I am the Clone of a Death Row Inmate

Chapter 251: Chapter 216: Spiritual Power Transformation

Su Ze stood directly beneath the orb of light representing the ”moon,” bathing in the direct moonlight. He immediately felt an itch all over his body.

But it wasn’t a physical itch; it was his Spiritual Power, fused with his body, slowly growing.

Like a seedling growing as it bathes in sunlight, Su Ze’s Spiritual Power was also nourished by the moonlight, continuously growing and causing his body to feel a tingling itch.

’So standing under the ”moon” can increase Spiritual Power?’

’What a stroke of luck!’

Su Ze stopped in his tracks.

For those who didn’t specialize in psychic abilities, it was impossible to absorb skills that increased Spiritual Power, so their methods for improving it were extremely limited.

The primary method was consuming precious natural medicines, like the Wen Si Fruit Su Ze had eaten before.

Another way was through years of mental training—reading, studying, thinking, and so on—which also raised Spiritual Power, but with extremely low efficiency.

Now, he could increase his Spiritual Power just by moonbathing. Where else could he find such a sweet deal?

Su Ze guessed this might be the reward for the second trial. He turned and watched the other Trialists, who were still struggling forward under the pressure. Like a spectator at a play, he observed them losing their composure along the way, their faces twisting into various expressions as they performed all sorts of strange actions.

The closer they got to the ”moon,” the more severe the psychic interference they suffered.

Some laughed maniacally, some wept bitterly, and some just gave up and went to sleep...

Only those with a firm will were unaffected, gritting their teeth and pressing on.

Zhang Tai and Mr. Ya were both among the strong-willed, remaining unaffected by the various forms of psychic interference and staying clear-headed.

That kid, Li Yongguan, for some reason, hadn’t stopped either. Instead, his eyes were bloodshot, and he charged forward like a young bull.

Su Ze noticed the five fake holy men from the Evolution Divine Teachings. Each wore a pendant with an idol of the God of Evolution on their chest. The five of them clutched these idols and, surprisingly, were completely unaffected by the psychic interference.

With devout expressions, the five of them advanced with slow but steady steps.

’Are these five guys cheating too? What makes them worthy of cheating alongside me... If not for the invisible wall of qi blocking the way, Su Ze would have definitely blasted them with a five-thunder strike right now.’

Although that old fellow Firoz wasn’t in the lead group, he hadn’t fallen behind either. One had to admit, his willpower was quite formidable; he remained unfazed in the face of all the psychic interference.

Just then, two bloodcurdling screams echoed from behind. A couple of Trialists who had fallen behind were overtaken by the edge of the moonlight and were being devoured by the swarm of insects.

The screams jolted awake some of those who had been lost in the psychic interference, who were either standing still or even lying on the ground asleep. Terrified, they all began to scramble forward on their hands and knees.

Su Ze watched boredly as the crowd struggled toward him. His Spiritual Power was still growing, the increase already surpassing the effect of the Wen Si Fruit he had taken last time.

With nothing better to do, Su Ze took out a carton of cigarettes from his Storage Pendant. They were a gift from Chen Suifeng, made from a Tier Four Tobacco Spiritual Plant.

He opened the carton, took out a pack, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it, taking a deep drag.

The other Trialists looked up, and a chorus of ”What the fuck?” escaped their lips.

We’re over here grinding away, and you’re just chilling, having a smoke!

Seeing Su Ze’s leisurely posture, all they could feel was envy and jealousy. They couldn’t copy him; they really, really couldn’t!

They had come for a trial; Su Ze seemed to be on a picnic.

Although no one said anything, Su Ze could read the unfriendly expressions on their faces, which clearly said things like, ”What a show-off!” and ”Look at you, acting so smug!”

He scoffed and didn’t bother to explain.

’Am I smoking a cigarette? This is medicine!’

These cigarettes also had the effect of enhancing Spiritual Power. Bathing in the moonlight while smoking a Spirit Plant Cigarette meant double the growth and double the pleasure.

Su Ze smoked one after another, unable to stop.

More than ten minutes later, apart from Su Ze, not a single one of the other Trialists was still standing. They were all pressed to the ground by the heavy pressure, forced to crawl.

However, the few people crawling at the very front were about to enter the area under the ”moon” and would soon enjoy the reward of increased Spiritual Power.

As for Su Ze, he could no longer feel his Spiritual Power growing. There was clearly a limit to how much it could be boosted by moonbathing, and he knew he had now reached it.

Overall, Su Ze was very satisfied with this gain. The increase in his Spiritual Power was equivalent to five Wen Si Fruits.

However, the effects of Wen Si Fruits diminished with repeated use, so the value of this Spiritual Power reward was far greater than that of five Wen Si Fruits!

The vast majority of this Spiritual Power growth came from the moonbathing reward. As for the cigarettes made from the Tier Four tobacco, the boost they provided wasn’t actually that significant. That stuff was all about long-term, gradual accumulation; you had to smoke them consistently over a long period to see real effects. Smoking a few occasionally had only a minor impact.

Compared to natural medicines that boosted Spiritual Power like the Wen Si Fruit, the advantage of these Tier Four tobacco cigarettes was that the body was unlikely to develop a resistance. They could be used continuously over the long term. Even for someone like Li Suifeng, who had been smoking for decades, they were still effective.

