235: graduation!

"Ding, System upgrade complete!"

"Refresh chances are now viewable!"

Listening to the crisp sound, Lu Sheng's smile grew even wider. He didn't hesitate to click on the refresh chances.

"Refresh Probability: White (10%), Green (15%), Blue (15%), Purple (30%), Red (15%), Gold (10%), Seven-Colored (4%), Divine (1%)"

Lu Sheng's brows slightly twitched as he looked at the refresh chances before him.

This time, the increase in refresh chances was somewhat terrifying.

If Lu Sheng remembered correctly, after the first upgrade, the probability of him refreshing Seven-Colored and Divine-Grade talents was only a few hundredths of a percent.

Now, even Divine-Grade talents had increased to a one percent probability.

This improvement was nothing short of terrifying.

He might even be lucky enough to refresh a Divine-Grade talent.

Even if his luck wasn't good, the highest probability was still Purple talent.

Although he already possessed the Golden talent, Human Immortal Physique, Purple talent was only two Ranks below Golden talent.

Moreover... Golden talent also had a ten percent probability.

This improvement was incredibly terrifying, so much so that Lu Sheng couldn't help but feel his heart pound a few times, his mouth a little dry.

"This upgrade is simply terrifying! It's worth the one billion contribution points and nearly ten days of waiting!"

Lu Sheng couldn't help but lick his parched lips.

Then, he opened the System page again.

"Host: Lu Sheng!"

"Cultivation: Spirit Transformation Third Layer! Body Refining Eighth Layer Early Stage!"

"Martial Arts: Luohan Fist (Perfection), Nine Stars Body Refining Art (Major Achievement), Hidden Dragon Formless Sword (Exiting the Abyss Realm Middle Stage), Barren Sword (Perfection), Thousand Flows (Perfection), Heaven and Earth Hammer (Major Achievement), Ninefold Wind Sword (Whirlwind First Layer)"

"Martial Arts Talent: ""Slaughter"" (Purple+), Good Luck (Green+), Hundredfold Amplification (Red+), Human Immortal Physique (Gold+)"

"Refresh Chances: 4!"

"Slaughter Value: 0"

Indeed, Lu Sheng's eyes lit up slightly. He saw a plus sign after each of these Martial Arts Talents!

And the presence of this plus sign meant that these Martial Arts Talents had the potential to be upgraded!

"This Slaughter Value..."

Lu Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly, then he clicked on the introduction to Slaughter Value.

"Slaughter Value: Killing creatures of different Ranks grants Slaughter Value. Killing Spirit Transformation creatures grants one point of Slaughter Value, Flying Heaven creatures ten points of Slaughter Value, and so on. Slaughter Value can be used to upgrade Martial Arts Talent Ranks!"

Lu Sheng understood after reading the introduction.

However, what made Lu Sheng's mouth twitch slightly was that Slaughter Value could only be obtained by killing creatures at or above the Spirit Transformation Realm.

In other words, killing creatures below the Spirit Transformation Realm would not yield any Slaughter Value rewards.

However, it wasn't a big problem. For the current Lu Sheng, killing Spirit Transformation creatures was no longer a major issue.

Then, Lu Sheng looked at the next introduction.

"Martial Arts Talent Upgrade: White to Green requires one hundred Slaughter Value, Green to Blue requires one thousand Slaughter Value, Blue to Purple requires ten thousand Slaughter Value, and so on. Note (Special talent upgrades require different Slaughter Value!)"

Lu Sheng felt a sudden toothache looking at this introduction.

The amount of Slaughter Value required was simply too much.

Just to go from White to Green required killing one hundred Spirit Transformation creatures, and now, White and Green Martial Arts Talents were useless to Lu Sheng.

Moreover... Lu Sheng's attention was drawn to the information in the last parenthesis.

Special talents require different Slaughter Value!

What were special talents?

Lu Sheng's gaze immediately fell upon the Good Luck talent. Could this Good Luck talent be a special Martial Arts Talent?

Lu Sheng clicked on the plus sign next to Good Luck, but when he saw the Slaughter Value required to upgrade the Good Luck talent to Blue, he fell silent.

