Yet Lin Qingyue, the eye of the storm, reacted in a way that made everyone's minds freeze.
She gazed at the row of top-tier warrior skills before her, the kind that would send any warrior class user into a frenzy of excitement. Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but it wasn't confusion or hesitation. It was a pure, heartfelt... disdain.
"Is that all?" she murmured softly, her voice barely audible yet instantly silencing the entire chamber.
Flashy and intimidating at first glance, but when it comes down to life-or-death situations, my spear techniques are far more effective.
The cool, ethereal figure of Shenhe flashed through Lin Qingyue's mind. Each strike of the Shenhe's Spear Techniques, learned through Melody Beyond the Strings, concealed a profound, lethal intent.
Not to mention the Zhongli Trial Card she'd been saving for a rainy day. Heaven only knew what earth-shattering power it could unleash.
Compared to these crude, straightforward warrior skills, they simply... lacked elegance.
"Um..." Lin Qingyue raised her hand toward the Tree of Inheritance, as if hailing a waiter in a restaurant. "Could I get another batch? I'm not really feeling these."
"Another... another batch?"
Lin Xiyue gasped, nearly biting her tongue off. Sis must be crazy! she thought.
This is the Elven Race's Tree of Inheritance!
You can't just treat it like picking cabbage at the market and ask for a different batch!
Aeldara's lips twitched uncontrollably as she prepared to explain the ironclad rule—one chance only, with no possibility of change.
But at that very moment, an anomaly erupted!
Hum—!
The crystal-like Tree of Inheritance, its golden veins surging within, froze abruptly at her words!
The steady, solemn hum instantly faltered, becoming erratic and discordant, like a hyper-speed Central Computer encountering an unresolvable paradoxical command, its core overloading and about to crash.
Before the astonished eyes of everyone present, the row of blood-red, violently aesthetic warrior runes began to flicker violently.
They twisted, writhed, and then, with a soft crack, shattered completely.
All the runes disintegrated into shimmering particles, retreating reluctantly into the depths of the tree trunk.
The Tree of Inheritance fell silent.
The entire third floor of the Great Library was plunged into a deathly hush.
Lin Xiyue stood with her mouth agape, speechless, her mind blank.
Su Wan's gaze darted between Lin Qingyue and the silent ancient tree, her eyes filled with awe and bewilderment.
Xia Lian instinctively took half a step back, as if everything unfolding before her exceeded the limits of her comprehension.
Aeldara's breath caught in her throat.
She scoured her mind for any record of similar occurrences in the ancient texts on inheritance, but found none.
Had the Tree of Inheritance... glitched?
Just because... the client had given its "optimal solution" a negative review?
Time froze for several seconds.
Just as Lin Qingyue began to worry she had broken the tree, a new light ignited within the Tree of Inheritance.
This time, the light was no longer a violent, crimson red. Instead, it radiated a solemn, majestic aura, like the pure gold of divine judgment.
The light coalesced, solidifying into several new skill runes that hovered silently before Lin Qingyue.
The energy emanating from them had shifted from pure slaughter and conquest to the solemn authority of verdict and judgment.
[Judgment (Active Skill): Unleashes the Holy Light of Judgment upon the target, dealing massive Holy damage and increasing their Holy damage taken by 20% for the next 8 seconds.]
[Seal of Righteousness (Active Skill): Bless your weapon with Holy Light, causing your basic attacks to deal additional Holy damage for 30 minutes.]
[Pursuit of Justice (Passive Skill): Increases your movement speed by 15%.]
Retribution Paladin Skills!
If the Warrior skills from before represented "Conquest," these new skills represented "Verdict."
"Retribution Paladin..." Lin Xiyue sighed in relief, finally feeling a bit more at ease.
At least these skills had some connection to the "Holy Light," even if they were still worlds apart from the Priest's style. Still, they were undoubtedly more "civilized" than that Berserker who unleashed his ultimate move at the slightest provocation.
Sis's style... Well, at least her everyday style shouldn't deviate any further!
Lin Qingyue's gaze swept across the new skill list, ultimately settling on [Seal of Righteousness].
