I Can Give Talents-Chapter 269 – Damsel In Distress

Leyvi laughed and immediately stopped the dramatic celebration.

He crouched down and grabbed one of the Earth Essence Beads to inspect it closely. Immediately, immense earth energy and essence were absorbed into his body, nourishing him. He could sense his body's affinity for the earth element increasing.

Leyvi stared at the Earth Essence Bead in his hand with confusion. Didn't he already have Earth Affinity from the Talent Bead? How could he still experience this feeling? Why was his body getting more attuned with the earth element?

Suddenly, realization dawned on him. Leyvi realized that none of the benefits from the Talent Bead had caused permanent changes to his body. All the benefits were external cheats—they weren't truly his abilities. His body didn't have a real affinity with all those elements. What if the Talent Bead suddenly disappears? The question popped into his mind.

If the Talent Bead vanished one day, he wouldn't lose his cultivation, but he would lose the means to execute his martial skills. He relied heavily on the Talent Bead's elemental affinities to convert his Qi to the respective elements, and then execute those martial skills. It would greatly cripple his combat ability if he was without them.

Another example was the Dual Mind benefit. Similar to the elemental affinity, the Dual Mind benefit didn't directly cause real changes to his sea of consciousness. Meaning, his sea of consciousness wasn't split into two—he still had only one mind, one consciousness. The Dual Mind cheat allowed him to function like he had two minds, but in reality, he only had one mind. Once again, if the Talent Bead disappears, he would no longer be able to switch minds, greatly limiting his usage of the spiritual sense.

Leyvi realized he shouldn't over-rely on the Talent Bead. He needed to use its benefits to help build his personal strength, but he also needed to ensure he had abilities that truly belonged to him, that wouldn't impede him greatly once the Talent Bead was no longer in the equation. He had to make sure he had complete control over his fate! It would be nice if the Talent Bead would stick with him forever, but in case that it doesn't, he must be prepared for that reality.

Suddenly, the Earth Essence Beads became extremely important to him. If calling them the "Ultimate Treasure" had seemed like an exaggeration before, it wasn't the case anymore. They might be the most important treasure he needed right now. And if Earth Essence Beads existed, other elemental Essence Beads must exist too. So, he must find them all!

He needed to find any treasure that could increase his affinity to other elements so he wouldn't have to rely so heavily on the Talent Bead's benefits. It was fine if he lost other benefits, as they wouldn't affect him much, but the Qi affinities were crucial. Most of his fighting capabilities were built on transforming his attributeless Qi into other elements, especially fire!

So now, his highest priority was to find Fire Essence Beads.

"Dastan, where do you think is the most likely place to find Fire Essence Beads?" Leyvi asked, his tone serious.

"Where else? Of course, a volcanic region or even deeper underground. But we have no way of going further down, and even if we managed to dig deeper, the environment would become too hostile and extreme for us to endure. That leaves us with the volcanic region," Dastan replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

"Volcano..." Leyvi muttered. He had considered volcanoes before, but having already visited one in the past, he wasn't particularly excited. Still, every volcano was different, and he might discover something unique this time.

Soon, they finished collecting the Earth Essence Beads according to their agreed 70-30 split and scoured the lair for any other valuable items. Leyvi then returned to the slumbering Demonic Earthworm, intending to finish it off. He was amazed it had remained unconscious for so long, over an hour since the loud bonk. Then again, he had poured an enormous amount of Qi into the Metal Bat, even manifesting a massive avatar of it.

Without wasting any more time, Leyvi entered the earthworm's mouth and positioned himself near its brain. Based on the recent experience, he knew the inside was far more vulnerable than the outside.

BOOM!

A Big Bang Punch obliterated its brain entirely. However, that wasn't the end. As long as the body remained connected to the demonic core, the Demonic Earthworm's body could slowly regenerate its brain and revive. Leyvi quickly located and removed the core, ensuring the creature's permanent demise.

Now, Leyvi had another Commander-Level Demonic Beast body in his possession. "Hahaha! Now Ava will definitely stop calling me a sex fiend. This is my bargaining chip."

"Sex fiend? Is that what they call you, Leyvi? Tsk, tsk. This prince didn't know you were such a degenerate," Crown Prince Dastan said as he approached. He had finished exploring the lair and found nothing else of interest.

"Heh, what does the little Crown Prince know about adult life? Come back after you've lost your virginity."

"Dammit, Leyvi! What's wrong with being a virgin? That means this prince is still pure! Holy!" Dastan retorted, his face turning red.

Leyvi rolled his eyes. "What kind of logic is that? Pure from what? From women? Are you saying women are dirty? That's the kind of argument I'd expect from a virgin. Maybe I should report this to your fiancée."

"Shut up, Leyvi! You know this prince didn't mean it like that! Don't you dare spread nonsense about this prince! Are you done? Then let's get out of this place. This prince can't stand this gross environment anymore!"

"Hahaha! Let's go. Thankfully, the lair is an underground cavern. We can just climb up there and get out," Leyvi said, looking up at the vast, dark abyss above.

From the tunnel they had come through, they were about five kilometers below the surface, but the Demonic Earthworm's lair was located beneath a high mesa, making the surface roughly ten kilometers above them.

"Ugh, this prince has never climbed a wall before," Dastan complained, staring up at the daunting height.

"Heh, there's a first time for everything. You should exercise a bit. Look at those wimpy muscles—so embarrassing. Let's go. This is good too. Once we reach the top, it'll be easier to look for the volcanic region. We can't fly here, after all," Leyvi said.