Ten thousand Slaughter Value!

Just to upgrade to Blue required ten thousand Slaughter Value.

What kind of Concept was that?

It was equivalent to upgrading a Blue talent to Purple, requiring the killing of ten thousand Spirit Transformation creatures, or one thousand Flying Heaven creatures, or one hundred Golden Body creatures, or... a Creation Devil King-level existence.

Seeing this, Lu Sheng's mouth couldn't help but twitch.

He stared at the System page, lost in thought.

This upgrade, while bringing Lu Sheng a considerable surprise, at the same time... seemed to have changed nothing.

His several Martial Arts Talents.

Good Luck required ten thousand Slaughter Value, ""Slaughter"" to Red required one hundred thousand Slaughter Value, Hundredfold Amplification to Gold required one million Slaughter Value, and as for Human Immortal Physique, it required ten million!

That was ten million!

According to the Slaughter Value calculation, even a Devil Emperor powerhouse was only worth one million Slaughter Value, which meant... to upgrade Human Immortal Physique, he needed to kill a Devil God?

Lu Sheng fell silent.

A Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator wanting to kill a Devil God.

If this spread, it would be an embarrassment.

Furthermore, that was only to upgrade to the Seven-Colored level. If he wanted to upgrade to the Chaos Divine-Grade, he would need to kill an existence above a Devil God.

"It's a long and arduous journey!"

Lu Sheng shook his head as he looked at the System page, but soon, his eyes narrowed.

"A Devil God is only worth ten million Slaughter Value, and a Chaos Divine-Grade Martial Arts Talent requires one hundred million Slaughter Value, which means... there's a higher Martial Arts Realm above Devil God?"

"Devil Gods... are not the most Peak existence!"

Lu Sheng muttered, then his pupils slightly contracted.

He had originally thought that existences like Devil Gods were already the most Peak powerhouses in the universe, but who knew... there was actually a Realm above Devil Gods, which was above Peak.

This news... undoubtedly brought a fierce impact to Lu Sheng.

At least for the current Great Xia Human Race, even in the understanding of Lin Xuan, Kong Yunchang, and others, Peak was already the pinnacle of Martial Arts.

But from the clues revealed on the System... Peak... might not be the pinnacle!

Lu Sheng's heart suddenly shook, and within his astonishment, a hint of yearning emerged.

"If Peak isn't the pinnacle... then what kind of scenery lies above Peak?"

"And this Chaos Divine-Grade Martial Arts Talent..."

Lu Sheng looked at the System page and couldn't help but take a deep breath.

"No matter what, with the System, I will eventually be able to step into that Realm; it's just a matter of time."

"For me, the most important thing is to improve my strength. The ability to upgrade Martial Arts Talents also gives me more opportunities to enter a higher Realm, especially special Martial Arts Talents like Good Luck. If it can be upgraded to a higher level, that would naturally be the best."

"Slaughter Value... it seems going to the Otherworldly Demon World is the best arrangement for me!"

Lu Sheng rubbed his chin, mumbling.

The current situation, following the opening of the Profound Spirit Space and the suppression of the Sky Devil Emperor, means that the Sky Demon Royal Clan, one of the Three Great Royal Clans of the Otherworldly Demon World, will inevitably be encroached upon by the other two Royal Clans. Under such circumstances, Great Xia will instead enter a period of calm.

The frequency of Otherworldly Demon invasions will also decrease, and Great Xia will recuperate. With a fivefold increase in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi concentration, Great Xia's recuperation policy will undoubtedly be thoroughly implemented.

Even staying in the main city on the front line, he might not encounter many invasions. Even if there were, they would be small-scale invasions, and Slaughter Value could only be obtained from creatures at or above the Spirit Transformation Realm.

Therefore... entering the Otherworldly Demon World, he would be like a fish in water, able to quickly accumulate Slaughter Value, upgrade his Martial Arts Talents, and enhance his strength.

Thinking of this, Lu Sheng also let out a long breath.

His next goal... was set!

