The Salary Base, Fourth Level Training Ground.
Master Wang arrived here feeling somewhat perplexed.
"What does the mentor want with me? Old Wang is in the middle of refining the Grim Crystal Cannon, and I've accumulated over twenty orders for manufacturing teleportation runes. Then there's the design of new grim weapons... casting those inventory grim creatures... large batch orders for grim crystal cannons, and so on!"
He, Old Wang, was busy. If the mentor didn't have anything major, don't call him.
Thinking this, Master Wang grumbled, "Those apprentices are too incompetent. If they could cast grim weapons, manufacture teleportation runes, and design new types of weapons, I, Old Wang, wouldn't have to spend my precious time on such meaningless tasks!"
He, Master Wang, just wanted to research that divine-slaying weapon, but lately, he had been too busy to spare any time for enjoyable research.
Listening to Master Wang's torrent of complaints, Fang You increasingly understood the problems plaguing the forging department.
—There were problems everywhere!
In the mid-to-high end, only Master Wang bore the brunt alone. Even the most skilled individuals in the department were only at the level of official workers, still a distance away from becoming 'senior workers' capable of forging grim weapons.
It wasn't that they couldn't forge at all.
It was just that the grim weapons they forged still had significant side effects, or they halved the grim creature's abilities, failing to meet the qualification standards. Such grim weapons... could not be called grim weapons.
And even in the mid-to-low end manufacturing, for the casting of white and green equipment, there was still a shortage of manpower.
This was even with the assistance of various facilities in the forging workshop, operating on an assembly line basis. Even so, they still couldn't meet the demands of the ever-growing number of awakened individuals.
"For the most ordinary white-grade standard equipment, various countries can now... replicate about 80% to 90%. It would be better to outsource some of the basic stages."
"This would solve one major problem."
"But this is just the most ordinary problem," Master Wang said.
"For the others, they can't even forge grim weapons, let alone design a practical new grim weapon."
Master Wang was very busy, constantly on the move, unable to be in multiple places at once.
"That's exactly right."
Fang You said, "I called you here precisely to solve your problem of being stretched too thin."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Master Wang's eyes became exceptionally bright, just like when he looked at Qian Hong.
This forced Fang You to take two steps back.
"Ahem, to solve this problem, first, you need to adjust your state to its peak."
"Alright, mentor."
Although Master Wang couldn't figure out the connection between his busyness and lack of manpower and adjusting his state to its peak, he knew the mentor wouldn't joke. He took out a large number of precious tonics and potions and gulped them down like Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit.
In a short while, Master Wang, whose forehead was smooth and hairless from constantly hammering and designing and teaching, had adjusted his state.
He was full of energy.
He could even dance.
He awaited further instructions.
There were no further instructions. The mentor merely extended a finger and pointed remotely.
*Hummm*—
Instantly, the world spun, and everything changed. Master Wang felt as if he had fallen into a vast, hazy space. Shadows flickered, and his consciousness seemed to split into several pieces. His head ached as if it were about to explode.
It exploded, but not completely.
Or rather, it exploded and then recovered, repeating this cycle, which was torture.
Over ten meters away,
Watching Master Wang's complexion gradually turn from yellow to white, white to green, green to black, and finally collapse onto the ground with a thud.
Mentor Fang remained silent.
He glanced at Master Wang's status.
Oh, he was just a bit tired. No worries, let him lie there.
"However, Master Wang is too frail. He collapsed just from learning one skill. This won't do; he needs more nourishment."
Fang You stood there, speaking without a care.
Learning a purple epic-grade skill was always difficult.
Moreover, Master Wang was not naturally suited for the 'Phantom Clone' skill. If Brother Black Blade or Fang You himself were to learn it, it would be easier. Master Wang couldn't do it.
If Master Wang were not already a Five-Awakening Commander-level expert, and if Fang You hadn't regularly arranged some learning tasks for him—meaning cultivation cards—allowing Master Wang to grasp some skills besides hammering, such as the basic skill 'Shadow Step', which he had mastered to a good degree.
