Chapter 73: You Copy Abilities, and I Feed Them Back in Reverse?

"Zhang Chu, I have no personal grudge against you, but you’ve offended someone you shouldn’t have. I’m being forced into this."
Staring at Zhang Chu, pinned under the gravity suppressor, Fang Danan hesitated to strike.
He had to make it clear to Zhang Chu—this wasn’t a private vendetta.
Then, like a man possessed, Fang Danan began babbling incessantly.
Zhang Chu had no patience for Fang Danan’s ramblings.
What he needed to consider now was how to break free from the gravity suppressor.
But suddenly, one of Fang Danan’s remarks caught Zhang Chu's attention: “What did you say? The Divine Fall Alliance? Aren’t you the grandson of the former director of the Martial Authority Bureau? Are you playing at being an undercover agent?”
Damn!
Fang Danan’s voice halted abruptly.
He racked his brains, trying to recall when he’d ever mentioned the Divine Fall Alliance.
He couldn’t remember!
But his eyes flashed with murderous intent. “Since you’ve heard what you shouldn’t have, for the sake of my family’s reputation, you must die today!”
Shit!
As Fang Danan closed in step by step, Zhang Chu could feel the breath of death drawing near.
The Thirteen Flaming Swords!
Skyrocket!
Lightning Vine Bind!
Three formidable martial techniques—all rendered useless under the gravity suppressor.
“Brother, it’s not that I want to kill you. It’s just that the Alliance Leader has taken a liking to your gifted martial skill.”
Fang Danan pulled a small black disc from his storage ring.
As he channeled his spiritual power into the disc,
it emitted a faint blue glow, adhering tightly to Zhang Chu’s forehead like a miniature flying device.
In the next moment,
the disc began to spin at high speed, an immense force tearing at Zhang Chu’s sea of consciousness, causing excruciating pain, as if something vital was being ripped away.
“Skill Copy Disc activated. Scanning result: Advanced innate skill—Lightning Vine Bind. Advanced gifted skill—Double-Speed Domain!”
“Estimated time to completion: five minutes.”
A mechanical voice came from the Skill Copy Disc.
“What kind of gifted skill is this?”
Hearing the disc’s announcement, Fang Danan was utterly baffled.
Possessing both an innate skill and a gifted skill!
In all his years at the Martial Authority Bureau, he had seen many monstrous talents,
but skills bearing the word “Domain” were exceedingly rare.
To have both at once—unheard of!
But any talent that could catch the eye of the Divine Fall Alliance’s leader was surely extraordinary.
“What the hell!”
“Does such a freakish thing exist in this world?”
Zhang Chu was equally stunned.

In his previous life, he’d read about soul-snatching in novels.
Never had he imagined that in this world of spiritual revival, there would exist an artifact capable of copying gifted martial skills.
The searing pain tearing through his mind was so unbearable it nearly broke him, as if something was being forcefully stripped away.
“Zhang Chu, next life, keep a lower profile. This world doesn’t belong to the Martial Authority Bureau.”
“If the Divine Fall Alliance sets its sights on you, you’re either dead or a puppet.”
Seeing Zhang Chu’s agony, Fang Danan even offered a final kindness: “I’ll collect your body in five minutes, so you can die with some dignity.”
With both the gravity suppressor and the skill copy disc—two pieces of high-level equipment—even a Level 9 Dual-Force Warrior might not escape.
Fang Danan, to his credit, intended to let Zhang Chu retain a warrior’s final dignity.
Once Fang Danan left, Zhang Chu collapsed to his knees.
His spiritual power was nearly drained.
The gravity suppressor pressed down like a mountain, pain wracking his body beyond endurance.
His consciousness began to blur.
“Damn it, I’ve only been reborn two months—am I really going to die like this?”
“If I survive, I’ll wipe out the Divine Fall Alliance!”
Zhang Chu’s whole body trembled, sweat pouring down, his lips bitten bloody.
“Ding!”
Just as he felt his life slipping away, a crisp voice sounded in his mind: “Host is in life-threatening danger. Initiating host protection protocol.”
The system!
He’d known it wouldn’t abandon him!
Hearing the system’s voice, Zhang Chu, who’d nearly faded into unconsciousness, was so excited he nearly shouted aloud.
If overdosing couldn’t kill him, how could drained spiritual power do the job?
Obviously,
Zhang Chu now understood his own limits.
No matter how reckless he was, as long as the system was there, he would not die.
“Detected: host is having gifted skills copied. Activate reverse-input mode?”
A red pop-up flashed, counting down from ten seconds.
Zhang Chu wasn’t stupid.
Those ten seconds meant a ten-second window to survive.
“Activate! Activate!”
He didn’t care what “reverse-input mode” meant.
Survival was all that mattered.
“Activating reverse-input mode.”
“Detected: Skill Copy Disc contains stored gifted skill—Gravity Domain!”
“Copying now!”
At Zhang Chu’s command, a white pop-up appeared in the system.

What was this?
Gravity Domain?
Before Zhang Chu could react, the skill copy disc on his forehead began to spin in reverse at high speed.
In an instant, not only was his spiritual power returned to his sea of consciousness, but a dense stream of words began fusing with his spirit.
Shortly after, a virtual figure appeared, practicing the skill.
As the five minutes elapsed,
the skill copy disc dulled and dropped from Zhang Chu’s forehead, while he knelt on one knee, eyes closed, savoring his newly acquired gifted skill.
Who would have thought
that it was possible to awaken more than a single gifted martial skill?
“Zhang Chu, don’t blame me. My family is in the hands of the Divine Fall Alliance. I have no choice but to obey the Alliance Leader.”
“Tough luck for you.”
At that moment, the sound of footsteps shuffled closer.
Fang Danan arrived punctually at the cave entrance.
Seeing Zhang Chu kneeling motionless,
he sighed, bent to pick up the skill copy disc and the gravity suppressor from the ground.
But just as he was about to straighten, Zhang Chu suddenly grabbed his arm, those deep eyes snapping open: “Fang Danan, since when was I doomed to bad luck? What does your family’s fate have to do with me?”
“You… you’re not dead?”
Fang Danan nearly wet himself.
Once the skill copy disc was activated, it drained all the opponent’s spiritual power.
Total depletion meant brain death.
But Zhang Chu, eyes bright and clear, showed no sign of having lost his gifted martial skills.
“Not good!”
He glanced quickly at the skill copy disc in his hand, then hastily threw out the gravity suppressor, hoping to subdue Zhang Chu and report back to the Alliance.
But the skill copy disc was already cracked.
He could only rely on the gravity suppressor to restrain Zhang Chu and get word to the Alliance.
As the gravity suppressor took flight,
Zhang Chu unleashed his Skyrocket—a surge of powerful energy blasted the device aside.
“You like suppression so much? Then let’s see how you like it!”
“Gifted skill—Gravity Domain, activate!”
With a wave of his right hand,
Zhang Chu’s spiritual power condensed, forming a onefold gravity field around Fang Danan.
Thud!
Completely unprepared, Fang Danan dropped to his knees at Zhang Chu’s feet…