Xie Wen woke up with memories of his past life as a Japanese shut-in, and with a System that would help him in his path to immortality.
With the Immortal Prestige System, he could turn his inferior roots into heaven-grade ones, his fate could be turned upside down, and his talents surpassed the geniuses.
Every time he resets his cultivation at the start, his cultivation roots will improve. With each reset he will acquire prestige points which he can use to improve everything.
Due to the memories of his past life, Xie Wen's temperament took a drastic turn. He decided to live as a hermit, not willing to compete against others for a longer and peaceful life.
This is the story of Xie Wen and his attempt to live lowkey in a world where the Heavens itself throws hardships upon anyone. Watch as he slowly rises to the top!
This is my first time writing a story focusing on a male MC. Most of the time, I write gender bend MCs on some of my frequently visited forums like this spacebattles and this site because I don't really find writing male MCs interesting.
But right now I am always stuck with my published stories. I can't continue them due to lack of motivation, writer's block, real life problems, and a mix of all of those.
So I decided to change things up and try writing a male MC. The very first thing that comes to mind is this kind of setting, a xianxia one.
I hope you have fun with this story everyone!~
That will be all. Now it's time to start the story.
My name is Xie Wen, I was an outer sect disciple of the Immortal Peaks Garden Sect.
I said I was because that sect had been burnt to the ground along with its many members, including me. So the question is, why am I still alive?
My answer for that is I have no idea!
Xie Wen's last memory was being stabbed in the chest by demonic cultivators before losing consciousness. When I came to, everything was already ruined. Moss and vines are forming on the pile of debris and rotten remains of the planks that surround me.
I said Xie Wen's memory because I am not originally Xie Wen. My name is... I forgot actually, but in my past life I am a shut-in living in modern Japan. My hobbies are playing games, reading manga and light novels, and collecting anime figurines with my parents' money.
I know that makes me sound like a loser. I admit that I am really a loser. Why would I stay in my room for a decade if I'm not so pathetic?
I thought when I became an adult, I could distance myself from my pathetic self. Since middle school I always got bullied due to my nerdy appearance. I didn't think that even outside high school, the stigma of being a loser would cling to me like a curse.
I can't handle the humiliation from my former bullies. My new friends at my work quickly turned their backs at me after learning about my pathetic self, and the woman who became close to me condemning me due to that fact, further destroying my image on the company.
It's so pathetic. My reason for becoming a shut-in is because I give up.
I always dreamt of being transported to another world. At least if I get transported, my problems will be left alone.
My delusional dreams come true as right now, I am gazing at the destroyed sect with my own eyes. My blood-soaked robes cling to my skin as the stale scent of the burnt remnants of the outer disciple dorms hits my nose. The memories of the former owner of this body settle in my mind.
Right now I am Xie Wen, and I am the last remaining disciple of this sect.
Xie Wen is a twenty year old outer sect disciple with inferior roots. With such an inferior root, Xie Wen's cultivation speed is incredibly slow. He has no talent, and his affinity is Earth which is very common amongst cultivators.
Normally, cultivators at age 20 should already be at the 9th Stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Xie Wen is still at the 5th Stage.
This world is extremely dangerous. Just by his memories alone, dangerous thoughts and a huge amount of ego is oozing out from his history. He has aspirations to become the best, and vicious mindsets like stepping on the weak if an opportunity to become strong presents itself. He has no qualms about killing people and doesn't think conning mortal villages out of their wealth is wrong.
And supposedly, this is normal in this world. In this world, strength is the law. They follow the law of the jungle in every facet of their life. Being weak is a sin in this world.
If I want to survive in this world, I have to become strong soon. It will be very difficult because of my inferior cultivation root.
I sigh. I thought Isekai was supposed to be easy with level ups and cheat abilities. Am I going to suffer hardship after waking up in this world?
... Well, I think that is just right. I'm a pathetic person in my past life, so why should I get any advantages? I should be happy I got my wish to be transmigrated in another world!
Even if it's not the same type of fantasy world I am hoping for...
