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Chapter 140 - 139: His Gift

What happens if these two abilities are placed together?

Will the forbidden power stack?

Chen Xuan moved the Guess the Coin a few squares, from the top left corner to the bottom right. Those black tendrils seemed to have sensed something, writhing continuously, they wrapped around Guess the Coin and then surged forward!

Is this the exhilarating Martial Soul Fusion Technique?

"Good evening, everyone. I’m your host, Huanxin!" The host’s voice came from the front. "Welcome to this episode of Ability Duel!"

The audience waved their glow sticks in response to the host’s greeting.

A cacophony of cheers erupted around.

Chen Xuan also glanced at the stage, where a woman at the center was dressed in a purple gown with striking white gloves, exuding an elegant aura; she was quite good-looking, with arched eyebrows and phoenix eyes, an elegant demeanor, and a calm presence in her every move.

To host such a popular show, she must be one of the star broadcasters at the station.

Chen Xuan stopped thinking about it and refocused on the screen of the scanning gun.

What he saw shocked him.

In just a few seconds, Guess the Coin was only half left!

Indeed, half of its text had disappeared, while the other half was still being devoured by the black tendrils, its outline becoming increasingly blurry.

Clearly, this wasn’t fusion but a one-sided devouring!

Chen Xuan quickly aimed the scanning gun at himself, dragged Guess the Coin from the storage to himself, and swapped it with "Spiritual Energy Body." However, the half-blank space did not recover; it appeared in his ability box like a torn piece of paper.

Can this ability still be used?

He tried summoning the coin, but what appeared in his palm was not the special cheating coin, but a decayed black copper coin.

Just then, a few black tendrils suddenly emerged from the scanning gun, snatching the coin from his hand!

For a moment, Chen Xuan thought he was seeing things!

He even nudged Lin Qing beside him, "Do you see anything in my hand?"

The latter shook her head directly, "No, what’s up?"

"No...nothing." Chen Xuan realized that the scene unfolding was visible only to him. In his palm, the "ability duel" had reached a fevered pitch, and the surrounding cheers seemed to be cheering them on. The tendrils held the coin while frantically stabbing at it; the coin also changed its shape, no longer round, the outer circle trembled and loosened, presenting an insect-like form! What’s more, its edges sprouted dozens of legs, incessantly kicking at the black tendrils.

Originally, he was quite averse to the forbidden power of blood and flesh fusion, but thinking of how the coins he tossed before were all insects, and these insects were even more bizarre than centipedes and millipedes, he couldn’t help but want to support Decomposition and Re-Fusion.

In the end, Guess the Coin fell behind.

Every time the tendrils pierced it, they took a small piece away until it became too battered to resist, getting completely devoured by the black tendrils.

After everything was done, the tendrils disappeared without a trace, as if they had never appeared.

Chen Xuan had a premonition. He aimed the scanning gun at himself again and found that Guess the Coin was gone, replaced by another ability in the grid.

"Seed of Flesh and Blood" LV9, White.

—"Don’t let yourself become the cost; the cost should be paid by your enemies."

I lost a purple ability and ended up with a white one? Chen Xuan was dumbfounded; isn’t this a huge loss?

Nevertheless, he felt his new ability... After all, starting at LV9 was quite strange, especially since it wasn’t acquired through a trade.

After a moment, Chen Xuan opened his eyes, a mix of emotions within him.

This ability was indeed useful; it could actually serve as a piggy bank to store flesh, spiritual energy, and power to pay the cost of Decomposition and Re-Fusion.

It was because it demolished and absorbed the power of Guess the Coin that it appeared as LV9.

Roughly speaking, 1 level amounts to about Chen Xuan’s total flesh, 9 levels would be nine times Chen Xuan, although it still couldn’t topple the Tower of Flesh and Blood alone, compared to before where he only dared to use hair, nails, and skin at cost, now there was undoubtedly plenty of surplus.

However, its problems were also apparent: firstly, it occupies an ability slot, and secondly, it can only absorb the essence of specific enemies.

What are specific enemies?

It didn’t specify, nor did Chen Xuan receive any hints.

But he could guess... In another world, abilities weren’t learned, nor did they awaken through talent; they were granted by some power. Those abilities all appeared as forbidden in the store APP.

This can be seen from the evolved hunger for flesh—"Before the Great Fusion is realized, He permits you to remain elegant."

He...is probably that kind of power.

But evidently, there isn’t just one of them. Guess the Coin likely came from another power’s grant.

And they are each other’s enemies.

In other words, Chen Xuan has to kill ability users with opposing powers to add chips for "Seed of Flesh and Blood." In contrast, the hunger for flesh doesn’t choose; as long as it’s alive, it can be incorporated and used as a cost for "Decomposition and Re-Fusion."

One targets specific groups, while the other isn’t picky. The problem is, the former has no side effects, while the latter, even when its negative effects are suppressed, remains a curse.

Taking all three abilities seems the optimal solution, but Chen Xuan couldn’t accept turning from a proper Immortal Master into a spokesperson for flesh and blood fusion. Wasn’t the Thousand Thoughts Sword elegant enough without resorting to cultish practices?

With this in mind, Chen Xuan removed "Seed of Flesh and Blood" and switched back to "Spiritual Energy Body."

He didn’t need Spiritual Qi for cultivation, but letting his body absorb more Spiritual Qi wasn’t harmful; the Celestial Mist Skill would continuously convert this Spiritual Qi into his own power, manifesting as running faster, jumping higher, and tiring less easily. This is why cultivators regard the Heart Method as the core of all Dharma Methods.

The show on the performance stage happened to be starting.

A solid-built, broad-bodied middle-aged man stepped to the center and waved to the audience. However, the response was far less than the cheers when the host appeared.

Chen Xuan found that he actually recognized him!

Working at a major company, this person was practically the big boss, only showing up at annual galas and company promotions. He never thought he’d participate in a TV superpower show.

Did he awaken a power too?

"Let’s welcome the special guest of this episode, President Jiang Wenbin of Gaosheng Group!" Huanxin enthusiastically introduced, "Many of you have probably heard his name, as Gaosheng Group is a well-known big enterprise in Jiang City, involved in internet, information media, and electronic entertainment industries, President Jiang is also a regular on Jiang City Daily. Today, he’ll reveal the theme of this episode’s Ability Duel for us!"

It really is him! Chen Xuan thought.

Jiang Wenbin raised his hand and pressed a button on a remote. A suspended steel bridge slowly descended from above.

The bridge was visibly piled with something, then completely covered by a piece of red silk cloth.

After the bridge stabilized in mid-air, Jiang Wenbin calmly walked beneath it, grabbed a hanging rope, and gave it a hard pull!

The silk cloth slowly slid off.

The audience widened their eyes!

The items piled on the bridge were money! Stacks of neatly arranged bills! Although the red wasn’t as dazzling as the silk cloth, it was even more captivating!

Though everyone uses mobile payments now and rarely uses paper money, this doesn’t diminish the impact of physical currency. Especially when amassed enough to form a mountain, it’s enough to stir every person’s heart at the scene.

"Here is one hundred million in cash." Jiang Wenbin said calmly, "It’s a lot for everyone here, but it’s very little for what I intend to do. So this is just the beginning; from now on, the money I invest will increase continuously."

"Oh? What are you investing so much money for?" Huanxin asked enthusiastically.

"Safety." He replied firmly.