Since there was no room for immediate Martial Arts Talent upgrades, and acquiring Red talents required accumulating chances, even with Good Luck, Lu Sheng still chose a more stable method.

Exchange!

After all, for the current Lu Sheng, anything below Purple talent offered no significant improvement.

Instead of relying on luck, it was better to be direct.

Anyway, Red talents still offered a considerable improvement for Lu Sheng.

It's not bad to spend this time.

Lu Sheng glanced at the date; the Star Academy's graduation ceremony was about half a month away, so he simply re-entered his cultivation.

However, while absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, Lu Sheng also attempted to simulate some special cultivation grounds in the Profound Spirit Space to cultivate Martial Arts and Concepts.

Time also flowed quickly as Lu Sheng cultivated... Half a month later, Lu Sheng emerged from the Profound Spirit Space, his entire being emanating a profound fluctuation.

"The 'Slaughter' Hammer Concept has also advanced to Fifth Rank, the Ninefold Wind Sword has reached the second level of Whirlwind, my cultivation has reached Spirit Transformation Fifth Layer, and my Physical Body has improved to the Middle Stage of Eighth Layer!"

"Now... even if I face a Flying Heaven Late Stage expert, without using my trump cards, I still have the power to fight!"

A glint of light flickered in Lu Sheng's eyes.

A Flying Heaven Late Stage expert would at least be above Flying Heaven Sixth Layer, meaning an expert who had condensed more than sixty Spirit Pills.

It must be said that Lu Sheng's improvement was quite terrifying.

"It's time to attend the graduation ceremony!"

Lu Sheng smiled faintly, and his figure vanished from the spot... Above the Star Academy Plaza.

In the past, the Star Academy Plaza was rarely populated; at first, there was a gray-clothed figure who constantly cleaned the plaza.

But months ago, that gray figure completely disappeared.

As a result, the plaza became even more deserted.

However, today, many figures appeared in the plaza, and even some teachers from the Star Academy stood solemnly in the center of the plaza.

Lu Sheng quietly appeared at the edge of the plaza and looked forward.

Standing at the very front of the plaza were the fourth-year students, led by Gu Changge.

Lu Sheng was a student of the forty-fifth cohort, while Gu Changge's fourth-year class consisted of students from the forty-second cohort; of course, there were also a few students from the forty-first cohort who had been held back, but they were ultimately a minority.

Lu Sheng took a quick glance at those standing at the very front; there were only about seven or eight people in total.

The Star Academy always adhered to the standard of 'rather lacking than excessive,' meaning it could choose not to admit students, but it would never allow unqualified individuals to enter the Star Academy.

Moreover, graduating from the Star Academy was very difficult, and it was common for students from an older cohort to graduate alongside students of the current year.

After all, the requirement for graduating from the Star Academy was to reach the Body Repository Late Stage.

If this were in other Martial Arts Academies, even among the Five Great Academies, those who could meet this requirement would definitely not exceed ten.

This was even considering the larger student base of other Martial Arts Academies.

Behind Gu Changge and the other graduating students were naturally the students of the forty-third and forty-fourth cohorts, and Lu Sheng also saw Bai Ming and others.

However, because Lu Sheng stood at the very edge, no one noticed him.

"Forty-fifth cohort, only I am here."

Lu Sheng looked around, and a sense of emptiness once again enveloped his heart.

Suddenly, on the high platform at the front of the plaza, Lin Xuan's figure appeared.

The moment the figure in the Zhongshan suit appeared, it immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Lin Xuan's lips curved into a smile as he scanned the surroundings, his gaze lingering on Lu Sheng for a moment, then he spoke with a smile.

"I won't elaborate on what day today is."

"Now... please, graduates, come to the stage!"

As Lin Xuan's words fell, the few figures standing at the very front, with Gu Changge at the lead, lightly tapped their feet on the ground, unleashing an extremely terrifying aura.

Gu Changge stepped out first, a faint azure Spiritual Qi emerging from his body, as if a phantom of a tsunami appeared behind him, carrying immense power that awed all directions, and he was the first to appear on the high platform.