*Ding*
[Congratulations, you have been chosen to wield the Immortal Prestige System. With this System, you can reset your progress and acquire benefits in your potential along with Prestige Points which you can use to improve anything you have!]
"Woah!"
What is this? It's a panel that looks like the stuff I see on RPG games!
Is this my cheat ability!?
[STATUS]
Cultivation Stage: 5th Stage Foundation Establishment Realm
I can't believe it, I actually have a cheat ability along with my transmigration!
Wait, resetting my cultivation?
Isn't that counterproductive?
I look around and check if there are any dangerous beasts around. I don't see anyone at all. It's just nature slowly claiming the ruins of the sect. I move away from my spot, and roam around the place. Occasionally I encounter some bones, likely originating from the other disciples of this sect. Though otherwise there is no one here.
There are the eventual insects, and the birds above flying in flocks along with some chirps in the distance. So I think there is no danger around as far as I know.
Hmm... should I expel my current cultivation base?
Expelling cultivation is actually easy. We simply have to regulate our breathing and exhale. We can control our own Qi within our dantian so letting it flow out of our pores is not that hard. It's a lot easier than absorbing Qi, flowing it through our spiritual roots, and then consolidating it within our dantian.
Though if I do that, I will return back to becoming a mortal. I'll have to start cultivating all over again. Do I really have to do this?
The answer is yes.
If my cheat ability will work by expelling my cultivation base back to zero, then I will do it. It's called a cheat ability so of course it would benefit me!
But not right now. I am still unsure about this place.
This place is the ruins of the Immortal Peaks Garden Sect, and if I am in the location of the outer disciple dorms, then if I just follow Xie Wen's memories, I might find a place suitable for cultivation.
I look up at the peak of this mountain and with a nod, take a step forward. My destination is set. "... Fortunately, it is still intact."
Walking thousands of broken stairs and jumping through narrow footholds to the top would be impossible if I expelled all of my cultivation awhile ago. Even as a weak Foundation Establishment cultivator, I can display superhuman feats without any problem. What should have been precarious jumps became easy as if I was skipping stones in a river. I have an unnatural sense of balance that made it easier for me to step on footholds that mountain climbers would have a hard time even with hiking equipment.
At the peak of the mountain is the ruined pagoda of the sect master. It's already ruined so there was nothing in it. Since my trek towards the peak, I haven't seen anything from the ruined pavilions and abodes of this destroyed sect. I assumed those demonic cultivators had ransacked everything before they burned the whole sect to the ground.
Even with that, I still check and am very grateful when I find what I am looking for.
Within the ruined pagoda is a room that is surprisingly intact. There is no hint of dirt or dust within the room, and while there are no treasures around, the subtle glow of the array shows that it is still working.
This room is a cultivation room that cultivators use for closed-door cultivation. I can feel Qi gathering abundantly within this spot.
This is a suitable spot to cultivate!
I checked my surroundings for awhile, and then sighed after I'm sure there was no one that would be a threat to me. I also check if there is any source of food and water for my sustenance, and the pond on the edge of this peak solves my dilemma.
With everything accounted for, I finally got the courage to reset my cultivation.
I take a seat within the wide enclosed room with a functional cultivation array, and then expel the consolidated Qi within my dantian, releasing them from my pores. As I am doing that, a feeling of heaviness settles on my muscles and there is this sense of lethargy bearing on my body.
[Reset detected, calculating... successful!]
[Spiritual Roots increased by 5!]
[Cultivation Speed multiplier increased by 0.15!]
[You gain a total of 15 Prestige Points!]
[Congratularions on your first reset, you have unlocked the Prestige Shop!]
The Prestige Shop?
[You can use the Prestige Shop to gain talents, techniques, bloodlines, relics, treasures or even improve upon anything you possess with Prestige Points!]
"Woooo!"
I just notice that I am hollering in excitement as I read that announcement from the status screen. Without waiting anymore, I think of opening the Prestige Shop.
