"Finally, I've dealt with one. This was way too difficult." Wang Linchi wiped the sweat from his brow, looking at his Soul-like Record Book with considerable satisfaction.
The Soul Kind now embedded in the first position had its name changed from Cold Focus to question marks. It represented a completely new and unprecedented Soul Kind, one that was unique, created solely by Wang Linchi.
[Mind Series Soul Kind · ???? (Good Level)]
[Mind Focus: Enhance your physical and mental state and consciousness flow, improving your concentration and logical thinking abilities.]
[Mind Insight: Strengthen your intuition and insight, allowing for better perception and understanding of internal and external information.]
[Mind Resilience: Increase the resilience of the mind.]
Wang Linchi, using a large number of Excellent Level Mind Series Soul Kinds, had successfully reforged the original Cold Focus into this current form.
The first two effect entries evolved from the original ones, becoming more diverse. Importantly, they shifted from active to passive, meaning they no longer consumed spiritual power. However, this came at the cost of limited amplification: concentration, perceptual understanding, and mental resilience were all increased by 10%.
This meant it had converted from fixed bonuses to percentage-based bonuses.
For a Good Level Soul Kind, 10% was the limit. Anything more would require upgrading the Soul Kind's quality.
In the short term, Wang Linchi was definitely at a disadvantage, but in the long term, he would surely profit.
Fortunately, Wang Linchi had a solution. Applying his Soul Seed Boiling technique could significantly increase its power.
This was why Wang Linchi had prioritized upgrading Cold Focus. If he had upgraded Shallow Meditation first, the original fixed 20-point bonus to his spiritual power capacity limit would have transformed into a 10% bonus to his spiritual power, which would have been a huge loss.
After a month of cultivation, his spiritual power had increased to 25 points. A 10% bonus would only be 2.5 points, far less than the original 20 points.
Therefore, his next target was Inspirational Field of View, which combined the Exploration and Soul Systems. However, even with his previous experience, completing it would take about another month. He would also need to rest for a few days to recover; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to endure the process.
It's worth noting that during this period, Wang Linchi had no time for cultivation. Otherwise, with the resources he had, his spiritual power wouldn't still be stuck at 25 points.
Although the bonuses in concentration and logical thinking have dropped significantly, my overall level hasn't decreased; instead, it has improved. Wang Linchi could feel his mind gradually changing.
His comprehension, observation skills, concentration, and more were all much stronger than before. This was just the beginning; as his spiritual power increased, these effects would only improve.
Alright, so Subordinate Thinking Focus has become garbled too, but its effects have actually strengthened.
Wang Linchi looked at the last Soul Kind. Since Cold Focus had changed to '????,' Subordinate Thinking Focus had become '??? Thinking Focus.'
The enhanced part now interfered with greater intensity, and the precision of his Introspection had also improved.
Furthermore, a shadow had appeared in the third slot of this Soul Kind, indicating a third effect entry. However, because Shallow Meditation and Inspirational Field of View didn't have a third effect entry, this new one couldn't be nurtured yet.
It would only manifest once Wang Linchi completed the prerequisites for them.
I wonder if I can change the name? Otherwise, having four question marks looks a bit unsightly.
Then, Wang Linchi used thought interference to rename the first Soul Kind in his Book of Records. To his surprise, it worked.
He directly renamed it Mind Ladder. This would be the name of his first Soul Kind; after all, it deserved a better-sounding name.
The cost is just too great; I'm finding it hard to bear.
His original plan had been that 999 fodder Soul Kinds would be sufficient for upgrading a single target Soul Kind. However, after accumulating enough Soul Kinds, he put in more effort, investing 999 fodder Soul Kinds into each of the first two effect entries of the target Soul Kind. To generate an effect for the final blank slot, he invested another 1,000 fodder Soul Kinds.
This was equivalent to investing 2,998 Excellent Level Soul Kinds.
Fortunately, he had many Soul Kinds. He only dared to do this because he had acquired a hundred thousand this time.
In fact, if it were possible, he would have wanted to invest 9,999, but he had already reached the limit for that tier.
Otherwise, the percentage bonus couldn't have reached the Good Level's limit of 10%.
Ten percent was the upper limit for a Good Level Soul Kind's percentage bonus, not the lower limit. The lower limit was one percent.
I should use these next two days of rest to quickly improve my spiritual power. I wonder if I can reach the Black Iron Level within half a year?
Wang Linchi's talent was considered Excellent, but only Excellent.
Just like with Soul Kinds, the gap between Excellent and Good talent was as wide as a chasm.
An Excellent Level Soul Kind provided a fixed value bonus, effectively setting an upper limit. In contrast, a Good Level Soul Kind offered a percentage-based bonus that grew stronger with one's increasing power.
Therefore, potential assessed as 'Excellent' was only considered so among low-level Awakeners. In the mid-tier, such individuals were merely average.
Breaking through from the White Porcelain level to the Black Iron Level within half a year was still quite difficult.
At Qinghe Academy, among those with Potential 4 like him—who were now sophomores... no, they were already sophomores—many had only barely reached the late stage of the White Porcelain level. The faster ones were at the peak of the White Porcelain level. To break through to the Black Iron Level, they would likely have to wait until their junior year.
Progressing from the White Porcelain level to the Black Iron Level in two years was considered a very respectable pace.
Wang Linchi was also in this category.
Even with abundant resources, one couldn't progress indefinitely.
Becoming stronger was inherently a process of accumulation.
As long as I don't compare myself to Yan Ming King, my progress is quite gratifying.
Especially considering his journey from initiate to his current early stage of the White Porcelain level; although it had taken him over a year, that was without resources.
With resources, he would likely be around the late stage of the White Porcelain level by now.
Falling a step behind didn't matter. Wang Linchi didn't need to be as high-profile as Yan Ming King; what he aimed for was to astound everyone with a single, decisive achievement.
He needed to quietly cultivate his strength. He didn't have Yan Ming King's advantageous conditions that allowed for such a flamboyant display.
How could Wang Linchi not desire to show off, to bask in the admiration of others and put rivals in their place? That kind of emotional validation was undeniably alluring. However, his rational side knew that one shouldn't try to emulate others without the necessary capabilities.
He couldn't accomplish what Yan Ming King did. If he truly tried to follow Yan Ming King's path, he wouldn't just fail to rise; he might end up dead in some squalid gutter one day.
"Yan Ming King seems to be causing an even bigger stir lately. Could it be a prelude to a change in the 'map'?" Wang Linchi murmured. Local television stations had recently been reporting extensively on Yan Ming King, suggesting he was helping the academy restore order in Qinghe City.