The expected accounting happened while the skills would grow along with Aster. He originally did not want to apply pa.s.sive growth on Envious Mana Refiner because he thought that it would eventually be restricted to only being able to absorb those cultivators at the same level as him. 'From what I have observed, my a.s.sumption was wrong because the discount skill is suited for sucking up cultivators that are an entire rank higher than me. If I can bag an Expert ranker at the 6th level, he can be the next to be sucked dry like Garth. I don't have to restrict myself anymore because it would still bring complications to those I've sucked dry anyway. I can cripple them by the instant I use the skill. It is a devil skill that has no drawbacks on me but on those I've used it on.'

Garth Valentine was drained of his mana forcefully and even when Aster was careful on his approach, the integrity of his cores was already compromised and it would take a miracle for him to make it truly optimal. If Aster was to make him a sort of a producer of harvestable mana by the second time, the semi-crippled state would truly become a cripple.

'Now that most of my skills are already intact. Origin Body Art for the body and Murderous Intent for the spirit. The things missing to complete the set are for the soul, energy and a true mana art.' Aster envisioned a powerful ensemble that would make him truly unrivaled and that pertains to the Soul Devourer.

He scrolled through the list in his Status section and found the Soul Devourer skill.

Soul Devourer. Enables cultivators to devour the soul of others and enrich one's own. Lets one be able to pry and control matter regarding the soul. 5,000 l.u.s.t points needed for mastery insights.

This one is a core skill of a certain religious cult that the Suns family helped to eradicate. Aster found this by snooping around the forbidden sections of their library. The moment he read the contents, he found its methods to be extremely cruel and disadvantageous but with the system's help, everything would become mighty epic.

'Buy the Soul Devourer for me and couple it with pa.s.sive growth.' Another round of insights flood him and he unconsciously called the skill in effect. The triplets felt slight aggression that is attacking their metaphysical soul. Although it is a concept and factor beyond mortal grasp, the soul is existent within and they can feel the attack that it is experiencing.

Kamryn, who has pa.s.sed out at the moment, could not will herself to defend and her soul was somewhat influenced by Aster.

The girls were about the point of having their souls torn from them but fortunately Aster ceased the devouring effect of his skill. Thankfully for Kamryn as well because she was saved from experiencing her death by having her soul torn apart but the duration of her being knocked out cold was considerably lengthened.

"Sorry about that." Aster felt guilty and apologized while the girls were quick to forgive him. They knew about the enlightening mastery process and knew how inevitable the procession was. They knew that he must have triggered a skill unconsciously.

Eve can't help but comment. "Aster, you are getting more powerful just from having fun with us but we are progressing quite slowly. Isn't it all quite unfair for us."

Her sisters can't help but nod along in agreement. Seeing their lover powerful made them have the urge to gain power as well.

Aster knew of their complaints but his capabilities were quite limited at the moment "Okay. Why don't you advance as well?"

'System, advance the girls to Novice 3." After having a quick conversation with the system, he had the triplets advance to what they were capable of from their l.u.s.t points. The expecting glowing of their harem marks happened and not just once but twice. Signifying their advancement to Novice 3 and barely filling up their energy-based core.

"How about you learn the improved stances of the Origin Body Art while you're at it?" Aster found a chance to distract the girls from the thoughts of higher power and diverting them from the living room. The girls eventually wanted to familiarize themselves with their improve body art. He toggled the skillshare to limit what they learn to only that skill and not his new ones.

The new ones were definitely evil oriented and has a possibility to have adverse effects on the girls. He would find suitable skills for them in the future but that is only when they reach the Initiate. It was also at this moment that he realized the hards.h.i.+p of growing an ensemble of talented harem members.

He was just getting started though and decided to get on the topic when he gets there.

'Next would be improving one of the easily negligible arts of all time.' His attention was back again to his trusty skill list and found one of the simplest Novice Grade art. It was not even completely catered to the Novice grade because it only pertains to energy-oriented levels from Novice One to Three.

Improved Energy Art. Essentially catered to purify and optimize the energy of the user. 100 l.u.s.t points needed for mastery insights.