[Prestige Shop]
(Shop)
(Improve)
I pick the Shop option, and find many categories ranging from techniques and talents that will benefit me up to something ridiculous like weapons and pets. As for the Improve option, it lists everything written in my status.
With the Shop, I can buy new stuff while on Improve, I can upgrade what I already have. It's a powerful function of my cheat ability which will give me many benefits so long as I have Prestige Points.
"A 1.15x speed in cultivation and an additional 5 inferior spiritual roots!"
That is a greater boon than everything else. It's impossible to increase spiritual roots or even improve upon it. As for cultivation speed, it depends on the spiritual roots too.
Even if these are inferior roots, it still doubles the amount of roots I have. That means ten more points within my meridians where the Qi can enter.
"... Then, whenever I reset my cultivation, maybe I can increase my roots and the speed of my cultivation!"
Just that function alone is strong. It's unheard of!
There is a small voice within my mind telling me that I can become the best with this, but I quickly curb that intent down. I shouldn't be complacent!
In Xie Wen's memories, most cultivators die because of their arrogance. I don't want to follow their steps and die a foolish death because of something useless as pride.
They said showing weakness was wrong, and to defy the heavens is to take everything head on. I think I will do the opposite.
I will hide, and build up my strength slowly. Cultivation can prolong my lifespan. Even if I reset my cultivation, it won't affect my general appearance. My vitality will still be the same as when I start cultivating.
Foundation Establishment doesn't really have the longevity effect. It simply strengthens the body. Lifespan extension will start at the Qi Condensation Realm. If my memory as Xie Wen is true, then reaching Qi Condensation Realm will increase my lifespan for 100 years, doubling my lifespan and it will return my vitality back to my youth.
So that means I just have to continue cultivating until I reach Qi Condensation then reset. With the Immortal Prestige System, I won't have to compete against resources and opportunities. So long as I stay and cultivate, eventually I can reach the peak of this world.
Then, surely, I will be able to have a peaceful life without any worries. If I want to do what I want, I need enough strength for it.
I recall Golden Core Cultivators being the strongest in this region. I have to reach that kind of power before I feel confident to leave this place.
So, I have to start cultivating right now. Before that though, I have to do something with my Prestige Points.
I already have something in mind when I choose the Improve option. There is an interesting choice in there that I can pick. That choice is the Root Quality.
[Improving Root Quality from Inferior to Lesser costs 10 Prestige Points. Would you like to proceed?]
"Yes."
Ten points have been deducted from my prestige and then, I felt something clicked within my body. I open my status by thinking about it.
Great. With the increase in quality on my spiritual roots, absorbing Qi will be a lot easier.
I immediately tried it out. Using the cultivation method Xie Wen practices and gathering the abundant Qi around me. That familiar feeling that left my body a while ago returned within my nerves. They enter easily through ten points of my meridians, and they flow easier than the time Xie Wen cultivates in the past. Each root gathers ten times more Qi than my former inferior roots.
I cycle them through my dantian, purifying the Qi and consolidating it into my own. Cycling Qi is simply expelling the impurities of the Qi and turning it into something compatible with my soul. The effect will spread around my soul, enhancing my physical capabilities.
I have an Earth affinity and the Qi around here has no elemental affinity, so I have to cycle them repeatedly until they turn into Earth Qi that my body can handle. A single cycle will normally take half an hour or more depending on the talent of the cultivator, and the amount of cycle I will need before I fully consolidate the Qi into my element depends on the potency of my affinity.
With my low grade Earth affinity, it takes me twenty cycles before it finally settles within my dantian. A sense of explosion spreads within my mind, indicating my breakthrough.
[STATUS]
Cultivation Stage: 1st Stage Foundation Establishment Realm
I open my eyes and see that everywhere is dark. Night has already fallen. Even with the darkness, I can see clearly as if it is daylight.
Doing a single successful consolidation will turn any mortal into a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It's the next stage that will take longer, and where people have to rely on their talents to breakthrough faster.
I want to try something first and see if it will work.
My newly consolidated cultivation left my pores as I expelled it once more. Then, that message appears once again.
[Reset detected, calculating... successful!]
