Secrets of the Stratus

The Secrets of the Stratus is a major update to Blade and Soul implemented on April 12, 2017. It heavily changed the skill system of the game, from the previous skill points based one to a streamlined, simpler version. It also streamlined the weapon crafting and upgrading system, as well as introduced new dungeons, a new area, and more.

Naryu Sanctum
Nestled deep in the Celestial Basin, Naryu Sanctum was long a destination for ancient pilgrims in search of spiritual enlightenment. That all changed when the Sanctum lost favor with a jealous demigod from the Divine Realm, a being known as Xanos the Everlasting. Xanos sent his champion–Agoni, a fearsome automaton– to attack the Sanctum. The ensuing battle caused an earthquake of such intensity that the area was buried for centuries. But the earth has shifted once more, and Naryu Sanctum is again accessible by foolhardy treasure-seekers and warriors alike. However, legends say Xanos still haunts the innermost chambers of the sanctum—the vengeful ruler of his own forgotten empire.
 * Recommended Level: 50 HM 13

Naryu Sanctum is available in both Normal and Hard difficulty modes (which are now both 6-member fights) and challenges players to uncover the ruins’ secrets and face some truly difficult encounters. The four bosses you’ll confront within have a chance to provide a number of sought-after rewards, including Xanos Discs, Void Fragments, the Legendary Draken Bracelet, and the Xanos Necklace.

Mushin’s Tower F16 – F20
The top 5 floors of Mushin’s Tower have opened their doors, offering brutal new challenges for solo players attempting to climb the upper reaches of the ancient monolith. This content isn’t for the uninitiated, and each floor has increasingly difficult boss encounters that represent a new pinnacle for challenging solo-player content. Your rewards for completing these challenges will be many, but you’ll want to especially look out for the Mystic Monk outfit and Lion’s Mane Hair, Unrefined Divine Dragon and Tiger Bracelets (combined with Naryu Sanctum’s Draken Bracelet to create new Legendary Bracelets that enhance skills) and Yunsang Prayer Beads—a currency you can exchange for Eternity and Transcendence Soul Badges, Tiger Weapons, and the ability to swap Unrefined Divine Dragon and Tiger Bracelets for one another.
 * Recommended Level: 50 HM 13

Materials Revamp
Blade & Soul's primary crafting and upgrade materials (Soulstone, Moonstone, Frozen Stinger, and Honorary Ornament) are being revamped in the upcoming Secrets of the Stratus update. This will effectively split each of the existing items into tradeable and non-tradeable versions, while only the non-tradeable versions can be used/consumed (effectively the same as the Sealed/Unsealed functionality). This gives us a lot of additional flexibility on the rewards we can hand out and where; for example, we can more freely give out personal untradeable-version upgrade material rewards without worrying about introducing a large number into the trading economy, or the potential for abuse.

Here’s what the items will be after the patch release: All of your existing items will become the tradable versions listed above, but cannot be used to upgrade/craft until you right-click them to “process” them into the Crystal version (which also makes them untradeable).

Upgrade Cost Reduction
Upgrade costs are being changed and reduced for the following weapons