Otherwise, to learn the epic-grade skill 'Phantom Clone', Master Wang might not have met the necessary conditions.
Now he did.
Since he met the conditions, he wouldn't die.
It was precisely because Master Wang was not suited for it that the skill book was assigned to him. Otherwise, if they expected Master Wang to consume a skill fruit and learn it himself, it might take months before he even got started.
…
About half an hour later, Master Wang slowly regained consciousness.
"You're awake. The skill learning was very successful."
Master Wang was still a bit dazed and quite weak.
He touched his smooth forehead and gradually came to his senses.
"Wait, wasn't it said that you were going to solve my manpower shortage problem? Why did I end up learning a skill?"
"That's right. This skill is the key to solving your problem of being stretched too thin. Master Wang, feel it carefully."
Learning a skill was like being force-fed, and the process was too painful.
As he recalled the memories from earlier, Master Wang discovered the brilliance of this skill. The application of life energy and the method of shaping autonomous clones using energy were incredible.
...Of course, Master Wang was completely uninterested in these.
They were outside his area of interest. He was merely pondering the skill's utility.
"At the beginner level, Phantom Clone can form one energy clone, lasting for a maximum of three hours... and, and the clone possesses the ability to learn and work autonomously? Its combat power and awakening abilities are partially inherited, but its knowledge and experience are fully inherited. After the clone dissipates, this part of the experience will be consolidated. This means..."
Fang You nodded.
"That's right. As long as Master Wang creates one clone, you'll have an additional powerful helper of comparable skill. If Master Wang can create two, three, or four clones, you'll have two, three, four, five, or six such helpers. So, Master Wang, do you understand what I mean?"
"Sharpening the axe doesn't delay chopping wood. For these few days, Master Wang, you should stop your current work and focus entirely on cultivating and improving Phantom Clone. Well, let's aim for the expert level first."
"At that time, your work efficiency will increase severalfold. The tasks delayed these past few days can be completed quickly, and all problems will be solved."
The future then appeared like golden sunshine, illuminating the path ahead.
Master Wang nodded continuously as he listened.
That's right, cultivate the skill first, and the mentor will send some supplements. This is truly thoughtful.
It's just...
Seeing the mentor leave, leaving him alone in the empty training room, Wang Chui (Wang Hammer) touched his smooth forehead and muttered,
"From now on, Old Wang will have several helpers of comparable skill to command. This is very good."
"But something still feels off?"
…
…
Master Wang Chui began his closed-door cultivation.
For efficiency, and to prevent Master Wang from taking too long of a leave, Fang You specifically allocated some Water of Life for Master Wang to use.
"Once Master Wang cultivates 'Phantom Clone' to the expert level, it can be imprinted onto the Skill Seed and made available for more people to learn."
"As for the skills 'Gluttonous Body Tempering' and 'Void Contemplation'..."
Fang You had initially intended to learn one of them himself.
However, looking at his schedule, his 'Furnace Tempering' had only just reached the expert level, with considerable room for improvement...
"At the current stage, I still need to prioritize this epic-grade skill. This skill provides the greatest increase in combat power. As for these two epic-grade foundational skills..."
They enhance the two dimensions and are widely applicable.
Fang You planned for all the powerhouses in the Salary Base to learn them in the future. But in the short term, the improvement brought by foundational skills was not as powerful as a high-level offensive skill.
Therefore,
"I still need to find two cultivation tools to cultivate these two skills to the expert level."
The first thought that came to mind was the King of Internal Competition, Brother Black Blade.
In terms of dedication, Brother Black Blade was unmatched. Moreover, given Brother Black Blade's talent, he would quickly master any skill he cultivated. However...
"After Black Blade's promotion to Six Awakening, his abilities have changed significantly. He has recently dedicated most of his energy to developing his abilities."