This was basically an art for trainees and is created to improve a person's efficiency in energy. It is easily available to the public that a lot had already found it obsolete and forgotten. People never found it special because they knew that everyone learned it. What was the point in learning something that would essentially never make them stand out?

Energy is also a hard topic to study that geniuses found no time to waste and improve on the art. It became one of the tragically useless arts in history. Some found it to be a form of disrespect to the art because it was believed to be the gateway skill to how people started cultivation.

Aster never really cared about those disputes and only utilized it because it was what was made available. 'System, mastery insights on the Improved Energy Art.'

It took about a few seconds and Aster already conformed to full mastery. He found it negligible given that he was already in the Initiate rank. It was a different story for the triplets outside though because Aster toggled his skillshare for them to learn the art and it was perfect for them to learn at their level.

The next obvious step is to use pa.s.sive growth but Aster opted to not do it yet and try a different approach. 'I have never tried this before but there is a first time for everything. System, how much for the evolvement of the skill.'

"Evolving the Improved Energy Art cost about 500 l.u.s.t points." The system answered in his head while he did not think twice and called for a signal for the system to go for it. 'Evolve it.'

Aster thought that the system would do something mind-boggling but found himself disappointed when it did not happen. His disappointment doubled though when he saw the end result of the evolvement.

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Improved Energy Art successfully evolved into Great Energy Art.

Great Energy Art. Essentially catered to purify and optimize the energy of the user and its effects are slightly better than the Improved Energy Art.

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'You have got to be joking with me. That is it?' He reprimanded in his mind while the system answered. "Yes, host."

He was thankful though because he did not have to spend for mastery insights because his existent mastery also experienced the improved art but he was not satisfied with the improvement and asked for another round of improvement which cost him 1,000 l.u.s.t points. 'Hope it goes well this time around.'

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Great Energy Art successfully evolved to Grand Energy Art.

Grand Energy Art. Enables the user to have the grandest form of energy. A bit greater than the greatest energy available to mortals.

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"Hehe. This is it." Aster smiled due to the victory of gaining what he wanted. His dividing line was dependent on how complex the art is via the length of his conformity during the mastery process. His soul, body, and energy were equal in quality and prowess at the moment. They are three of four that are the factors of basic existence in the world and by the use of mana, a cultivator follows the principles of improving all or any of them to strengthen.

Murderous Intent was still missing the mark and so he improved it to become Murderous Will. With that, the spirit skill became on par with the others.

Some people theorize that reaching the peak of all four factors along with mana is the key to achieving the much sought for immortality.

'Let us test the theory of immortality then. Envious Mana Refinement is just a catalyst for acc.u.mulating mana but not an art that could stand on par with my other four. Let us find the one to perfect it.' Aster had basically found another obsolete art that would be made peerless by the system.

Endless Mana Wheel. A wheel of mana that turns without end inside cores and supplies mana to it without end. 100 l.u.s.t points needed for mastery insights.

'Buy.' Aster said without forming second thoughts. Some people might wonder why this skill is bought with the lowest l.u.s.t points possible despite its legendary effects?

The reason is simply that it is even weaker than the Improved Energy Art and is only catered for Novice 1. Users gained endless mana as promised but found themselves stuck in the level forever which made it the greatest trap skill and essentially useless.

One can never improve on what is infinite, thus labeling the skill as the greatest and worst at the same time. People also feared to dabble and improve on the art so it became outdated as it is.

'Endless Mana Wheel plus another pa.s.sive growth coupon, system.' The combination mentioned by Aster was what gave him an advantage that made him not worry about being stuck. 'The entirety of existence would be shocked by the feat that I accomplish at this moment.'

The insights happened again as turning and primal design wheels formed in his cores. Empowered on all factors with endless mana practically made him an existence that defied common sense.

"Congratulations host on successfully clearing a secret mission." The system sounded while screens appeared on his view.

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Secret Mission: To earn pa.s.sive growth and eternal empowerment on all five factors of existence. Reward: Eternal Physique (Incomplete). Cleared.

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Eternal Physique (Incomplete). A physique that has gained immortality and would never experience beginning and end.

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