Dual Realm Exchange System

Damian did not stop.

The moment he finished testing <Perfect Combat Instinct>, another Mana Crystal replaced the depleted one within his palms and the Five Elements Harmonization Art resumed circulating.

He had already spent enough of the day negotiating, trading, reorganizing merchandise and discovering that the Nightmare Corpse Sect wanted to turn the entire Azure Water Sector into a graveyard merely because he existed.

Now there was only one reasonable response, cultivate faster!

Body Tempering Level 5 was hardly weak compared to the Damian who had first appeared in Shengyuan, but the comparison meant very little when Qi Condensation cultivators were preparing for war and Foundation Establishment cultivators represented the actual strategic ceiling of the region.

If Damian intended to involve himself, then every hour spent below the highest realm he could reasonably reach was an hour wasted.

Fortunately, the numbers were becoming increasingly absurd.

His current Constitution had risen to 5.5, raising the effect of <Heaven-Devouring Circulation> accordingly, while the Five Elements Harmonization Art had already reached Mastery at twenty-four percent.

At the technique’s current 1.8-times efficiency, his cultivation rate had increased considerably compared to the session that brought him into Body Tempering Level 5.

The next breakthrough required approximately twelve hundred Cultivation Base after <Purified Qi> doubled the ordinary requirement.

Damian calculated from his present rate.

"A little over two hours."

Tsk tsk!

Someone with ordinary aptitude might spend months or years moving between stages that Damian was beginning to measure using lunch breaks!

Then again, ordinary cultivators did not possess a pile of supernatural advantages from two different universes sitting on top of one another.

Damian closed his eyes and the chamber disappeared from his awareness.

Mana poured from the crystal and entered his body with the same cooperative ease as before, flowing through the Five Elements Harmonization Art in the prescribed cycle.

Wood fed Fire.

Fire generated Earth.

Earth bore Metal.

Metal enriched Water.

Water nourished Wood.

Again.

Again.

Again.

The difference from his earlier cultivation was noticeable almost immediately.

The technique no longer felt like something he consciously guided step by step.

Every circulation had been repeated so many times, and permanently preserved through <One Proof, Eternal Proof>, that the process increasingly resembled breathing.

Small inefficiencies vanished and moments where he previously needed conscious correction disappeared.

His comprehension continued deepening alongside the raw Cultivation Base accumulated within his body.

His technique mastery rose further as Mana Crystals dimmed one after another.

Damian’s body grew hotter as the five elemental cycles repeatedly washed through his flesh, organs, bones and meridians.

Just past two hours later, the final resistance shattered.

[Body Tempering Level increased!]

[Body Tempering Level 5 → Body Tempering Level 6.]

[STR: 5.5 → 6.]

[DEX: 6.5 → 7.]

[AGI: 4.5 → 5.]

[CON: 5.5 → 6.]

Damian’s eyes opened.

He inhaled deeply and immediately noticed the difference.

His physical Attributes had crossed several satisfying thresholds at once.

Strength six now placed him clearly above the ordinary Human average rather than merely restoring the physical condition years of overwork had robbed from him.

Dexterity at seven was even better, giving him a feeling of being able to become a gaming champion if he were on earth!

Agility had finally reached five.

That miserable two points he possessed when first entering Valoria had now become the average physical mobility of a healthy adult Human before accounting for everything else affecting him.

His Constitution reaching six also meant something more useful.

<Heaven-Devouring Circulation> had strengthened again.

But Damian’s attention quickly moved toward the Five Elements Harmonization Art.

The final circulations before his breakthrough had pushed it across the last remaining portion of Mastery.

[Technique Mastery increased.]

[Five Elements Harmonization Art: Mastery → Perfection.]

Damian stared at the notification before slowly grinning.

"Perfect."

Literally!

The Five Elements Harmonization Art had reached Perfection.

The method now operated at twice its ordinary efficiency, affecting far more than simply how quickly he accumulated Cultivation Base.

Absorption, refinement, recovery, purity, circulation efficiency, etc!

Every fundamental process belonging to the technique had reached the highest ordinary state the method recognized.

More importantly, <One Proof, Eternal Proof> ensured that the achievement could never decay naturally.

Damian had squeezed everything this Body Tempering method could teach him from Entry all the way to Perfection in an absurdly short period.

Then came the familiar opportunity.

[Special Power: One Feat Per Level activated.]

[Body Tempering Level 6 advancement detected.]

[Select one Feat.]

Damian had already been browsing possibilities mentally while cultivating.

This time, his choice was not about increasing raw combat power.

It was about making every future combat path cheaper.

<Myriad Arts Master>.

He selected it without hesitation.

[Selection Confirmed.]

[Feat Acquired: Myriad Arts Master.]

[Feat Name: Myriad Arts Master

Feat Category: Skill

Effect 1: Reduces the time, effort and training expenditure required to learn combat-related Skills, Spells, Daoist Arts and Martial Skills by 50%.

