Yes, Chen Luo now possessed nearly a hundred skills.
Most of these were mental-based spells similar to Wind Blade, while many others were close-combat warrior skills like Leap Slash.
However, Chen Luo could not learn the exclusive skills of hidden professions or monster skills. At least, after multiple uses, his C-rank Arcane Eye could not yet learn all the skills he saw.
Perhaps in the future, when Chen Luo's Arcane Eye underwent a fundamental transformation, he would truly achieve the state where all arts under heaven could be seen by him.
But, Chen Luo had basically mastered most of the common skills of ordinary professions.
After learning nearly a hundred skills, Chen Luo discovered that the differences between skills were quite significant.
Taking Wind Blade as an example, Chen Luo had now upgraded Wind Blade to SS-rank, but it could only unleash a single Wind Blade capable of instantly cleaving a skyscraper.
This power was even inferior to Mage Hand, which possessed the Force Field Fusion effect when it was S-rank.
Therefore, during his fierce battle with the Great Lich, Chen Luo had basically only used Silver Hand and Starfire, two special skills, for his attacks.
These skills with mutated characteristics, or even unique mutated characteristics,
In a sense, their true power had surpassed their ranks.
...
However, the improvement from multiple skills was not without its benefits.
Although it did not mutate into powerful special effects, upgrading to SS-rank had passively increased Chen Luo's spirit attribute by 10 points.
Yes, as Chen Luo's number and rank of skills continued to increase, the attributes provided by newly acquired skills became increasingly scarce.
When Chen Luo inquired, the system directly answered the reason:
[The essence of upgrading is the system utilizing Origin Power to develop the player's strength. Different skills stimulate the player's body differently.]
[Skills learned or upgraded later have some overlap in principles with previous skills, thus the mental stimulation effect will be weakened.]
Simply put, if skills did not mutate, most skills would bring increasingly diminishing attribute bonuses to Chen Luo.
But it was also quite normal. A powerhouse whose spirit was already vast as the sea, upon learning a weak Wind Blade,
Could further enhance his spirit, which had already reached the peak of purity.
There were no such easy gains in the world.
But even with many restrictions, they were still restrictions for ordinary people.
Monsters like Chen Luo, who could instantly increase skill ranks and madly learn skills on his own, were always exceptions.
With nearly a hundred skills piled up, Chen Luo's spirit attribute, in his unequipped state, had already reached 900 points.
It seemed that unequipped attributes, after reaching 100 points, underwent a transformation with every tenfold increase.
As Chen Luo's spirit grew stronger, even upgrading skills to SS-rank brought weaker improvements,
Yet Chen Luo felt his spiritual power was getting closer and closer to a breakthrough critical point.
...
It was also at this time that Chen Luo finally understood why his racial innate skill "Qi and Blood Martial Dao" was previously called forbidden.
For a man like him, who possessed hundreds of skills and could improve rapidly, it was already difficult to increase attributes, and he even encountered bottlenecks.
Therefore, it was not difficult to understand why a skill that allowed infinite attribute increases simply by circulating it was called forbidden.
This skill was truly too overpowered!
As he pondered, the Qi and Blood circulating within his body automatically strengthened slightly.
The power generated by the upgrade of physical skills, used to increase strength, agility, and constitution attributes, was slowly absorbed by the Qi and Blood power.
Chen Luo's Qi and Blood value, under multiple bonuses, had also grown to 600 points.
At this point, a familiar feeling slowly emerged in Chen Luo's heart.
It was a feeling, as if a bottle had been filled to the brim.
[Detected that the player has reached the limit of First Tier Abyss Grade! The current life essence of First Tier can no longer bear stronger power!]
[If you continue to increase strength, or allocate points, the strength will be wasted!]
[Do you wish to undergo Life Ascension?]
Looking at the system's prompt, Chen Luo gained a bit more clarity.
Different tiers, while seemingly differences in rank,
Actually determined the limit of power that life could contain.
Therefore, these ranks, more directly speaking,
Were essentially levels of life.
The limit of Tier 0 was Purgatory Grade Perfection.
The limit of Tier 1 was Abyss Grade Perfection.
And if he directly underwent Life Ascension, the energy he required would also far exceed that of ordinary people.
But, having already completed the Abyss Grade challenge, he was fully prepared.
After confirming the approximate time for Life Ascension, Chen Luo returned to his room and said solemnly,
"System! Initiate Life Ascension!"
[Detected that the player possesses Perfect Life Ascension authority (First Tier), detected that the player has reached the limit of a First Tier being, proceeding with ultimate sublimation.]
The surrounding air suddenly fluctuated, and the boundary between void and reality was instantly shattered.
In this instant, Chen Luo vaguely saw all the colors of the world in a trance, many of which were colors that human brains and senses could not comprehend.
But Chen Luo inexplicably gained some understanding; he saw something truly great.
However, before Chen Luo could look further, his spirit, which had reached a staggering 900 points, instantly stagnated.
And in Chen Luo's room, a golden cocoon of light, as tall as a person, was slowly pulsing like a heart.
Within the cocoon of light, high-dimensional energy surged from the void, madly optimizing Chen Luo's body.
Crimson Qi and Blood energy formed Chen Luo's current body.
But as the system's power modified it, a faint wisp of gold converged into Chen Luo's body.
This wisp of gold was extremely fine and scarce, but even with just a slight wisp, it was filled with an aura of immortality and indestructibility.
However, Chen Luo's internal Qi and Blood, upon sensing this energy, reacted as if facing a formidable enemy.
Chen Luo's body instantly transformed; the human form was instantly replaced by a crimson five-clawed dragon, which opened its mouth within the cocoon of light and bit towards the golden energy.
The energy controlled by the system had no consciousness and was instantly devoured by the crimson dragon.
Within the dragon's body, the Qi and Blood fiercely roasted this golden aura like a furnace.
When this wisp of aura was completely refined, the crimson Qi and Blood became even more vibrant.
[High-dimensional energy fully absorbed, player's racial values greatly increased.]
The even more vibrant crimson dragon, after refining the golden aura, once again transformed into pure Qi and Blood.
The surging Qi and Blood power, within the cocoon of light, received the final enhancements from the system's power.
Starting from his feet, Chen Luo's body was slowly reshaped from bottom to top.
Every inch of his body was flawless.
When Chen Luo's body was completely reshaped,
Within the cocoon of light, Chen Luo, though his appearance had not changed, seemed to have undergone a ten-level beauty enhancement, his handsomeness reaching an almost demonic level.
Even his former negative buff "Disaster for the Nation" made his appearance far inferior to his current state.
This was the most fundamental optimization of life. As a life form, as a species, Chen Luo had completely become walking hormones.
Yes, the kind that, when walking down the street, could be grabbed by several older women for some "fun."
His tightly closed eyes slowly opened, and galaxies quietly flowed within them.
The Life Ascension was complete.