He did not rush to a conclusion, carefully recalling the sensation of learning the skill.
This skill did not possess the lethal power or area-of-effect traits of his other skills. It felt more like a brand-new movement mechanism that could be used to close or increase the distance in combat.
Judging solely by its basic effects, it indeed did not deserve a mid-tier rating. However, he faintly sensed that the true value of this skill was far more complex than it appeared on the surface.
If he could adjust his direction mid-charge, or chain it with Redemption Strike to perform combos, the role of this skill would no longer be just a simple movement tool.
He stopped guessing blindly. The actual effects of the skill needed to be tested in real combat; empty speculation was pointless.
He first used all of his Class Exp Cards, causing his experience to instantly soar from 49% to 82%.
Looking at the significantly increased experience bar, he knew that if he were still at Level 5 or 6, this amount of experience would have been enough for him to directly break through to the Level 8 Transcendent rank.
The higher a character's level, the more experience was required to level up. The monsters here were relatively low-level and could no longer satisfy his leveling needs. To improve efficiently, he had to head to higher-tier monster areas.
Next was skill upgrading. He had accumulated a large number of Skill Exp Cards in his hands, which needed to be allocated and used reasonably.
After scanning his skill list, his gaze locked onto the Lv.0 Holy Charge.
Seeing a skill that was clearly lagging in level, his slight obsessive-compulsive tendency drove him to upgrade it first to level out his overall skills.
Skill Exp Cards were consumed one after another, and the skill icon flashed several times in succession.
Skill upgraded! Holy Charge Lv.0 → Lv.2!
Skill effects enhanced! Mana consumption increased!
Maximum HP increased! 3980/3980 → 4000/4000
Maximum Mana increased! 1150/1565 → 1150/1570
Basic attributes fully enhanced!
Bai Xuan slightly perceived the changes in his body. Warm mana flowed through his limbs. The boost was not intense, but he could clearly feel that his attribute limits had been expanded.
His HP had successfully broken through the four-thousand mark!
His overall attributes at Level 11 now far exceeded those of the Level 12 Gargantuan Magic Ape from yesterday's monster tide. The only area where he was still slightly inferior was in a direct clash of physical strength, likely because that magic ape's Strength Enhancement skill level was extremely high.
He looked back at the engraving stone in his inventory, still conflicted over the engraving rules for passive skills.
If it could only be engraved once, wasting it on a low-level skill would be too much of a pity. After some thought, he temporarily set aside the engraving stone and poured all of his remaining skill experience into Strength Enhancement.
The skill experience grew steadily, and the progress bar of Strength Enhancement pushed forward from Lv.3 (26%), eventually breaking through to Lv.4 (100%).
The physical sensation brought by this upgrade was far superior to previous ones. Bai Xuan stood up, clearly feeling his body become much lighter.
He casually picked up the copper lamp at the corner of the table and weighed it in his hand. The boost brought by Lv.4 Strength Enhancement was extremely powerful. Now, in a head-on clash of strength, he could completely match that Gargantuan Magic Ape.
But he quickly noticed the existence of a bottleneck.
None of the remaining Skill Exp Cards could be applied. The progress bar of Strength Enhancement came to a complete halt, as if blocked by a tightly closed door.
He could clearly sense that there was still room for further improvement in the skill, but he was unable to break through the current level shackles.
He immediately used his accumulated Skill Breakthrough Card. The icon of Strength Enhancement suddenly lit up, and its level broke straight through from Lv.4 to Lv.5 (0%).
This breakthrough was completely different from all previous upgrades. Bai Xuan's body instantly tensed as a majestic force erupted from within, expanding his meridians and bones.
A series of rapid, subtle cracking sounds echoed from his bones. It was not from injury or fractures, but rather his entire skeletal structure becoming tighter and more stable under the reshaping of mana. His muscle mass did not change, yet its density achieved an ultimate leap.
He looked down at his arm. While the exterior appeared completely unchanged, the internal transformation was incredibly clear. The moment he clenched his fist, the flow path of his physical strength changed entirely, focusing precisely between his joints and tendons.
He gently raised his hand, and even the resistance and airflow brushing past his palm became exceptionally distinct and perceptible.
The panel then refreshed with new skill tags:
Strength Enhancement Lv.5 (0%)
——Limit Breakthrough——
Shockwave: All heavy attacks can trigger an area-of-effect shockwave.
Bai Xuan stared at the brand-new skill effect for a long time.
At this moment, Strength Enhancement was no longer a simple passive skill that merely boosted physical strength. Reshaped by the Limit Breakthrough, his strength had become more condensed and pure, and it had even unlocked a brand-new area-of-effect dispersion trait.
He stood up, picked up the Staff of Guidance leaning against the bed, pushed open the door, and walked out into the open courtyard.
The estate's courtyard was not particularly spacious. The ground was paved with neat stone slabs, and several piles of uncleared debris were stacked against the wall.
Bai Xuan stood in the center of the open space, gripped his staff tightly, and lightly tapped the ground to test the new Shockwave effect.
A faint shockwave rippled outward from the point where the staff's head struck, sweeping along the ground and pushing the scattered fallen leaves several feet away.
He increased his force slightly and brought the staff down a second time. The range and power of the shockwave increased noticeably, sweeping away all the fine gravel on the ground with a soft rustling sound.
Bai Xuan stopped his movements and looked at the marks on the ground, understanding immediately. The actual combat effectiveness of the Shockwave was far stronger than he had anticipated; it was by no means just a simple, mild knockback.
He planned to gradually figure out its specific combat power and application scenarios in future battles. For now, he only needed to confirm that the new skill trait had been successfully unlocked.
Just as Bai Xuan put away his staff and was preparing for the next experiment, a flurry of hurried footsteps came from around the corner of the courtyard wall.
The night was silent, making the footsteps on the pavement exceptionally clear. It was obvious that the person had noticed the unusual commotion and was rushing over to investigate.
Bai Xuan turned his head and saw Yvonne walking quickly out from the corner of the corridor.
She held an oil lamp close to her chin, its flame flickering violently in the night breeze, while her other hand carried a large cloth bag.
She rushed to a spot just a few paces in front of Bai Xuan and came to a sudden halt. The flame of the oil lamp swayed forward sharply due to inertia before stabilizing once more.
Her gaze landed on Bai Xuan first, scanning him quickly from head to toe. After confirming he was uninjured, she finally looked at the spot on the ground where the staff had struck.
“Did something happen?” Her tone carried a clear edge of tension. “I heard some noise over here. Are you alright, sir?”
“My apologies. I was just training earlier and ended up disturbing you,” Bai Xuan said, looking at her apologetically.
Yvonne was startled for a moment, and her tensed nerves instantly relaxed as her shoulders slumped slightly.
She hurriedly waved her hands. “No, not at all! I didn't mean to blame you, sir. I'm just glad you're alright.”
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