This scene also caused many people to exclaim, and their eyes were filled with fervor as they looked at Gu Changge.

"This is called... Public Display of Power!"

Suddenly, an aged voice reached Lu Sheng's ears.

Lu Sheng looked in the direction of the voice and saw that Elder Li had appeared beside him at some point.

Elder Li smiled at Lu Sheng, patted his shoulder, and said with a smile, "Every student who graduates from the Star Academy is one in a hundred; being able to graduate already demonstrates their extraordinary talent."

"So, in the graduation ceremony, there is an unwritten rule: this Public Display of Power."

"Every graduate strives to display their best and strongest side in front of everyone. This is an inspiration to those who come after, and also an opportunity to showcase their talent and strength!"

"The more splendid, the more magnificent the display, the better!"

"When Lin Xuan, that fellow, graduated, his Flying Heaven Realm cultivation erupted, thoroughly shocking the entire Star Academy and setting a record for the Star Academy!"

"Kid, I have high hopes for you. You still have three years. When you graduate, directly break that young fellow Lin Xuan's record and set a record for a Golden Body graduate!"

Elder Li said with a smile.

Lu Sheng smiled, looking at Gu Changge on the high platform, who was unleashing his Spirit Transformation Peak cultivation, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"A Golden Body level graduate, huh... But I think a Creation level graduate would be even more impactful!"

Lu Sheng murmured to himself.

Three years... Lu Sheng was not just aiming for something as simple as Golden Body; with the System, he wanted to surpass Golden Body, or even reach Creation, within three years.

That way... it would be an even greater Public Display of Power, wouldn't it?

Lu Sheng smiled faintly.

Elder Li naturally didn't know Lu Sheng's thoughts; if he did, he would probably scold Lu Sheng for being overly ambitious.

As Gu Changge ascended the stage, one by one, the students of the forty-second cohort who met the graduation requirements also unleashed their cultivation.

It was a pity, however, that apart from Gu Changge, only one other person had reached the Spirit Transformation Realm, and he had just entered it, his aura a bit unstable.

But even so, it was still remarkable; after all, which Martial Arts Academy, apart from the Star Academy, could produce Spirit Transformation Realm graduates?

Even the Hidden Dragon Academy couldn't do it!

This was the heritage of the Star Academy!

As for the students from the forty-first cohort who had delayed their graduation, they did not make such a display, but quietly walked onto the high platform.

After all, having delayed graduation, they no longer had the face to make a "Public Display of Power."

And Lu Sheng also noticed that in Gu Changge's cohort... there were still two students who had not yet ascended the stage. Their auras were only around Body Repository Fifth or Sixth Layer, and they looked somewhat ashamed with their heads bowed.

Indeed, there were those who graduated successfully, and those who delayed their graduation.

By missing this opportunity, they naturally missed the chance for a Public Display of Power.

Lin Xuan stood on the high platform, looking at the graduating students one by one, and couldn't help but say with a smile.

"Congratulations to all of you... for successfully graduating!"

These light words, however, made the faces of the graduates standing on the high platform show a hint of weariness.

The four words "successfully graduated" seemed simple, but in reality, they were full of thorns.

Firstly, there was the difficulty of graduating, and secondly, joining the Star Academy meant constantly facing the threat of death. In Gu Changge's cohort... two students had died!

And those two students had the talent to successfully graduate.

Within these four words... there was also endless blood.

"Now... swear with me!"

Suddenly, Lin Xuan's expression became serious, and he said in a deep voice.

As these words fell, whether it was the graduates on stage, the teachers and students of the Star Academy below, or even Elder Li beside Lu Sheng, their expressions became solemn.

Lin Xuan slowly raised his hand and placed it over his heart.

"Night is coming, I will transform into a star in the darkness, with my light, ignite the long night!"

A deep, melodious voice emanated from Lin Xuan's mouth.

"I will use my flesh and blood to forge the Tianxing Great Wall!"

"Protect the Great Xia's territory, guard the common people, and defend... the myriad lights of homes!"