Chapter 302: Time Jump

Chapter 302: Time Jump

As the final echoes of history’s vision faded, Luo En remained seated motionless in his chair, his body frozen in thought for an eternity.

That surreal sensation of transcending time still reverberated within him, as if Erika’s indigo eyes still peered through the Time River itself, locking onto his soul.

The silver pocket watch in his hand radiated a faint warmth, pulsing like a heart still clinging to life.

"Time jump..."

His fingers traced the intricate engravings on the device’s surface, each groove a testament to its maker’s dedication.

"The essence of the technique lies in extreme self-acceleration—boosting both consciousness and physical body to speeds unfathomable to ordinary beings. Though limited in range and devouring mana, it maintains complete offensive capability during movement."

This skill aligned perfectly with his current abilities.

Traditional teleportation offered longer distances and lower mana costs, but left him vulnerable during transit. Time jump inverted this weakness—the limited range compensated by transforming movement itself into a perfect offensive opportunity.

"More importantly..." His eyes gleamed with realization. "Erika deliberately revealed this technique within her memory. She foresaw future observers of this history and wished to pass this lineage forward."

Rising abruptly, he inhaled deeply and activated the Record function of Thousand Shifting Shadows.

Silver light shimmered within his pupils as unique energy waves surged through his body.

Unlike recording simple skills, this process proved agonizingly complex. Erika’s mastery of time laws far surpassed his current understanding.

Ten grueling minutes passed. Sweat beaded his forehead as spiritual energy neared total depletion.

[Detected Skill Recorded]
[Recorded Ability: Time Jump]
[Warning: This skill demands immense mana reserves. Prolonged use may disrupt temporal perception.]

"Not an easy skill to master..." Wiping sweat, his excitement blazed behind exhausted eyes. "But the fact that I’ve recorded it means I can use it."

Gripping the pocket watch, he initiated his first attempt.

As Thousand Shifting Shadows’ mana surged, time thickened like honey. Everything around him slowed to a crawl while his mind and limbs operated at—no, beyond—superhuman speed.

In this state, he strolled effortlessly across the room. To outsiders, this appeared as instantaneous teleportation, yet he felt every step. More thrillingly, he performed complex spell formations mid-acceleration.

"This sensation... as though I’ve become time itself." Pausing to analyze the experience: "And it drains Thousand Shifting Shadows’ mana reserves, not my own. I can repeat this without fear of mana depletion."

A daring thought ignited. What if he combined time jump with the pocket watch’s Temporal Stasis?

His eyes flashed with danger. "While moving at extreme speed, trap enemies in time stasis... Such attacks would be unblockable. Even Dawn Star Rank mages might perish before reacting."

Yet risks remained—prolonged use could fracture his perception of time.

...

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the training hall’s skylight. Luo En entered the specially designed arena for high-intensity combat training.

"Months of training have brought my close combat to a high level", he assessed the weapon in his hand. "But Aksa said true Artifact Forging Masters must master weapon combinations. Today, we test complex synchronizations."

Approaching the Simulation Combat Device’s console, he tapped the rune array: "Activate high-intensity mode. Set Aksa’s combat power to peak Dawn Star Rank. Engage Puppet Substitute as auxiliary."

A deep hum emanated from the device as massive mana reserves gathered. The vibrations signaled an unprecedented challenge.

Settling into his seat, he closed his eyes—then reopened them.

A familiar tiger-like figure materialized at the arena’s center. But this time, his aura transformed. Muscles like tempered steel rippled with each breath, distorting the air itself. Those feline eyes burned with primal ferocity yet retained the precision of a master forger.

"Hah! This form brings back memories." Aksa cracked his knuckles in a thunderous staccato. "Back in the Central Lands’ virtual arenas, I earned the title ‘Blade Ghost’ by defeating seventeen challengers in this state."

His gaze sharpened on Luo En. "Boy, today’s no gentle practice. This enhanced form gives me even odds against most Dawn Star mages—even if they won’t try Spirit Shockwave right at the start."

The Puppet Substitute completed its activation sequence simultaneously. Abyss Crystal mana had transformed it—now over two meters tall with muscles chiseled like statues. Its purplish-black scales shimmered with starlike edges. Most striking were the compound eyes—two violet jewels gleaming with unnatural intelligence and cruelty.

"New combo today." Luo En selected a three-meter-long steel spear—balanced perfectly for thrusting. "I’ll handle mid-range attacks with this. Puppet, use throwing daggers for harassment and close-range strikes. Testing multi-weapon efficiency."

He handed the puppet a set of throwing daggers—each with center-of-gravity optimized for long-range flight. "Not trying to beat Master Aksa. Just refining my melee techniques."

