I STACK ATTRIBUTES IN THE APOCALYPSE -MyOwnEdit-

CHAPTER 347: The Unseen Struggle and the Path of Growth

Thanks to Shufang’s timely intervention, Boshi Tower remained unaffected by the aftermath of the titanic battle between the guardian deities. The destructive energy, which might have otherwise reached the tower, was kept at bay. Within the tower, however, Lu Ming was far from concerned with the world outside.

For Lu Ming, the fate of everything lay in the hands of the Desolate Demon Lord and Huang Ti. The outcome of their battle would determine the future. If Huang Ti emerged victorious, Lu Ming’s safety would be assured. But if the Desolate Demon Lord triumphed, severe consequences would likely follow. Either way, Lu Ming knew that he had no power to intervene in their struggle. The clash between such beings was beyond his influence.

Recognizing this, Lu Ming focused on what he could control—his own growth. His path forward was clear: to continue his relentless pursuit of power.

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Meanwhile, beneath the Myriad Layered Demon Abyss, the battle between the Desolate Demon Lord and Huang Ti raged on, growing more intense with every passing moment. Yet, despite their ferocity, both deities were locked in a stalemate. As gods of the tribal realm, they possessed near-equal strength and reserves of divine origins. Their clash, though monumental, showed no signs of a quick resolution. Battles between Divine Realm entities of such caliber could easily stretch on for days, sometimes even months, without pause.

This prolonged struggle provided Lu Ming with an invaluable opportunity. With time on his side, he dedicated himself to advancing his understanding of array formations.

After only a few hours, his knowledge had soared to new heights, reaching an astonishing level of 5,869. Stepping out of the void space, Lu Ming once again stood before Qing Jue, his mind focused on the Divine Origin.

“So, that’s how it is...” he muttered softly, his eyes gleaming with newfound clarity. Finally, he had met the requirements to decipher the complex array formations that shielded Qing Jue’s divine persona.

Drawing upon the recordings left by Jiu Han, Lu Ming began a meticulous process of unraveling the mysteries of the divine persona arrays. He worked from the outermost layers, analyzing the structure one step at a time, pulling at threads of knowledge, peeling back layers, and examining each in intricate detail.

Within his mind, vast amounts of data swirled—numbers, symbols, and concepts all related to array formations. His mental faculties raced to process this information, assisting him in his delicate task.

Hours passed, but Lu Ming’s focus never wavered. His determination was rewarded when, finally, he nodded gently to himself, confident in the progress he had made.

“It’s almost done,” Lu Ming murmured, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he assessed the divine array before him. The structure of the outer formations was intricate but predictable, falling well within the bounds of what he had come to expect.

The divine formations on the divine grid were undeniably complex, but the outer layers served primarily functional purposes—sealing, enhancing divine energy, automatic recovery, encryption, and other such defenses. While these outer mechanisms were impressive, they were not the layers that held Lu Ming’s true interest.

“They aren’t what I need,” he muttered, his gaze shifting to the inner layers of the array. “Let me see what the inner layers are like.”

To fully unlock and understand the formations buried deep within, Lu Ming knew that he had to first free the Divine Origin within the inner Divine Vessel. The outer formations were simply safeguards—protective barriers meant to keep the inner workings secure. But Lu Ming’s objective lay within, and it required more than mere surface analysis.

Without hesitation, Lu Ming opened his attribute panel. His eyes scanned the data, locking onto the row that read Physique Realm Level 5. He paused, exhaling slowly, and prepared to push himself further.

“I can still advance,” he whispered, a tinge of excitement in his voice.

Activating his breathing technique, Lu Ming felt a massive surge of origin power flood toward him. The energy swarmed like a storm within the confines of the research room, swirling around him in chaotic bursts. For a moment, the room itself seemed to tremble under the weight of the power being summoned.

As an Ascendant with thirty-six Primordial Dao Patterns and three Silver Dao Patterns, Lu Ming’s strength was already formidable. Yet, the system’s evaluation placed him only at level five of the Physique Realm, a fact that never ceased to puzzle him.

The system’s logic deviated from the norms of common understanding. How could a being of his caliber be classified at such a low level by the system? The answer remained elusive, but Lu Ming had long since stopped trying to decipher this mystery. It wasn’t essential. What mattered most was that he could still grow—still push himself beyond his current limits.

One simple truth occupied his mind: he could still advance.

And with each advancement, his attributes would multiply. The potential to double his power loomed just within reach.

By this stage, however, the standard three-dimensional attributes (strength, agility, and endurance) had become less significant to Lu Ming. What truly mattered now was the strength conferred by his Primordial Dao Patterns. Each  Dao Pattern represented a conduit of immense, untapped power.

Yet uncertainty gnawed at him. What would happen once he advanced again? How would his transformation manifest? Would his core attributes double once more, or would he unlock additional Primordial Dao Patterns, enhancing his divine abilities even further?

The answers remained unknown, and that mystery lingered over him like a shadow, urging him forward with equal parts anticipation and apprehension.

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Advancement begins...

The Origin Power within the Boshi Tower had begun to drain, its vast reservoir siphoned by Lu Ming’s insatiable hunger for growth. In mere moments, the tower had lost 1 percent of its Origin Power, a tremendous amount for any single advancement. The energy flooded into Lu Ming’s body, infiltrating his cells, strengthening their structure, and enhancing his physical capabilities. His strength grew steadily with each pulse of power.

