Attribute Farming System

Knox and Tear-Drop Child's clash of swords and hammers sparked a string of destruction throughout the city as they bubbled and blew through countless buildings. At times, they went underground, only to emerge from the ground and create something akin to active, molten volcanoes.

And for nearly a minute, Knox filed through all 13 Perfections in order.

"Third Perfection: Guard."

"Second Perfection: Restore."

"Fourth Perfection: Flow."

"Second Perfection: Restore."

"Fifth Perfection: Piece."

"Second Perfection: Restore."

"Sixth Perfection: Slash."

"Second Perfection: Restore."

"Seventh Perfection: Reflect."

"Second Perfection: Restore."

"Eighth Perfection: Parry."

"Second Perfection: Restore."

"Ninth Perfection: Destroy."

"Second Perfection: Restore."

"Tenth Perfection: Bind."

"Second Perfection: Restore."

"Eleventh Perfection: Shatter."

"Second Perfection: Restore."

"Twelfth Perfection: Annihilate."

"Second Perfection: Restore."

"Thirteenth Perfection: Echo."

"Second Perfection: Restore."

By the time Knox reached the Thirteenth Perfection, he and Tear-Drop Child had destroyed more than half the city. The other half was left as little more than ruins, with complete and partial corpses scattered all over the place.

Very few managed to escape the city in time. Only the Core Formation and Golden Core Realm Cultivators fled by flight before the clashing pair reached them. And though a number of them considered intervening or breaking up this fight between two god-like beings, they held their hand at doing something so foolish.

It wasn't as if Knox or Tear-Drop Child were purposefully slaughtering the citizens of the city; it was simply that, after a certain Realm, the deaths of the weak became inevitable.

This was the World of Cultivation—the World of the Strong.

If one couldn't even protect themselves, they were subjected to the whims of those more powerful. Just five months ago, the Azura Empire had suddenly changed the rules of the Battle for the Ordinance List Rankings. Death became acceptable; any means used to come out on top were allowed.

This was a classic case of those higher up on the hierarchy doing whatever they wanted just to obtain a little bit more entertainment. They even sent out fluttering eyeball devices made of an indestructible material, all of which had one purpose: to provide visual entertainment for those who saw the Elemental Nations and the rest of the neighboring Regions like inconsequential playgrounds.

Scouting out Talents had become no more than a front. One didn't need to be a genius to realize that those high and mighty entities from the Azura Empire didn't actually believe that they'd find some hidden, super genius in a backwater location. It was just that now they weren't willing to bother themselves with playing pretend.

"Up my Bet by X10 on Rank 21 from the Elemental Nations Region."

"Do me for X20 Bet increase on Rank 7 from the Frulolumino Region."

"X100 Bet increase on Rank 69 from the Cryospire Region! Let's go gambling with this one!!"

Even now, as cultivators all over the Azura Empire desperately fought to protect their lives from those who wished to advance, betting rings were being held by higher beings. Each one capable of single-handedly wiping out the Elemental Nations if they so wished to.

This was the Way of the World—the Way of Cultivation.

— Five Minutes Later —

"Ha…" Knox said, short of breath, leaning on his Intent Sword. "It looks like even after all I've done, I'm still not able to defeat someone in the Nascent Soul Realm… A four Major Realm difference was too much to handle, huh…?"

Contrary to his words and defeated tone, his smirk broadened. His aura flared as it began to change color, turning from a dark shade of purple to a more silverish gold.

"Four Major Realms… Too much to handle…?" Knox repeated, cracks spiderwebbing around his bloodied figure.

Almost all of his bones had been shattered for the hundredth time today. And though they were quickly restoring with the assistance of the Second Perfection, that was nothing in comparison to how absurdly fast he was regenerating after his epiphany.

OOOM!

The 14th Stage of Qi Condensation!

The 14th Perfection!

"I've decided that you're not too much for me to handle," Knox declared, exhaling sharply. "I just have to become stronger. It's so simple that I have no clue why it took me until now to figure it out."

His silverish gold aura swirled before extending beyond the clouds, enveloping everything within a radius of hundreds of miles. He then raised his now-evolved black Intent Sword into the air, putting on display yet another breakthrough he had just achieved.

"14th Stage of Qi Condensation, the Gold Stage," Knox coldly uttered, volatile filaments of energy escaping the confines of his raised sword. "The 14th Perfection—Transcension."

RUMBLE!!

The world trembled beneath his might, causing what remained of Cryfall City to sink into the ground. Over and over again, his presence intensified. Rolling waves of palpable power spread out and hit Tear-Drop Child in the face, pushing him and his divine hammers further and further back.

"And now," Knox continued, his voice trickling with the incredible power sources that coursed through him. "Level 4 Sword Intent: Actualization."

WAAA!

What was once an Intent Sword strand multiplied and turned into dozens of strands, each one now menacingly spinning above him. They were all identical to the thin black sword in his hand, containing within them the same amount of power as well.

"Let's see you dodge this, you filthy casual."

Knox then let his hand fall, subsequently causing all of the spinning black swords to shoot out like the rounds of a machine gun. At first, they followed the same trajectory, but midway through their advance, they switched directions and zigzagged all around.

Tear-Drop Child was cornered from every single direction, escape seemingly out of the picture.

"What brazen foolishness," he said with disdain. "You genuinely believe that you can best a Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator while merely being in the Qi Condensation Realm? Well, let me give you a lesson on why, no matter the tricks you pull, trying to surmount a mountain as an ant is impossible."

A crystal-clear energy seeped out of Tear-Drop Child's body, quickly expanding and ascending. A straight pillar of energy was formed. And starting from the bottom, the energy pillar started to fold in on itself. Within milliseconds, this resulted in the creation of a massive tear-shaped droplet hanging high up in the sky.

Zooming out, the tear-shaped phenomenon was determined to be nearly half the size of the entire Cryfall City!