Aksa’s smile widened, revealing sharp teeth. "Noble goal. But..." He snatched a two-handed axe from the ground—blade wide enough to cleave armor. "True Artifact Forging Masters switch weapons mid-battle as easily as breathing."

The three combatants formed a tense triangle at the arena’s center.

"Begin!" Luo En lunged like an arrow loosed from a bow.

The spear danced like a venomous snake, piercing toward Aksa’s heart with perfected speed, power, and angle.

Simultaneously, the Puppet Substitute flanked silently, three daggers hurtling at Aksa’s left shoulder, right knee, and neck—blocking all escape routes.

Aksa’s response defied belief.

The two-handed axe vanished. In its place appeared a one-handed axe and small round shield.

"First lesson—adaptability!" The shield parried the spear at a miraculous angle, redirecting the thrust into empty space. The one-handed axe swept up—deflecting all three daggers in a single motion.

Each movement flowed like water—efficient, elegant, lethal.

"Such fluidity... That angle shouldn’t even allow simultaneous defense!" Luo En’s pupils contracted.

"Boy, this is the gap between experience and theory." Aksa spun his weapons triumphantly. "Every weapon has its perfect moment. The question is—can you recognize it mid-battle?"

Before his words finished, the counterattack began.

The one-handed axe flew toward the Puppet Substitute, while Aksa charged forward with shield raised.

The seamless blend of offense and defense overwhelmed him with immense pressure.

"Whoosh!"

The hurled handaxe spun with terrifying force, tearing through the air with a shrieking whine.

Puppet Substitute tried to dodge, but realized the axe’s trajectory had already predicted its movements.

With no choice left, the Puppet could only brace itself to take the hit.

"Boom!"

The tremendous impact sent the Puppet reeling backward several steps, its chest scales visibly dented inward.

Meanwhile, Aksa charged forward with his shield, closing in fast.

Luo En barely managed to raise his spear to block, but the condensed power behind Aksa’s shield bash proved overwhelming.

The shockwave radiated through the spear shaft, numbing his arms and nearly wrenching the weapon from his grip.

"Power, speed, skill—you’re still far behind!"

Aksa pressed his advantage, drawing a one-handed sword from his waist to form a perfect offense-defense combo with his shield.

The blade struck like a venomous snake, targeting Luo En’s weak points relentlessly.

Luo En could only defend desperately, his spear spinning into a silver blur as he barely fended off Aksa’s relentless assault.

Yet as the battle wore on, the pressure became undeniable.

Aksa’s attack rhythm shifted unpredictably—sometimes a storm of relentless strikes, other times abruptly pausing to lure Luo En into exposing openings.

This mastery over tempo was precisely what made an Artifact Forging Master so fearsome.

"Not done yet!"

Aksa suddenly retreated, flicking his wrist to produce a throwing knife.

The next second, the blade became a silver streak aimed at Luo En, moving so fast it left no trace.

Simultaneously, his left-hand shield flew through the air in a sinister arc, attacking from the side.

In that instant, Luo En faced simultaneous assaults from three directions—the frontal dagger, the lateral shield, and Aksa’s charging sword strike.

This three-dimensional assault strategy fully demonstrated an Artifact Forging Master’s battlefield control.

"Flowing Barrier!"

Instinctively, Luo En unleashed his most reliable protective spell.

A shimmering silver liquid instantly formed a dynamic protective barrier around him—a life-saving technique perfected through countless battles.

But as the seemingly impervious barrier confronted the attack, Aksa’s sword suddenly blazed with an eerie glow.

The blade’s tip pinpointed an almost imperceptible weak point in the barrier, striking with terrifying precision.

"Gap Seeking Technique?!"

Recognition flashed through Luo En’s mind—he recalled Aksa mentioning this ultimate ability of Artifact Forging Masters.

A terrifying skill capable of identifying vulnerabilities in any defense, no matter how perfect the barrier.

"Crack!"

The sound of shattering glass echoed as Luo En’s pride, the Flowing Barrier, pierced cleanly through.

The sword continued its deadly advance, aimed directly at his heart.

At the last possible moment, the Puppet Substitute intervened.

It lunged recklessly at Aksa, claws slashing toward the tiger-man’s neck.

Aksa had no choice but to abandon his strike to defend himself, letting Luo En escape death by a hair.

"Excellent coordination!"

The tiger-man acknowledged with a nod. "Still, you’re both too inexperienced."

Suddenly releasing all his weapons, Aksa charged barehanded toward the Puppet’s claws.

His hands locked onto the Puppet’s wrists with textbook precision, executing a flawless over-the-shoulder throw that slammed it into the ground.

