Rise of the Alchemy God

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Ethan, upon seeing the statistics he had received this time, felt satisfied.

Unlike the last time, his gains this round were not insignificant at all.

In fact, he had earned what he would probably obtain by leveling up another 5 or 6 times in his current stage.

Just like the previous occasion, his strength statistic was the one that increased the most.

However, this time, the difference in gains between STR and agility was not too significant.

He didn't know why this was the case but had a few guesses.

He wasn't sure what kind of demon Bai Yu had encountered, but she had mentioned it was at the peak of the Fifth Stage.

Therefore, its strength wasn't low at all.

Unlike the half-giant demon that had more strength than agility, this one seemed to possess both, so the statistics Ethan gained reflected those traits.

Although Ethan wasn't 100% confident in this theory, for now, he had no way to confirm it.

That being said, just as he thought this was everything, given that the statistics received were the same as before, the system surprised him by continuing to send notifications.

Soon, more messages arrived.

Ding!

[You have gained +36 Soul Strength]

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the Minor Demonic Physique]

[Click here for more information]

"..."

Seeing these new notifications, which hadn't appeared the previous time, Ethan froze for a moment.
Your next chapter is on M V L

Noticing his odd behavior, Bai Yu, who had been waiting for him to process the demonic energy, couldn't help but ask, concerned,

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just need to check something," he replied absentmindedly while proceeding to open his status screen.

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[------------------------------------

[Status Screen]

Name: Ethan

Cultivation: Body and Soul Integration (Lv. 1)

Qi: 1,950,000/2,000,000

Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames

[!]

Strength: 638 --> 989

Agility: 575 --> 890

Intelligence: 551 --> 604

Soul Strength: 233 --> 269

[Shop]

[Storage]

[System Points]: 18,204,120

------------------------------------]

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Ethan immediately opened his status screen.

Ignoring the significant increases in strength, agility, and intelligence, his attention focused on his Soul Strength.

'Did I just find a new way to increase this stat?' he thought, ecstatic at the discovery.

Soul Strength was an important stat for him.

As such, it was high on his priority list for improvement.

Unfortunately, methods for increasing it were poor, and while leveling up now provided slightly better gains, it was still relatively slow.

He knew this stat would be crucial in the future, so if he could, he wanted to raise it as much as possible.

Until now, he had set aside concerns about this stat due to the lack of effective ways to improve it. But now, seeing this development, he couldn't help but smile as a thought crossed his mind.

'So, all I need to do is hunt more demons, right?'

Bai Yu, still waiting for an explanation from him, was at a loss for words at the strange smile that appeared on his face.

For a moment, she considered slapping him to bring him back to reality.

Unbeknownst to her, Ethan had just found another reason to target the demon race.

If the demons discovered that someone was not only hunting them but also had the means to do so effectively, they would stop at nothing to eliminate that person.

Ethan quickly regained his composure and turned his attention to another matter:

his special physique.

He immediately noticed a marker next to the name of his special physique and, without hesitation, clicked on it.

As soon as he did, a new screen appeared before him—one he had never seen before.

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[------------------------------------

[Secondary Physiques]

-> Minor Demonic Physique

------------------------------------]

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Ethan, upon seeing this new section he hadn't known existed, focused on the physique the system had just notified him about and opened its information screen.

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[------------------------------------

[Demonic Physique]

Grade:

Minor (1%)

Description:

The physique of a low-grade pure demon.

This physique increases the Host's affinity with negative spiritual energy, allowing the Host to absorb and process it within their dantian, thereby forming a Demonic Core.

Forming a Demonic Core will enable your primary physique to digest demonic Qi more efficiently and allow the Minor Demonic Physique to evolve.

Note:

Switching from your current physique to the Demonic Physique will alter your appearance accordingly.

All beings using positive spiritual energy will perceive you as an enemy, while those using negative energy will view you as one of their own.

------------------------------------]

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Reading the information displayed on the screen, Ethan didn't know how to react.

'So I can essentially disguise myself as a demon?'

As this thought crossed his mind, a mischievous smile appeared on his face, and he issued a mental command.

Suddenly, Ethan, who moments ago seemed lost in thought, clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground.

The sudden change in the situation left Bai Yu momentarily stunned.

However, snapping out of her daze, she rushed toward him to assist.

But just as she was about to reach him, Ethan gritted his teeth and shouted,

"Stop! Don't come closer!"

Seeing this, Bai Yu realized something was wrong.

Ignoring Ethan's protests, she tried to approach him, but just as she was a step away, an intense sense of danger made her instinctively retreat and create some distance.

Ethan, who had stopped convulsing, was now enveloped by a faint dark red aura.

Bai Yu could clearly see his once healthy skin turning ashen gray, with black veins spreading across his body.

As the transformation continued, a small protrusion appeared on Ethan's forehead, growing to about 20 centimeters before stopping.

A horn.

It didn't take Bai Yu long to understand what was happening. Seeing this, she clenched her fists in anguish.

'I knew it. I should have stopped him.'

She blamed herself for not insisting more when he had said he was fine and continued absorbing the pure demon Qi.

With a heavy heart, she circulated her spiritual Qi into her arm, forming a sharp blue ice sword.

'I can only give you a quick and painless death,' she thought, knowing she had no way to reverse the transformation.

Seeing how far it had progressed, she believed there was no hope of recovery.

Just as she was ready to attack and end his life, Ethan, now fully transformed, sensed the danger emanating from Bai Yu.

Panicked, he turned instantly, intending to shout for her to stop.

But, unfortunately, his sudden movement was perceived as a hostile action.

Without giving him a chance to speak, Bai Yu dashed at full speed and appeared beside him, her blade at his throat.

'Damn it, this time I really screwed up,' Ethan thought bitterly.