowed the sword qi to self-sustain and self-strengthen, even automatically adjusting elemental proportions based on the target's characteristics upon impact to achieve maximum damage.
For example, when facing heavily armored enemies, the proportions of metal, earth, and thunder would automatically increase;
Facing high-speed enemies, the proportions of wind, thunder, and light would increase;
Facing evil creatures, the light attribute would take dominance...
Finally, driven by the holy light origin, all realizations condensed to the extreme.
In the pure white space, the eight-colored light sword let out a clear chime and suddenly collapsed, turning into countless light spots that re-integrated into Jiang Lin's soul.
Jiang Lin opened his eyes.
He could feel something new within him—not a skill, not knowledge, but an instinct.
An instinct as natural as breathing or a heartbeat.
He raised his right hand with a slight thought.
There was no chanting, no complex manipulation of magic, just a shift in intent.
Above his palm, a translucent light sword, about three feet long and two fingers wide, floated before Jiang Lin.
The blade was as translucent as jade, with the internal eight-colored light flow rotating slowly like a galaxy, and a pure white crystal embedded in the guard, emitting a gentle yet vast aura of holy light.
The blade trembled slightly, letting out a clear hum as if it were alive.
Other worshipers in the hall were startled and cast surprised glances.
They could feel the terrifying fluctuations emanating from that light sword.
Jiang Lin reached out and grabbed the hilt.
In an instant, he felt himself merge with the sword.
Unlike the eight-element sword qi that needed to be actively condensed and maintained before, this light sword felt like a part of his body, an extension of his will.
And Jiang Lin could feel that the power it contained far surpassed anything before.
If the previous eight-element sword qi was a skill, then this was now a holy art—a unique holy art.
【Exclusive Holy Art Evolution Complete】
【Please give it a name】
A string of information appeared in Jiang Lin's mind.
Jiang Lin stared at the light sword floating in his palm and pondered for a moment.
"Eight colors flowing, elements circulating, guided by holy light, a sword to break all laws..."
"I'll call it—【Eight Extremities Holy Sword】."
The moment the name was decided, the light sword vibrated gently, as if in response.
Jiang Lin could clearly perceive various characteristics of the 【Eight Extremities Holy Sword】:
First, its magic consumption was greatly reduced; compared to the previous consumption of releasing eight high-tier skills simultaneously, the current 【Eight Extremities Holy Sword】 consumed at least fifty percent less.
Second, it possessed an adaptive trait, automatically adjusting elemental proportions according to the enemy type without needing Jiang Lin's conscious control.
Third, its operational logic almost perfectly matched Jiang Lin's current soul form and physical structure, making it truly tailor-made for him.
Fourth, it possessed growth potential; as Jiang Lin's affinity with the eight elements and his overall strength increased, the power of the 【Eight Extremities Holy Sword】 would strengthen accordingly.
Fifth, and most importantly, it had an extremely strong restraining effect on evil gods; with the enhancement of the holy art, the purification effect of the light element was increased several times over.
With another thought, the 【Eight Extremities Holy Sword】 dissipated.
Although he hadn't used this 【Eight Extremities Holy Sword】 in battle yet, just from his understanding of it, Jiang Lin knew that this so-called holy art would definitely not be weak!
It could even be said to be terrifyingly strong!
Even if the reward for this mission was only this one holy art, Jiang Lin felt it was worth it.
At the same time, he once again immersed his mind into his apostle's heart.
He wanted to see what his mission as an apostle of god would be.
When he completed his rank advancement earlier, he had received a message saying he needed to come to the statue of the God of Holy Light to collect his mission.
Jiang Lin's consciousness sank into the depths of the apostle's heart, and a gentle, vast intent enveloped him.
Several lines of text condensed from holy light appeared before his eyes:
【Available Missions (Low-level Apostle)】
【Clear Secret Cult Outpost】
Location: Border of the Saintas Kingdom, Blackrock Mountains
Objective: Destroy a small outpost of the "Pain Master" secret cult, kill the leader (Estimated strength: rank-4)
Reward: holy light origin (small amount)
Suggestion: Team recommended; outpost is hidden, reconnaissance skills required
【Investigate Abnormal Earth Vein Fluctuations】
Location: Three small towns around the Emerald City
Objective: Determine the cause of the earth vein anomalies and eliminate the remaining influence of secret cults
Reward: holy light origin (medium amount)
Suggestion: Requires knowledge of arrays or earth veins; can apply for expert assistance
【Escort Important Supplies】
Route: Royal Capital to the Northern Fortress
Objective: Ensure the temple's supply convoy arrives safely; a large number of monster attacks are expected
Reward: holy light origin (small amount)
Suggestion: Convoy protection mission; suitable for those familiar with wilderness combat
【Abyss Rift Patrol】
Location: Sighing Gorge in the western part of the kingdom
Objective: Patrol the faint abyssal aura that appeared recently and determine if it is a sign of demon god cultist activity
Reward: holy light origin (large amount), opportunity to learn holy arts
Suggestion: Requires ability to resist abyssal pollution; rank-4 and above recommended
......