In the blink of an eye, his attributes had surged from 30 million to 60 million.

This dramatic increase should have been satisfying, but Lu Ming’s expression darkened. Despite the visible improvements, something troubled him.

“This won’t do...” he muttered, frustration creeping into his voice. “The increase is too little.”

He knew that when his attributes reached 100 million, it would trigger a critical bottleneck in his Primordial Dao Patterns. Breaking through this bottleneck would transform the attributes into a new Dao Pattern, recalculating his strength across three dimensions—strength, endurance, and agility.

In reality, Lu Ming’s total attribute value at that moment should have been a staggering 3.63 billion. Yet, after advancing from level five to level six of the Physique Realm, the increase was a mere 30 million, bringing him to 3.66 billion. It was a disappointing leap, given the scale of power he had been expecting.

As this realization dawned on him, something deeper stirred within his body. A fierce attraction, like a ravenous void, began to tug at the remaining Origin Power in the room. It felt like an endless black hole, drawing more and more energy into him, and filling the Primordial Dao Patterns that marked his skin.

The thirty-six Primordial Dao Patterns that adorned his body suddenly began to glow, radiating with an ethereal light. Lu Ming tore off his clothes, his eyes fixated on the  Dao Patterns that twisted and writhed on his flesh as though they were alive. The surge of power caused the  Dao Patterns to swell, thickening and expanding in size.

Then, just as the growth reached its peak, the Primordial Dao Patterns began to divide, splitting into two identical patterns.

In an instant, the number of Primordial Dao Patterns had doubled from thirty-six to seventy-two.

The transformation brought with it a tidal wave of power that surged into Lu Ming’s body, flooding him with strength so intense that he couldn’t suppress a roar of triumph. His muscles swelled, his veins bulged, and the force within him seemed on the verge of bursting from his skin. Yet the restrictive state of the Physique Realm quickly reasserted itself, controlling the swelling and drawing his body back into balance.

Within moments, Lu Ming had completed his advancement.

The air around him felt different—charged, potent with energy—but the concentration of Origin Power in the tower had been severely depleted. What had once been a reservoir rich in Divinity was now closer to a desert. The automatic formation system within the Boshi Tower kicked in, drawing fresh Origin Power from the surrounding environment to replenish the tower’s reserves.

Outside, the titanic battle between the Desolate Demon Lord and Huang Ti continued to rage. The magnitude of their clash was so immense that, despite the massive energy Lu Ming had drawn into himself, it barely registered in comparison. The entire landscape trembled under the force of their combat, but neither Shufang nor Jeros paid any attention to the Boshi Tower. The scale of the divine struggle overshadowed all else.

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Yet, for the two deities within the tower(Qing Jue and Moonfiend), Lu Ming’s actions were nothing short of catastrophic.

As Lu Ming absorbed more Origin Power, he also siphoned from the Divine Origin—the very essence that powered the tower’s sacred functions. Qing Jue, being in a coma, remained unaffected by the sudden drain on his life force. But the same could not be said for Moonfiend, who, trapped within the barrier, began to feel the repercussions almost immediately.

Moments earlier, as the commotion within the tower began, Moonfiend had found herself gripped by a wave of powerless fury. Sealed away by the barrier, she was left with no recourse but to vent her anger. Her frustration boiled over, manifesting in rage-filled outbursts that echoed within the confines of her prison. There was no room for logic or strategy in her mind, only a seething resentment toward her predicament.

She had not once considered asking mercy from Lu Ming. Her pride, a defining trait, refused to allow such a concession. In her eyes, pleading for help would have been a greater humiliation than the pain she was now enduring.

Her anger consumed her until both her body and mind reached the brink of exhaustion. When fatigue finally overcame her, she fell into a state of temporary calm. It was in this brief moment of reprieve that her gaze shifted to the cowering figure of Lin Feng, who had been trapped in the barrier with her.

Lin Feng, reduced to a trembling mess, huddled in the corner like a frightened animal. When Moonfiend’s eyes met his, he attempted a pitiful smile, a gesture that came off as more of a grimace than anything else. His face contorted in fear, every muscle betraying his desperation.

“What are you smiling at?” Moonfiend’s voice was cold, devoid of emotion.

Lin Feng’s smile faltered, his body trembling even more as he failed to respond. Before he could even comprehend her question, Moonfiend’s fury reignited.

“I’m asking you—what are you smiling at?!” she screamed, her voice echoing through the chamber. The air around them seemed to vibrate with her anger. “If it weren’t for your incompetence, I wouldn’t be trapped in this wretched tower, and I wouldn’t be in this situation now!”

The energy radiating from her anger coalesced into an invisible force, which grabbed Lin Feng and yanked him violently toward her. The terrified man whimpered, his eyes wide with fear as Moonfiend’s expression twisted into something monstrous.

“It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault!!” Moonfiend’s hands shook as her rage intensified. Without hesitation, she applied pressure to Lin Feng’s hand, snapping his little finger with a sharp crack.

Lin Feng let out a strangled cry, his body convulsing from the pain, but Moonfiend was far from done. Her need for someone to blame had found a target, and Lin Feng would bear the brunt of her wrath.

This woman, consumed by fury, was only just beginning...

End of Chapter 347