Imbues basic attacks with Holy damage... Perfect! This will complement my spear techniques perfectly. Mana-efficient and stylish too.
Her decision was instantaneous.
For someone with top-tier spear mastery, enhancing each basic attack was far more practical than any flashy active skill.
Without further hesitation, she extended her slender finger and gently tapped the rune for [Seal of Righteousness].
The rune didn't erupt into a searing beam of light. Instead, it melted like a pool of warm, golden liquid, flowing smoothly from her fingertip into her palm. A fleeting, miniature holy hammer mark flashed briefly in her palm before vanishing.
A newfound sense of power surged through Lin Qingyue's body.
She could feel that with a mere thought, the Holy Light of Judgment would answer her call, imbuing each of her attacks with the purifying power of Purification.
"All done," she declared, clapping her hands together. She retreated with an air of casual ease, as if she had merely ordered an afternoon tea.
Aeldara gave her a deep, penetrating look. What had just transpired had somewhat shaken her understanding of the Tree of Inheritance.
With all four members having made their selections, their strength had once again undergone a qualitative leap!
"How do you feel?" Lin Qingyue asked, smiling at her companions.
"I feel like I could take on an Earth Dragon head-on now!" Lin Xiyue exclaimed, brandishing her fists with overflowing confidence.
"The world... seems clearer now," Su Wan murmured softly, her eyes gleaming with an unprecedented radiance.
Xia Lian nodded vigorously, clutching her shortbow as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
Feeling refreshed and invigorated as they left the Great Library, Lin Qingyue walked beside Aeldara and, as if suddenly recalling something, asked:
"Oh right, Commander, was it this library where those two Human Royal Family members accidentally wandered into the Restricted Section?"
Aeldara's voice remained cool and composed: "Yes. It's located deep within the library."
A mysterious glint flickered in Lin Qingyue's eyes. "Oh? Is the Restricted Section heavily guarded, filled with magical traps and ancient guardians?"
Aeldara's sharp gaze flicked toward her, but she replied coolly, "No, there are no guards there."
"Huh? Why not?" Lin Qingyue asked, surprised.
Aeldara's expression shifted, betraying a hint of unease. She even turned her head slightly, covering her discomfort with a light cough.
"Because the contents are... trivial."
Her voice carried a hint of embarrassment.
"Mostly the youthful excesses of Elves: poems written in youthful exuberance, Chuunii novels, sentimental diaries, pretentious philosophical musings, and... some Magic Image albums documenting 'exploratory behaviors during developmental stages.'"
She paused, then added bluntly, "We call it the 'Graveyard of Youth.' Beyond causing social suicide for those involved, it has no value whatsoever."
Lin Qingyue stopped walking.
She stroked her chin, a playful smile spreading across her face.
"Commander, don't you think... this is all too convenient?"
Aeldara frowned. "What do you mean?"
"A book containing the Elven Race's dark history, utterly worthless, and hidden in the deepest part of the Restricted Section..."
Lin Qingyue extended a finger and tapped the air lightly.
"How 'lost' could those two princes and the princess have been to stumble precisely upon it?"
"And how did they dare break in without knowing if there were guards lurking in the shadows?"
Aeldara's brow furrowed even more tightly.
Lin Qingyue extended a second finger, her smile unchanged.
"Secondly, amidst all the chaotic dark history, how did they 'just happen' to flip to the Magic Images manual documenting Her Majesty the Queen's youthful interactions... uh... exchanges... with their ancestors?"
Her gaze sharpened, piercing directly into Aeldara.
"Most crucially..."
"As members of a royal family, why would they risk a major diplomatic incident to steal a booklet utterly worthless to their nation, purely royal gossip?"
"Considering that the current turmoil began with the theft of these manuals..."
She lifted her head, her smile now pregnant with meaning.
"Commander, tell me... is it possible that..."
"The theft was a pretense."
"The real objective was to have the contents of this manual 'discovered'?"
"And those two brats, even if they weren't the masterminds, are definitely connected to the shadowy figure behind the scenes."
Aeldara's expression shifted dramatically.
"This matter is of grave importance. I must report to Her Majesty the Queen immediately!"