Effect 2: Reduces Skill Point costs required to <Learn>, <Advance> and <Limit Break> compatible combat-related Skills, Spells, Daoist Arts and Martial Skills by 50%.

Effect 3: Applies to compatible combat disciplines recognized through both Valoria and Shengyuan.]

Damian’s eyes brightened dangerously.

Now this was synergy!!

The <Skill Upgrade System> had already transformed monster souls into a universal currency for improving his abilities.

<Myriad Arts Master> had effectively doubled the purchasing power of that currency within combat disciplines.

A Skill, Spell, Martial Skill, or Daoist Art that once demanded substantial investment now required half.

Even training without Skill Points became dramatically easier.

Damian rubbed his hands together.

"The Nightmare Corpse Sect really picked an excellent time to start donating souls."

He immediately resumed cultivating.

............

Body Tempering Level 7 demanded more.

The ordinary progression curve continued rising, and after <Purified Qi>, Damian needed approximately fourteen hundred Cultivation Base to cross the next threshold.

Fortunately, his cultivation engine had improved again.

CON 6 pushed <Heaven-Devouring Circulation> higher.

The Five Elements Harmonization Art now operated at full Perfection, providing a two-times overlay rather than the previous 1.8.

Mana Crystals continued supplying cooperative Valorian mana.

Damian ran the numbers.

"About two hours and eleven minutes."

Still ridiculous, and even more so acceptable!

He began right away, and the Perfection realm of technique mastery immediately demonstrated why it deserved the name.

If the Mastery stage had made the technique feel natural, Perfection made it feel inevitable.

There was no wasted movement in the circulation route, no hesitation between elemental transformations, nor any slight loss of energy from imperfect control.

The five elements seemed to understand exactly where they belonged before Damian consciously directed them.

The process became so smooth that his perception of time faded almost completely.

When the barrier finally cracked, the transition was violent only because his body had accumulated too much refined power to hide it.

A wave rolled outward from Damian’s body and briefly disturbed the air within the sealed chamber.

[Body Tempering Level increased!]

[Body Tempering Level 6 → Body Tempering Level 7.]

[STR: 6 → 6.5.]

[DEX: 7 → 7.5.]

[AGI: 5 → 5.5.]

[CON: 6 → 6.5.]

Damian released a slow breath.

Another level, another Feat.

He barely hesitated this time.

War was coming.

If <Perfect Combat Instinct> improved how Damian fought and <Myriad Arts Master> improved how efficiently he acquired combat abilities, then his next choice would reward the simple act of remaining undefeated.

<Battle God>.

[Selection Confirmed.]

[Feat Acquired: Battle God.]

[Feat Name: Battle God

Feat Category: Skill

Effect 1: During active combat, successful engagements progressively build temporary battle momentum, increasing the Host’s physical and mental combat performance for as long as the engagement continues. Greater combat duration and intensity allow greater accumulation.

Effect 2: Victories accumulate Battle Aura, strengthening the Host’s killing intent, oppressive presence and ability to exert spiritual pressure upon hostile targets. All accumulated Battle Aura is lost upon suffering a true combat defeat.

Effect 3: Each qualifying kill permanently contributes toward increased Experience gains from future kills. The bonus scales with the Host’s total accumulated qualifying kills and applies to compatible progression within Valoria and Shengyuan. This effect cannot be lost through defeat.]

Damian read it twice, then a third time.

"...That’s nasty."

The first effect rewarded long fights, the second rewarded winning streaks, and the third rewarded killing.

Every enemy he defeated contributed toward making later enemies more valuable.

The longer he fought without losing, the heavier his Battle Aura became.

And once actual combat began, his performance itself would climb as the engagement continued.

It was a Feat designed for someone who intended to fight repeatedly.

Damian had not originally planned his life around becoming a walking battlefield.

Unfortunately, the Nightmare Corpse Sect appeared determined to help with career development.

He chuckled and reached for another Mana Crystal.

"The grind never stops!"

............

The next requirement rose again to sixteen hundred Cultivation Base.

Even with <Heaven-Devouring Circulation> improving alongside his Constitution and the Five Elements Harmonization Art remaining at Perfection, the larger requirement meant Body Tempering Level 8 would take slightly longer.

Damian estimated roughly two hours and twenty-five minutes.

He no longer found the number remotely intimidating.

What was two and a half hours when the reward was a permanent increase in the fundamental strength of his existence?

He began another circulation.

By now, the growing pile of depleted Mana Crystals beside him had become almost comical.

Each one had entered his hands filled with condensed magical energy, and each one left dull and empty.

Damian increasingly resembled an industrial machine whose only input was Mana Crystals and whose output was a more dangerous Damian Baines.

Hours passed before his body gradually approached another threshold.

By the final portion of the session, even sitting perfectly still could not entirely conceal the pressure building beneath his skin.

His muscles felt denser and his bones seemed heavier without actually weighing him down.

Every heartbeat carried power through a body that had already moved far beyond the exhausted warehouse worker who once possessed 3 STR and 2 AGI.

