On the 23rd, 'Blade & Soul Revolution' kicked off a collaboration with the martial arts webtoon Return of the Blossoming Blade. The team opened new boosting worlds, 'Hwasan Shinryong' and 'Maehwa Geomjon', while adding masks and outfits inspired by the series, allowing you to step into the shoes of the protagonists. Additionally, they introduced 2nd reincarnation for Ancient Guardian Spirits and expanded existing content.

Let's start with the new boosting worlds. Unlike previous iterations, this one is laser-focused on rapid progression. Blade & Soul Revolution is debuting a '1+2 Level Up' boost for the first time. For every single level you gain, you get two more for free, a perk that applies up to Hongmoon level 81, making the grind significantly less painful.

The developer also launched a dedicated event, 'Hwasan Sect Disciple Training, Growth Support'. Reaching specific Hongmoon levels unlocks high-value rewards to aid your journey. Furthermore, the shop has been reconfigured for these boosting worlds, complete with a dedicated roulette and a boss rush mode. It is a surprisingly welcoming environment for newcomers who might be drawn in by the Return of the Blossoming Blade collaboration.

The growth support is just the beginning. The collaboration dungeon 'Sipman Daesan' has arrived, featuring the 'Cheonma' as the final boss. Clearing it nets you various rewards, including 'Maehwa Coins', which can be exchanged at the Hwasan Sect Coin Shop for 'Hwasan Sect Outfit Coins'. You can use these to craft the hats and outfits of the main characters, so keep farming that dungeon. You can also visit the 'Hwasan Sect' event village to soak up the atmosphere of the original series.

The collaboration also introduces Guardian Spirits ranging from Legendary to Ancient tiers. New Legendary Spirits include Cheongmyeong, Baekcheon, Yuiseol, Yunjong, and Jogeol. The roster of Ancient Guardian Spirits has been expanded to include those same five, alongside Maehwa Geomjon, Dangbo, and Cheongmun.

Beyond the collaboration, there are several quality-of-life improvements. First, a Guardian Spirit appearance slot has been added. This allows you to freely change the appearance of your lead Guardian Spirit for each combat set. Note that if you do not have a lead Guardian Spirit equipped, the appearance slot will have no effect, so keep an eye on your setup.

Ancient Guardian Spirits can now undergo 2nd reincarnation. Once an Ancient Guardian Spirit reaches its max Spirit Power after the 1st reincarnation, it becomes eligible for further growth. The 2nd reincarnation boosts stats while retaining previously acquired Spirit Power and special options, which continue to grow as you accumulate more Spirit Power.

Several systems have been streamlined to make your life easier, including the removal of the Martial Arts Pae expansion system. The slots are now permanent, and any existing expansion materials in your inventory will be refunded as high-grade Martial Arts Pae fragments.

Regular and high-grade recovery potions have been removed, with the potion bag capacity increased by two slots. Consequently, all potions from character creation and quest rewards have been upgraded to 'Supreme Recovery Potions'. The Guardian Spirit gauge, which used to govern stat activation, is also gone; the stats of summoned Spirits are now applied passively, simplifying character growth. Furthermore, the 70% stamina consumption reduction is now a default effect, and the Training Grounds have seen various tweaks. You can find the full patch notes on the official Blade & Soul Revolution community page.