Fang You had also sneaked a few glances.
Brother Black Blade's abilities initially only involved the shroud of killing intent. Later, it extended to killing intent armor and the blade of killing intent. Then, after Brother Black Blade was promoted to Four Awakening and became non-human, the unleashed killing intent took on a tangible form, with phantom soldiers charging forth appearing.
Now, with Brother Black Blade at Six Awakening, there seem to be new changes.
Therefore, these cultivation tools...
Mentor Fang's gaze swept across, finally settling on two avatars.
…
…
On the first floor of the base, in another training ground.
The continuous sound of roaring explosions, interspersed with numerous shouts of battle cries.
Xing Jing Lei, with his muscular, bronzed body bare-chested, stood on a battle arena the size of several football fields, facing a black figure in the distance.
Clad in black, wearing a mask, and carrying a strange weapon on his back.
It was Black Blade!
Xing Jing Lei versus Black Blade!
...This was naturally impossible.
In the not-too-distant past, when they were still at Three or Four Awakening, Old Xing was no match for Black Blade. Moreover, now that he was at Five or Six Awakening, the gap was enormous.
It was so enormous that Black Blade hadn't even drawn his sword.
"What a joke, I must make you draw your sword!"
In front of Xing Jing Lei, invisible killing intent had materialized, forming the embryonic form of a pale black domain.
The Killing Intent Domain!
This was perhaps a characteristic of legendary potential—An Jian You's Netherworld Domain, Black Blade's Killing Intent Domain.
The power of killing intent surged like waves, hitting Xing Jing Lei as if he were in a battlefield, facing a charging black army.
This was an illusion, but not entirely!
A black blade sliced through, leaving a shallow mark on his bare chest.
The black armored soldiers filling his vision were mere illusions, but the transparent figures with blurred faces appearing within the pale black domain seemed to be more than just illusions!
They seemed to be spectral soldiers, heroic spirits!
A terrifying fighting will assailed him.
He was facing unyielding warriors who feared neither life nor death.
But he, Master Xing, also feared no damn life or death!
"Roar!"
Xing Jing Lei let out a roar, his body like a charging bull, tearing through the charging legion and finally arriving before Black Blade.
...He was instantly killed.
"Pah~"
He climbed up from the ground, spitting out blood foam from his mouth. He was no longer particularly dejected about being beaten by Black Blade.
Rather, he had grown accustomed to it.
Not everyone had the privilege of being beaten by Brother Black Blade. Otherwise, why would Brother Black Blade think of Old Xing first when he wanted to hone his abilities and find sparring partners?
Hahahaha—
As he was thinking this, a "ding dong" suddenly sounded in Xing Jing Lei's mind.
He froze.
After a long while, he burst into laughter.
"My chance to become stronger has arrived!"
…
Europe, the Witch Sisters' Castle.
Hearing the "ding dong" sound in her mind, which was only associated with high-level missions, Ilochi's eyes lit up. She glanced at it briefly and immediately snatched the quest.
She got it!
"As expected of this president's lightning-fast hand speed."
"Ah, yes, let's see what this mission is..."
"A mission to cultivate the epic-grade skill 'Void Contemplation'. As long as it's cultivated to the expert level within half a month, you'll get back 30% of the exchange price. If the time is shortened to twelve days, you'll get a 40% rebate. If it's ten days, 50% rebate. If it's eight days, 60%. If it's six days, 70%..."
She murmured, her eyes gleaming with light.
Golden, shimmering light.
There were even such beneficial missions!
She had made a huge profit by snatching this quest!
Surpassing Youyou, crushing Youyou, was just around the corner!
She pooled her contribution points and bought the epic-grade skill 'Void Contemplation'. Well, yes, this mission required spending money first, but that didn't negate the fact that it was a hugely profitable mission!
…
Mentor Fang sighed, "To ensure these two skills can be imprinted quickly, I've suffered too much of a loss."