Finally, the accumulated Cultivation Base reached its limit and the barrier gave way.

[Body Tempering Level increased!]

[Body Tempering Level 7 → Body Tempering Level 8.]

[STR: 6.5 → 7.]

[DEX: 7.5 → 8.]

[AGI: 5.5 → 6.]

[CON: 6.5 → 7.]

Damian clenched his fist, and the motion alone felt different.

His physical foundation had completely transformed!

Then the Feat selection appeared.

[Special Power: One Feat Per Level activated.]

[Body Tempering Level 8 advancement detected.]

[Select one Feat.]

Damian opened the available options.

Hmmm... he had already acquired cultivation acceleration, purity of qi, divine perception, combat instinct, learning efficiency, and even a growth engine for battle.

This time, he wanted something different.... something fundamentally unfair!

His gaze stopped on one option.

<Demonic Plundering Dao Body>.

Damian read the name once, then again, and his expression slowly became incredulous.

"No fucking way."

This was it, the classic!

The quintessential devour-and-steal-everything golden finger that appeared whenever an author decided ordinary cultivation was taking too long.

More importantly, this was not merely a technique, it was a Body Feat.

Damian selected it.

[Selection Confirmed.]

[Feat Acquired: Demonic Plundering Dao Body.]

[Feat Name: Demonic Plundering Dao Body

Feat Category: Body

Effect 1: The Host may devour remnants from beings personally slain, permanently obtaining 10% of one compatible Attribute selected from the target’s accumulated existence.

Effect 2: The Host may forcibly devour a living target’s accumulated progression, converting 10% of compatible Cultivation Base or Experience Points into progression for the Host. Living targets may resist according to their power, cultivation, soul and other relevant factors.

Effect 3: All progression and Attributes successfully plundered through the Demonic Plundering Dao Body are automatically refined and integrated, preventing ordinary impurities, conflicting remnants and future foundation flaws caused by the act of devouring.

Scaling Attribute: SPI.

Current SPI: 10.

Current Plundering Ratio: 10%.]

Damian became silent.

This one was... different.

<Cultivation Prodigy> made him cultivate faster, <Battle God> rewarded victories, and <Myriad Arts Master> reduced the cost of building his arsenal.

<Demonic Plundering Dao Body> looked at the fundamental assumption that power needed to belong to the person who earned it and politely rejected the premise.

Kill someone? Take part of an Attribute.

Capture someone alive? Potentially drain a portion of the cultivation or Experience they had accumulated across years of effort.

And because the entire thing scaled from Spirit, Damian’s current SPI of 10 already translated into a ten-percent plundering ratio.

Ten percent did not sound absurd until one stopped thinking about ordinary people and mere 1v1 fights.

Ten percent of someone with an Attribute of twenty in STR like Ronan was two entire permanent points.

Ten percent of a huge accumulated cultivation base could save an enormous amount of training.

And the refinement effect removed the classic weakness suffered by devouring protagonists who eventually discovered that swallowing nine hundred incompatible bloodlines had transformed their foundation into supernatural landfill.

Damian leaned back.

"Okay... that’s a bit too broken." Damian muttered with a hint of fear.

This time, there was no joking qualification, it was truly terrifying.

Really, just the Dual Realm Exchange System’s base functions would have been enough for him to play with for eternity, why did it slap so many powers and golden fingers on him?

What was it trying to do, make him the Overgod of reality?

Thinking about it further, <Demonic Plundering Dao Body> fit almost perfectly with <Battle God> and the <Skill Upgrade System>.

Kill an enemy, increase Experience gain rate through <Battle God>, harvest the monster soul for Skill Points when applicable, plunder a portion of a suitable Attribute through <Demonic Plundering Dao Body>, then use the resulting Skill Points at reduced cost because of <Myriad Arts Master>.

Damian stared at the cultivation chamber wall.

The Nightmare Corpse Sect really had chosen the worst possible moment to declare war.

By the time he finally ended his cultivation session, his body felt fantastic but his mind had begun registering the exhaustion of an extremely long day.

He had negotiated with two sects, moved a fortune in goods, triggered a new quest, and received an assassination threat.

He had also broken through four Body Tempering levels since beginning this cultivation rush, including the previous advance to Level 5.

And now, he had acquired enough new Feats to make his future combat style fundamentally different from what it had been that morning.

Even Damian knew when continuing became unnecessary.

Qi Condensation could wait until tomorrow.

He left the cultivation chamber, washed away the accumulated sweat and changed into clean clothing before entering the bedroom of his Guest Elder residence.

The bed looked unusually inviting.

Damian lay down and folded one arm beneath his head.

Tomorrow, he would continue toward Qi Condensation and begin preparing seriously for the Nightmare Corpse Sect.

Tomorrow, he could start figuring out exactly how horrifying <Demonic Plundering Dao Body> became when used on real enemies.

For tonight though, Damian closed his eyes as he had done enough.

Within minutes, the room became silent as Damian Baines finally fell asleep, ready for whatever the next day brought.

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