The entire arena trembled from the impact, cracks spider-webbing across the stone.

Though the Puppet’s regeneration was formidable, this blow temporarily paralyzed it.

Now defenseless against Aksa’s assault, Luo En found himself in dire straits.

Retrieving his weapons, Aksa now wielded a double-bladed greatsword.

Its blade flashed like mercury, each strike radiating deadly intent.

The battle reached its boiling point as the arena became a battlefield of destruction.

The once pristine ground now resembled the moon’s surface—deep furrows carved by Aksa’s axe strikes.

The walls bore fist-sized craters from Luo En’s spear thrusts.

The Puppet’s claws had left horrifying scars across the battlefield.

Each attack carried unimaginable power, easily capable of reducing steel fortresses to rubble.

"It seems mere skill improvements won’t bridge this power gap..."

Luo En parried while strategizing: "I must tap into stronger power."

Drawing a deep breath, he transmitted a special spiritual command to the Puppet Substitute.

Receiving the signal mid-clash with Aksa, the Puppet immediately disengaged, sprinting toward Luo En.

"Trying to unite for a combined strike? Too late!"

Aksa scoffed, his greatsword flashing like silver lightning toward the Puppet.

But the Puppet’s movement surprised him.

Instead of uniting with Luo En, it leapt three meters into the air when still distant from its master, its body undergoing a grotesque transformation.

Purplish-black scales softened and flowed, rigid muscles liquefying into a gelatinous form.

Before Aksa’s widening eyes, the Puppet Substitute—like a living slime—enveloped Luo En’s right arm.

The fusion was both sinister and awe-inspiring, akin to a cinematic symbiote’s "Venom" bonding to its host.

The black-purple "Venom" rapidly permeated Luo En’s skin, fusing with his flesh.

The transformation began immediately.

His right arm muscles swelled grotesquely, purplish-black patterns surging beneath his skin like living veins.

"This is the fusion under the Incarnation Stance..."

Gripping his spear, Luo En felt surging power coursing through his veins:

"Not simple power amplification, but temporary physical enhancement."

His body underwent qualitative evolution.

Muscle density multiplied, neural reaction speeds skyrocketed, even time perception sharpened.

Most crucially, the combat instincts previously dispersed in the Puppet now fused completely with his consciousness.

This was primal killing instinct—an ability to locate fatal weaknesses instantaneously.

"Fascinating!"

Rather than fear, Aksa’s eyes sparkled with excitement: "Let’s see how strong this form makes you!"

He took his fighting stance, two-handed grip on his greatsword.

Then, in the next instant...

Luo En vanished from sight, moving so fast even Aksa only caught a blurred afterimage.

"What—"

Before Aksa could react, the spear’s tip pressed against his throat.

Purplish-black mana condensed at the point, radiating death’s aura.

This strike’s speed and power eclipsed all previous attacks, leaving a visible mana trail through space.

"Puh!"

The spear pierced Aksa’s throat effortlessly, purplish-black mana erupting to tear the tiger Artifact Forging Master’s body apart.

Simulation Combat concluded.

Luo En stood amidst the ruined arena, breathing heavily.

Though formidable, the Incarnation Stance drained him severely.

Beyond mana depletion, his physical form bore immense strain—as if every cell screamed in agony.

More terrifyingly, he sensed permanent damage from this state.

Muscle fibers had micro-tears, his nervous system suffered disruptions.

Using this in reality would require expending his pocket watch’s time-reset ability for complete recovery.

[Simulation Combat concluded]

[Battle Evaluation: Decisive Victory]

[Close Combat (Proficient) Experience Points +5]

[Intuitive Reflex (Entry-Level) Experience Points +2]

"The Incarnation Stance lasts less than thirty seconds with horrifying side effects."

Luo En analyzed the battle:

"But its combat effectiveness is undeniable. That last strike could severely wound most same-tier mages. As for Moonlight Rank opponents—we’ll need to fight one to know."

He approached the arena’s edge, surveying the battlefield’s scars.

What was once smooth terrain now resembled a cratered lunar surface, the walls riddled with cracks and punctures.

"Full Mage-level combat truly reshapes environments."

Yet a critical flaw troubled him: "My control over this enhanced physical power remains imprecise. Though Aksa’s strikes carried immense force, each attack had surgical precision—minimal collateral damage."

This experience gap highlighted a crucial truth.

Seasoned Transcendents could channel power with surgical precision, minimizing environmental destruction—not merely conserving mana, but demonstrating advanced combat mastery.

"I need more practical exercises." Luo En formulated his training plan: "Especially mastering the Incarnation Stance—maximizing power while minimizing side effects."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end