System Upgrade Successful, Upgrading the Lackey Skill Tree

The next morning.

[Lackey System upgrade successful!!]

[Long time no see, Master (^▽^)]

[Your little pup has now reached Version 3.0!]

[New Feature 1: Rule Gems (Can convert rule-based powers into gems stored in the system space! Throw the gem to activate the rule when needed! Note: Cooldown applies!)]

[New Feature 2: Major Lackey Skill Tree upgrade! All skills have evolved! Reminder: The Lackey Skill Tree is the most crucial, most crucial, most crucial source of your combat power! Current remaining skill points: 27!]

[New Feature 3: Coordinate Teleportation (Can traverse between worlds with known coordinates)!]

[Congratulations, Master, for performing lackey deeds on twenty Chosen Ones of the Great Thousand Worlds!! Reward distributed: 400 attribute points!!]

Qin Luo was making breakfast while glancing at the fresh system notifications.

Rule Gems?

What’s next, an Infinity Gauntlet?

Still, the idea of converting rule-based powers into gems...

Qin Luo focused his mind.

A blood-red iron fragment floated before him.

This was a small leftover piece from defeating the Sword Abomination.

He had already examined it—it was essentially the Sword Abomination’s egg, requiring active absorption of its sword intent to grow.

Duan Jiujian was a prime example.

Rise by the Abomination, fall by the Abomination.

But the Abomination’s rule-based power was quite useful. If he could wield it actively, why not?

With that thought, he tested the new feature.

In an instant—

Hum!

A white light flashed, and the iron fragment transformed into a translucent blood-red cat’s eye gem.

[Sword Tomb]

[Instantly deploys the power of the Sword Tomb, turning all affected into Sword Tomb Spirits]

[The more people affected, the stronger the user becomes, ascending as the Supreme Sword Tomb King]

[Cooldown: 24 hours]

Qin Luo: ?

“Sword Tomb, Sword Tomb”... sounds kinda like an insult?

Qin Luo stayed silent and simply tossed it into the system storage.

Next up...

The much-anticipated moment.

“Open status panel.”

Since arriving in the Great Thousand Worlds, Qin Luo hadn’t checked his attributes in a while.

The next second—

[Qin Luo]

Cultivation: Early-stage Supreme Realm

Strength: 200

Defense: 200

Endurance: 200

Agility: 200

Insight: 200

Available Attribute Points: 400

Containment Points: 27

Bond Value: 8050

Constitution: Innate Addictive Body

Titles: Top Lackey, Scheming Hound, Noble Friend of Elegance

Cultivation Techniques: Lackey Rakshasa Art, Poison Shadow Heart Sutra, Divine Dragon Art, War God Avatar Art, Gu Poison Cycle Art, Heaven's Fate Transfer Technique

Skills: Lackey Shadow Form, Lackey Soul-Destroying Palm, Counterforce Drain, Army Command, Mystic Ghost Fourteen Needles, God-Tier Hacking, Natural Affinity, Pressure Demonflame, Whispering Winds, God-Tier Driving, Fate Recognition, Aura Concealment, Investment Return Analysis, Heaven's Calculation Art, Toxin Emission, True Damage Strikes, Iron-Willed Leader, Soul Condensation, Heavenly Eye, Word Magic... (a bunch of miscellaneous minor skills)

Lackey Skill Tree (Shadow Arts Master profession): Shadow Creatures [LV1], Shadow Pact, Shadow Annihilation, Shadow Resurrection, Shadow Domain...

Lackey Skill Tree (Night Shadow Assassin profession): Shadow Phase

Lackey Skill Tree (Netherworld Witch Doctor profession): Shadow Drain (Can absorb energy from others to replenish oneself or release energy to heal others)

Items: Dark Iron Silver Needles (set), War God's Command Token x1, Fate Dream Cauldron, Bronze Gate.

[System Containment Space]: God-Tier Charm System, Invincible Underworld System, Daily Assistant System, Personalized Decoration System, Lucky Clover System...

[System Feedback Skills]: Charm Eyes, Underworld Control (stronger with larger influence), Automation, Decoration Generation, Lucky Moment...

The dazzling display of his status panel filled Qin Luo with satisfaction and comfort.

Having broken through to the Supreme Realm, his attributes had all reached the critical limit of the minor world.

To progress further, he needed more attribute points.

After defeating Chosen Ones like Huo Feng, who had dominated the Eastern Hua Heavenly Realm for tens of thousands of years, the accumulated attribute points were distributed in bulk after the system’s upgrade.

So...

All into Defense!

In an instant, 400 attribute points went into Defense.

200 → 600!

[Congratulations, Master, for breaking through to the Early-stage Peerless Realm!]

His aura surged as Qin Luo leveled up.

Pleased, he nodded. Now, it was time to examine the Lackey Skill Tree.

He had allocated some skill points before but hadn’t bothered afterward—there was no need. After all, the highest combat power was Su Muwan, and if he encountered someone he couldn’t beat... well, so far, he hadn’t.

But since the system had reminded him twice now, he figured he should take this “Lackey Skill Tree” seriously.

With that thought, a black panel materialized before him.

Just like before.

The panel of the Lackey Skill Tree exuded an ominous aura from every corner.

Displayed on it was a twisted, tree-like diagram.

Each branch was marked with different grayed-out skills.

Since he had already allocated some skill points before, numerous branching paths had extended outward.

He examined it carefully.

The skill tree was divided into three upgrade paths:

1. Shadow Arts Master

2. Night Shadow Assassin

3. Netherworld Witch Doctor

Theoretically, as long as he had enough skill points, he could unlock all the skills of these three professions.

But right now, he only had 27 points.

Well, he’d figure it out as he went.

Previously, he had unlocked the three professions, granting him access to the Shadow Domain.

He even had a passive survival skill that made him phase into intangibility at night.

But to have even a sliver of self-preservation in this vast world, this was far from enough.

So...

Qin Luo stared at the skill panel, deliberating carefully before making his decision.

With a thought, he allocated his points like this:

[Shadow Creatures upgraded to LV3]

Effect: Summon 1,000 Frenzied Ravens, 500 Shadow Owls, and 100 Shadow Titans!

[Annihilation]

Effect: When shadow creatures self-destruct, they generate [Annihilation Black Holes], which continuously pull in enemies and deal true damage (each black hole lasts 10 seconds).

[Shadow Nest]

Effect: Summon a Shadow Nest rooted in the battlefield, continuously spawning [Shadow Worms]. The worms can devour corpses to evolve into [Shadow Behemoths].

While the nest exists, all shadow creatures' attacks deal additional true damage.

[Veil of Eternal Night]

Effect: Expands a 2-kilometer radius of absolute darkness, blocking all detection methods.

Within the domain, spiritual energy is forbidden (all techniques related to spiritual energy become unusable).

Allied shadow creatures gain [Phantom Form] inside the domain, becoming immune to physical damage.

[Shadow’s Grasp]

Effect: Forcibly restrains and crushes the target, can be combined with other techniques.

[Crossing the Styx]

Effect: Select an allied shadow creature or an enemy to sacrifice, summoning the [Ferry of the Styx].

(Unless the target is stronger than the Lord of the Styx, this skill cannot be evaded.)

Ferry effects:

Allies: Restores all shadow creatures to full condition and removes all debuffs.

Enemies: Strips away one-third of the target’s cultivation and transfers it to the caster for one minute.

[Prerequisite skills for all three professions activated]

[Now unlocked: Shadow Monarch – Throne of Dominion]

Effect: Summons the [Shadow Throne]. When the caster sits upon it, all conditions are fully restored, and all shadow creatures are revived.