Jiang Lin skimmed through quickly and made judgments in his heart.
The difficulty of these missions should be considered relatively high.
Especially the 【Abyss Rift Patrol】.
It had the richest rewards and the least information, while also requiring rank-4 to accept.
At that moment, he noticed a mission flashing with golden light.
【Abyss Corridor Invasion (Special Task)】
Location: Demon territory, deep within the Forgotten Swamp
Objective: The trial for demon god cultists—the Demon Lord Trial—will begin in 5 months. Find a way to infiltrate and hunt other demon god cultists.
Reward: holy light origin (massive amount), opportunity for unique holy art realization, opportunity for talent awakening, opportunity for apostle advancement assessment
Warning: The danger level of this mission is extremely high, with a death probability exceeding 99%.
......
Jiang Lin's gaze was firmly locked onto this special mission flashing with golden light.
The crimson warning of a death probability exceeding 99% was eye-piercing, but the rewards below were equally enticing.
This was almost a mission tailor-made for him.
He already had a Demon Lord Seed in his body, and his original plan was to participate in the Demon Lord Trial in the Abyss Corridor.
Now, another mission with such generous rewards had appeared.
Would a mere 99% death rate make him back down?
Furthermore, he still had a full five months.
He had plenty of time to become even stronger on his current foundation!
Jiang Lin no longer hesitated, locked his mind onto the 【Abyss Corridor Invasion (Special Task)】, and chose to accept it.
【Special Task Accepted: Abyss Corridor Invasion】
【Mission Countdown (Rough Estimate): 149 days 23 hours 59 minutes】
【Reminder: Please use this time to improve your strength as much as possible and collect detailed information about the Abyss Corridor, the Demon Lord Trial, and demon customs】
The moment he accepted the mission, a subtle stream of holy light flowed into his apostle's heart, as if acknowledging his courage.
Jiang Lin let out a long breath and stood up from the mat.
The other worshipers in the hall had already left one after another, leaving him alone.
The crystal spheres on the dome emitted a soft light, and the seven statues looked solemn and compassionate in the glow.
He took one last look at the statue of the God of Holy Light and turned to walk out of the hall.
The Royal Capital at night was still prosperous, with magic lamps along the streets stretching shadows long.
Jiang Lin did not go straight back to the inn but wandered the streets, thinking about his next plan.
It seemed time was somewhat pressing.
He had originally thought he could rest a bit after completing this task.
But he hadn't expected the Demon Lord Trial to take place in five months.
Therefore, he could no longer wander aimlessly in the Royal Capital and had to focus on increasing his strength.
When his strength was close to rank-3, he would go to Planet Teluofuto to complete the 【Trial of Blood (II)】.
Then he would return to break through to rank-3.
If his cultivation speed could remain the same as before, then in less than two months, he would be able to reach the peak of rank-2 again.
Well, he would set out to return to the Saint Brilliance Magic Academy now and focus on cultivation.
He would organize the gains from the Emerald City trip and consolidate his rank-2 realm.
Jiang Lin used the communication crystal to tell the Big Guy and Aria that he was preparing to leave.
However, the Big Guy reminded him:
"The mission reward department only opens during the day. Brother Jiang Lin, have you collected your bonus?"
Hearing this, Jiang Lin stated that he suddenly felt like wandering around the Royal Capital a bit more and would leave tomorrow morning.
Subsequently, he went to the temple library to collect the rank-2 breathing techniques.
【Paladin Breathing Technique · Rank-2】
【Basic Body-tempering Breathing Technique · Rank-2】
【Basic Concentration Breathing Technique · Rank-2】
Then, he began to spend points to learn them.
After reaching rank-2, the cost of the 【Designated Skill Upgrade】 increased from 2 to 4.
Fortunately, Jiang Lin's points were quite abundant, so he directly upgraded all three breathing techniques to the limit-broken level.
【Paladin Breathing Technique · Rank-2 (Initiated) → (Limit-broken)】
【Basic Body-tempering Breathing Technique · Rank-2 (Initiated) → (Limit-broken)】
【Basic Concentration Breathing Technique · Rank-2 (Initiated) → (Limit-broken)】
Additionally, it was worth noting that for the holy art 【Eight Extremities Holy Sword】, Jiang Lin was already at the limit-broken level as soon as he mastered it.
Therefore, it did not require any additional skill points.
Rate on N.U.