Without waiting for Dastan, Leyvi leaped as high as he could and latched onto the cavern wall.

"Oi, wait for this prince!" Dastan shouted, suddenly feeling uneasy about being left alone. He quickly jumped onto the wall as well.

And so, the two began their climb.

...

Somewhere else in the Mystic Realm, a stationary carriage stood in the middle of a heavy snowstorm. Despite the thick snowfall, the carriage remained untouched, the snow melting as soon as it came into contact with a faint red layer of energy surrounding it.

Inside the carriage, a woman in a black and white dress hugged a panda plush toy, her body language radiating boredom. "It's been three weeks, and I haven't found anyone else yet. It just keeps snowing here. I'm not even sure if I'm the only one who got separated or if everyone did. I'm so bored! I know Leyvi would definitely be safe, so I have nothing to worry about, but I want to see my husband! I want his holy rod! This isn't supposed to be the plan!" Anda yelled in frustration, her usual dignified demeanor nowhere to be seen.

"Hmph, this must be Lin Wei's fault! Leyvi is right. Everywhere he goes, there's trouble, just like the protagonist in those novels. In the future, we should definitely stay away from him. Who knows what kind of trouble he'll bring next? Maybe the world might actually get in trouble for real," Anda continued, fully convinced that Lin Wei was the cause of the abnormal situation.

"Little Fiery, it's getting colder in here. Raise the temperature a bit," Anda instructed.

"Yes, Master!" Little Fiery replied cheerfully. The sentient fire was overjoyed that its master no longer disliked it, though it had taken many years for Anda to fully move past what had happened. Despite her initial reluctance, Anda had provided Little Fiery with resources to enhance its power, even allowing it to consume special fires she had obtained through her connections. As a result, Little Fiery's power had grown exponentially.

"Little Fiery, I told you not to call me Master anymore. Call me Big Madam." Anda reminded.

"Ah yes, Big Madam!"

An hour later, as Anda was touching herself and thinking about Leyvi due to boredom, a loud roar interrupted her fantasy.

ROAAARR!!

Anda's eyes snapped open. She opened the carriage window and spread her spiritual sense across the area, searching for the source of the sound.

Anda's spiritual sense swept across the snowy landscape, quickly pinpointing the source of the roar. What she saw was a scene of desperation and struggle. A beautiful lady, dressed in an elegant outfit that radiated nobility, was locked in a fierce battle with a towering Demonic Polar Bear.

The lady's attire was a blend of practicality and grace—a flowing, snow-white robe trimmed with silver embroidery, paired with a fur-lined cloak that shimmered faintly with protective enchantments. Her long, raven-black hair was tied into a high ponytail, whipping around her as she moved with precision and agility. Her sharp, almond-shaped eyes were focused, but the strain of the battle was evident on her delicate features.

The lady wielded a spear, its shaft gleaming with intricate carvings and its tip glowing faintly with earth-attributed Qi. She moved with the grace of a seasoned warrior, her attacks precise and calculated. Each thrust of her spear sent ripples of earth energy crashing toward the polar bear, creating barriers of stone and spikes of rock to hinder its movements.

However, the Demonic Polar Bear was a force of nature. Its massive frame, easily the size of a small hill, was covered in thick, snow-white fur that seemed to repel most of her attacks. Its razor-sharp claws and overwhelming physical strength crushed her earth barriers with ease, sending shards of rock flying in all directions.

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The environment was working against her. The freezing temperatures and the constant snowfall sapped her stamina, and her movements were becoming slower and less precise. The polar bear, on the other hand, thrived in the cold, its attacks growing more ferocious as the battle dragged on. The lady's defensive artifacts—a shimmering bracelet and a pendant around her neck—flared brightly each time the bear's claws or crushing blows came too close, creating barriers of light that absorbed the brunt of the attacks. But even these artifacts had their limits, and their glow was beginning to dim.

Anda watched intently as the lady dodged a swipe of the bear's massive paw, countering with a thrust of her spear that sent a wave of earth energy crashing into the beast's chest. The polar bear roared in pain but retaliated with a thunderous stomp, its enormous weight shaking the ground and sending a shockwave that forced the lady to leap backward. She landed unsteadily, her boots sinking into the deep snow.

The lady's breathing was labored now, her Qi reserves dwindling. Her attacks were becoming less frequent, and her defenses were faltering. The polar bear, sensing her weakness, lunged forward with a deafening roar, its claws aimed straight for her. The lady raised her spear in a desperate attempt to block, but the sheer force of the bear's strike sent her flying, her body crashing into a snowbank. She struggled to rise, her movements sluggish, her spear trembling in her grip.

Anda's eyes narrowed as she assessed the situation. The lady was a peak Core Formation cultivator, skilled and resourceful, but the odds were stacked against her. The polar bear, though lacking special powers, was a high-level demonic beast, its sheer size and physical strength far beyond what she could handle alone, especially in the current weather and flying restriction. If her Qi ran out, her defensive artifacts would fail, and she would be crushed under the bear's overwhelming might.

"Who is this lady? I don't think I've ever seen her before. Was there a beautiful lady like this among the 7200 people who came here?" She muttered, trying to recall properly. "Impossible, I had already scouted every lady at that time. She wasn't any of them."

Anda sighed, her curiosity replaced by a sense of "duty". "Well, I suppose I can't just stand here and watch her die. Any lady is a potential candidate. I can slowly evaluate her while keeping me company." She smiled mischievously, stepping out of the carriage.

"Little Fiery, let's go. It's time to save a damsel in distress!"