Su Ze’s current Spiritual Power might not compare to someone at the Butterfly Stage who specialized in psychic abilities, but it was definitely far beyond that of an ordinary, non-psychic individual of the same stage.

With his current Spiritual Power intensity, combined with the ”Unyielding Will” skill, he could be completely immune to psychic attacks from anyone below the Saint level.

After receiving the Spiritual Power reward, Su Ze turned around and looked toward the more distant orb of light symbolizing the ”sun.”

Since the second trial had put such a big sun in the sky, it surely wasn’t just for decoration. Besides, he hadn’t been sent back to the Dice Space after receiving the Spiritual Power reward, which meant the trial wasn’t over yet.

He had to continue onward, toward the distant sun!

Since standing under the moon had given him a reward that strengthened his Spiritual Power, then standing under the sun and bathing in its light would surely have benefits as well.

Su Ze walked out from under the ”moon” and headed toward the more distant ”sun.”

This time, even with ”Unyielding Will” active, Su Ze could still feel the pressure.

And this was after his Spiritual Power had already been significantly boosted by the moonlight’s amplification.

But even though there was pressure, it was still bearable with ”Unyielding Will” active.

Su Ze strode forward. Only after he had walked a hundred meters did someone finally reach the spot where he had been standing, bathing in the moonlight and enjoying the growth of their Spiritual Power.

”You can increase your Spiritual Power by standing here!” someone exclaimed in surprise.

More and more people arrived under the ”moon.” Feeling their Spiritual Power grow, they all showed expressions of joy.

But when they looked up and saw the figure in front of them, the smiles on their faces couldn’t help but fade.

Even after entering the area under the ”moon,” they could still only look up at his back, still left in his dust.

They, who all considered themselves top prodigies, had never thought that one day they would be left so far behind, able to do nothing but stare at someone’s back.

As Su Ze walked on, his pace slowed slightly. By the time he was halfway, all the other Trialists behind him had finally entered the area under the moon.

Mr. Ya and the others were also quietly waiting under the moon, enhancing their Spiritual Power.

At this point, the moonlight had contracted until it only covered a vertical area a few dozen meters in diameter below it, and it had stopped shrinking.

That area was now a safe zone. The black insects had already surrounded everything outside the moonlight’s reach.

Of the 50 Trialists who had entered the second round, 46 were still alive; another one had been eaten by the black insect swarm not long ago.

The surviving Trialists were overcome with the immense joy of having escaped death. Lying or sprawling on the ground, they bathed in the moonlight, many of them no longer wanting to take another step forward.

However, for those who had arrived under the moon earliest, their Spiritual Power had stopped growing. Gazing at the path ahead leading to the ”sun,” they were unwilling to be left so far behind by Su Ze, so they began to give chase.

The path from the ”moon” to the ”sun” was covered in golden sunlight. There was no insect swarm in pursuit and no danger to their lives—only immense mental pressure. To pass this way, one had to rely on powerful Spiritual Power and willpower.

Some stepped onto this Golden Path but found it impossible to move after just a few steps.

Some took two steps before being overwhelmed by the pressure and retreating back into the moonlight.

Even the top prodigies of Lin Hua Country could only squirm along this path like insects.

Lin Luo of the Lin Family and Chen Suifeng’s disciple, Wan Qizhi, were also among those writhing on the Golden Path.

The two of them gazed at the unreachable Su Ze far ahead, finally understanding why their respective elders valued him so highly.

This man... he wasn’t on the same level as them at all!

Su Ze took a moment to glance back. Seeing all the prodigies struggling so much on this path, he wasn’t the least bit surprised.

Even for a cheater like him, walking this path wasn’t easy, let alone for them.

Su Ze had a feeling. If the path to the ”moon” was considered a normal trial, then the difficulty of the Golden Path to the ”sun” was clearly ”off the charts.”

This Golden Path didn’t seem designed to test those at the Butterfly Stage, nor was it a path that someone at the Butterfly Stage could traverse.

It was no exaggeration to say that if Su Ze were to turn off ”Unyielding Will” right now, he’d be on his knees too.

Paying no more mind to the situation behind him, Su Ze gritted his teeth, quickened his pace, and began to sprint toward the ”sun” not far ahead.

...

A few minutes later, Su Ze plunged into the area beneath the ”sun.” Instantly, all the pressure on his body vanished, and he felt as light as a swallow.

The terrifying mental pressure disappeared the moment Su Ze stepped into the final area.

Bathing in the ”sunlight,” Su Ze’s whole body felt scorching hot, as if on fire. His Spiritual Power seemed to be undergoing a rebirth, rising from the ashes like a phoenix.

His Spiritual Power grew explosively, only to be continuously refined by that formless flame...

The reward for Sunbathing was still an increase in Spiritual Power, but this time it wasn’t just a quantitative change, but a qualitative one. His Spiritual Power was transforming, ascending to a higher level.

Su Ze was already at the Butterfly Stage, and his Spiritual Power had been at that same level. After this transformation, however, the quality of his Spiritual Power had reached the level of a Saint-rank Overlord!

”This Sunbathing is not bad. Now I’m truly a well-rounded hexagonal warrior,” Su Ze muttered to himself, feeling the changes within him.

Even if he switched to specializing in psychic abilities and picked up a couple of psychic attack skills, he would absolutely be a top contender among those at the Butterfly Stage now.