Formless Ascension: My Affinity Is Limitless

All the intricacies of the Slipstream Stride technique — from the broad concepts to the micro-adjustments that would have taken years of practice to grasp through normal learning — surged directly into his mind.

The vast knowledge that should have taken a lifetime to master was compressed into a single, dense information cache. Every neural pathway in his brain required to execute the technique was forced to adapt to the sudden influx of knowledge.

The assimilation was an agonizing ordeal, leaving a distinctly different aftertaste compared to the transmutation of the Gnostic Eye. Unlike during his eye’s reconstruction, Uhtred didn’t scream or thrash. He simply slumped onto the glass floor and lay numb, his mouth slack and his eyes staring blankly into the distance.

Compared to the very first time he had assimilated a cultivation manual shard — which had taken only a few seconds — this process stretched on for over five full minutes.

By the time Uhtred regained his bearings, he was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving as he panted heavily against the cold floor.

He remained lying there, unwilling to rise for several minutes, not because his body couldn’t, but because his mind was busy sorting through the overwhelming depth of the new technique.

The Slipstream Stride was so impossibly complex that Uhtred was left dumbfounded. He couldn’t even fathom what kind of monster could have created such a movement art.

Based on the knowledge now settled in his mind, even at his current Level 47 Nascent Realm status, the technique would allow him to outmaneuver and outrun virtually anyone within his realm, regardless of their level or cultivation depth... with ease.

The lingering daze and mental strain of the assimilation faded quickly, replaced by a sudden urge to test the technique out on the spot.

However, the Towermaster was quick to rein him in.

”See? I knew you would handle it,” the elf said, watching him. ”Though you should know... any other human from your world would have likely had their mind shattered if they attempted what you just did.”

That statement caught Uhtred’s attention. He frowned slightly, turning his gaze toward the Towermaster as the ancient elf continued to speak.

”Enduring the transmutation of the Gnostic Eye, followed immediately by the assimilation of a Divine Grade technique?” The Towermaster shook his head with a faint, amused smile. ”In my early years, not even I would have attempted both in such rapid succession.”

Uhtred’s right eye twitched. ”So you’re saying I could have fried my brain just now?!”

”It was nothing that serious. You are hale and hearty, aren’t you?” The Towermaster waved a hand dismissively. ”It simply proves that you truly have the bloodline of the Eternals coursing through your veins.”

Uhtred scowled deeply. The mere mention of his father’s bloodline left an immediate, bitter taste in his mouth.

Of course, he wasn’t petty enough to deny how beneficial that heritage had been for his survival. It was undoubtedly one of the core factors that allowed him to stand so far ahead of his peers... aside from his Formless core, that is.

Yet, based on everything the Towermaster had revealed about his origins, a deep-rooted grudge — not merely against his father, but against the Eternals as a whole — had taken root in his heart.

The Towermaster caught the fierce fire burning in Uhtred’s gaze, and he let out a quiet, weary sigh that sounded heavy with age.

”Rage is a powerful tool, but the moment you allow it to cloud your judgment, it becomes fatal... Some things are not as simple as they appear on the surface.”

His words were cryptic, but he offered no further elaboration. Giving Uhtred one final look, he prepared to depart.

”Prepare yourself. I will now undo my spell,” the Towermaster said calmly.

He glanced down at the dried blood streaking the left side of Uhtred’s face, his split, bloodied knuckles, and the various signs that would signal to the multiversal audience that something weird had taken place.

Then, with a slightly begrudging expression, he muttered a spell under his breath:

”Full Restoration.”

In an instant, Uhtred felt a wave of healing essence suffuse his body wholly. It was as though he had been placed in a warm, reinvigorating bath made of lush sunlight.

It was with great effort that he stopped himself from letting out weird noises. And before he knew it, the whole process was done.

He looked down at himself.

There wasn’t a single trace of blood on any part of his body at all. His knuckles had mended themselves, his face was fully healed. Even his clothes had somehow stitched themselves back together seamlessly, as though the ”Full Restoration” spell encompassed not just his body alone, but also everything on his person.

Just what kind of spell is this?!

It reminded him of Diya’s healing magic, if Diya’s magic was scaled up to the incomprehensible level of the Towermaster.

In reality, the closest thing Uhtred could compare the Towermaster’s Full Restoration spell to was the one-time World Pioneer revitalization item the System had awarded him at the start of the integration — a healing effect that had been priced at a whopping 1,000,000 Multiversal Tokens in the System section of the multiversal store!

Back then, such an effect had been full-on overkill for his injuries. He hadn’t even possessed the depth of understanding to appreciate its true value.

And even now, at his current power, the Towermaster’s Full Restoration spell — which easily matched that System item — was nothing short of mind-boggling. It was a high-tier healing spell designed to restore entities of the Towermaster’s stature, making its application on a Nascent Realm ascender sheer overkill.

Still, the fact that the Towermaster had used such a spell on him without hesitation left Uhtred genuinely grateful.

In fact, their entire interaction made Uhtred grateful. Had it not been for the Towermaster’s sudden intervention, he would have committed a grave, irreversible mistake here — exposing himself to the mysterious entities the elf referred to as ”they.”