Stronger with Crimson Modifier-Chapter 86: Ice Artifact

He’d thought this Saber Technique merely had some drawbacks, not that it was a complete dead end.

No wonder he’d felt this Saber Technique was unsettlingly perverse during his Cultivation.

An idea sparked in Hu Qi’s mind as he looked at the Triangular Rune.

’Crimson, modify and perfect the Ghost Slaying Saber!’

However, the Crimson panel remained unresponsive.

After a moment of thought, Hu Qi understood why.

He had enough Modification Points for an upgrade, but not enough to perfect the technique.

Understanding this, he set aside the idea of modifying it for now.

He then turned his attention to the Snake Form Posture and Cloud Iron Body.

As things stood, these were the only two Skills he could modify.

The Snake Form Posture was the foundation for any Secret Martial Artist, its importance self-evident.

Only by improving it could his Qi and Blood grow stronger and his physique be comprehensively enhanced.

If a Secret Martial Artist were a car, then the Pile Skill would be its performance and engine.

However, he chose not to upgrade it immediately.

The memory of his meeting with the Sect Leader was still fresh. If the man came looking for him again anytime soon, his rapid Cultivation speed would undoubtedly be exposed.

To be on the safe side, it was better to wait a while. That way, even if his progress were discovered, it wouldn’t be quite so conspicuous.

With this in mind, he turned his attention to the Cloud Iron Body.

He had the Cloud Iron Body to thank for his survival when facing that Black Blood Species on the verge of transformation.

If not for the powerful defense it provided, he would have died long ago.

’Crimson, modify and upgrade the Cloud Iron Body to Perfection.’

The moment he gave the command, the words for Cloud Iron Body blurred slightly. A familiar, cool stream of energy intensified, seeping into his physique and skin.

When the sensation faded, the text on the panel had changed:

————

[Cloud Iron Body (Perfection) Trait: Immune to Blades and Guns]

...

Modification Points: 3 (34%)

The Cloud Iron Body had consumed one more Modification Point than last time.

Hu Qi opened his palm. Even without actively channeling the Cloud Iron Body, he could feel that the muscles and skin on the surface of his body had become tougher.

With a thought, he circulated his Qi and Blood. His arm’s skin didn’t turn brass-colored as it had before. Its color remained unchanged, save for the appearance of two faint white streaks.

This was a sign that the Cloud Iron Body had returned to its true, unadorned state.

...

Thunder rumbled as rain poured down in sheets.

Curtains of water streamed from the eaves of the shops lining the street, splashing into small puddles on the ground below.

The city’s neon lights reflected in the puddles, shattering and reforming with every splash.

Due to the sudden downpour, the streets were nearly empty. The few pedestrians in sight were all scurrying along.

A figure wearing a mask and holding an umbrella rounded the corner, stopping in front of a bubble tea shop called "Mind Over Tea."

The person entered the shop, glanced up at the dazzling array of bubble tea options on the menu, and then looked toward the staff preparing drinks.

"Excuse me, do you have any new specials?"

The figure, who had now closed her umbrella, was a voluptuous woman in her early thirties.

Although she wore a mask, one could tell from her eyes that she was a beautiful woman.

As she spoke, she pulled a blue badge from her pocket.

There were two employees in the shop, a man and a woman, who were currently shaking cocktail shakers as if preparing bubble tea.

Hearing her, the man stopped, walked over, and glanced at the badge she offered.

A smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Of course we do."

...

A short while later, the woman emerged from the bubble tea shop, holding her umbrella and carrying three drinks.

As she watched the woman’s retreating figure, the female employee stopped what she was doing.

She glanced at the gloomy sky outside, a flicker of worry crossing her face.

"Manager, are we sure there won’t be a problem posting a mission like this? You know, that’s someone from the Shexin Sect, and this is their territory. What if..."

"What could happen? Every grievance has its source, and every debt has its debtor. Ice Artifact is just a venue for posting missions. No matter what happens, it has nothing to do with us.

Even if they wanted to cause trouble for us, they’d have to think twice."

The man chuckled, his expression completely unconcerned.

The Shexin Sect was strong, sure.

But Ice Artifact was the largest underground assassin organization. Their network spanned the entire Federation, and even all of Earth Star. Their backing wasn’t any weaker than the Sect’s; in fact, it was considerably stronger.

...

After coming out, the woman went straight to a gray van parked at the corner.

Two people were already in the van. The driver was a middle-aged man with a full beard, wearing a flat cap.

In the back seat, a slim Young Man was playing on his phone.

The Young Man had a baby face. Though nearly thirty, he could have passed for a high school student.

At a glance, the three of them looked like a family.

"Xiaoya, how did it go?" the bearded man in the front asked.

"Everything went smoothly." Xiaoya nodded and handed the other two drinks to them.

After taking the drink, the bearded man didn’t sip it. Instead, he dug his fingers into the base of the cup.

The paper cup gave way with a pull and a tear, ripping a hole in the bottom.

However, no liquid spilled out.

Beneath it was a sealed compartment containing a small, rolled-up slip of paper.

The bearded man picked up the paper slip. His expression changed the moment he saw the writing on it.

"What is it?"

Noticing his reaction, the woman couldn’t help but ask. The Young Man, who had been absorbed in his game, also looked over.

"See for yourselves."

After the other two read it, their expressions instantly darkened.

"Putting a bounty on a Shexin Sect Disciple? Have they gone mad!?"

The slim Young Man, who had been silent the whole time, spoke for the first time, his voice filled with shock.

Ordinary people might not know the name Shexin Sect, but assassins like them—who lived on the edge, hunting people for bounties—had certainly heard of it.

His words were followed by silence from all three.

For a moment, the only sound was the drumming of rain on the van’s roof.

Then, the bearded man spoke again.

The hesitation on his face had vanished, replaced by a look of resolve.

"Let’s see the target’s profile."

Seeing their astonished looks, the man simply smiled and pointed a finger at the bounty listed at the end of the message.

"What the hell is there to be afraid of? A kill is a kill. If you’re scared of dying in our line of work, you might as well go back to farming. Big deal. After we pull this job, we’ll just flee this place and go live in some smaller country."

At his words, the other two looked at the massive eight-figure bounty, and the hesitation in their eyes vanished.

That much money, even split three ways, was still a fortune.

Compared to their previous jobs, which paid in the hundreds of thousands, this was an absolute fortune.

As the saying goes: men die in pursuit of wealth, just as birds die in pursuit of food.

They were all desperados to begin with, so after only a brief moment of hesitation, they gritted their teeth.

"Let’s do it!"