[Spiritual Roots increased by 1!]
[Cultivation Speed multiplier increased by 0.01!]
[You gain a total of 1 Prestige Points!]
[STATUS]
Cultivation Stage: 1st Stage Foundation Establishment Realm
I don't know how the System calculates it, but my hypothesis is correct. The amount of multipliers, roots, and points I can get depends on the level of my cultivation. Higher cultivation will give me more.
Cultivating to the 1st Stage of the Foundation Establishment is easy. It won't take me a whole day to reach that. With more cultivation roots, it will reduce the time I need to cultivate at that time. Compare that to cultivating from 1st stage to the 2nd stage which will take days, weeks, or if I am incompetent enough, months.
This feels like those idle games I sometimes play in my past life when I feel bored. It even has the same prestige system in it.
Then I might as well try doing it that way. The very first thing I have to do is to increase the speed in which I can cultivate. Even increasing cultivation by one is a big boon for me. If I keep it up, I think within a month I can bulldoze my way to the 2nd Stage of Foundation Establishment Realm within a single day.
That is my goal for now!
So... Yeah, new story once again.
This is weird because this one is following a male MC.
I only do this because I always use female MCs, and I want to change things. Hopefully I do this right, and find the motivation to actually continue this for a long long time.
I hope you have fun with this chapter. Thank you for reading this everyone!~
P.S. If you feel like contributing to my life or my hobbies for writing, consider dropping by on my Ko-fi account and donating any amount you want. Thank you in advance and I appreciate it!~
My initial plan for my rise to power immediately crashes after a single day pass. I belatedly realized that I lack many things.
The nearby pond can't provide me with food. I don't know how to fish, and I don't have any fishing nets. Even if I catch one, I don't think I can process it or even cook it. I am unsure if it's safe to drink the water in the pond so drinking is also out of the question.
I need sustenance at this stage. I am at the phase where I keep expelling my cultivation. That means I have to eat, sleep, and do all of the stuff normal people do.
It's not just food. I need a proper place to sleep. Sleeping in that enclosed room hurts my back. Without a proper bed, my body will be sore sleeping on the floor. It's very cold too, and there is no source of light in the evening.
I have a solution to that. The Prestige Shop sells almost everything I can think of. In the Miscellaneous section of the Shop category, everything I will ever need has been listed there. Beds, clothing, food, drink, all of it for 1 point.
There is only one problem. It's hard to get prestige points!
I only got 1 prestige point yesterday by spending the whole day cultivating. I know the process will become shorter as I increase my roots, but it feels like a waste just using a point that I spend an entire day of earning with my hard work.
But what can I do? If I want to survive here, I need to have all of those necessities!
So even if I am reluctant to do it, I spend all six of my points to buy all of this necessary stuff. 100 gallons of water, 20 bundles of ready-to-eat lunch boxes, 1 solar powered mini-refrigerator, 1 solar powered oven, a cotton bed, and 50 bundles of plain chinese robes. All of these cost 1 point each.
I quickly put these stuff within the cultivation room. It's not like it will affect the qi gathering array in this room. I can decorate this room as much as I want.
After securing a proper bed and meal for me, I can finally focus on cultivating... not!
The original Xie Wen can sit in a single room and contemplate the nature of heaven and earth as much as he wants. As for me, a loser shut-in, sitting crosslegged in a quiet room while absorbing supernatural energies around the atmosphere quickly becomes dull. Despite trying to force my mind out of this distraction, my mind can't help but veer off to unrelated topics.
Thoughts of my favorite manga, animes that I haven't finished yet, or even games that I left in my backlog, along with thoughts of my parents in my past life made me distracted enough to fail at some of my cycling. It almost caused qi deviations in my cultivation.
I have been spoiled after I became a shut-in. I have to stop myself from getting distracted and focus on cultivation. If I don't become strong as soon as possible, trouble might come to me while I am still weak. I don't have the luxury of thinking about useless stuff like this!
I kept telling myself that as I resumed my cultivation. A week had passed since then. Nothing untowards happened during my closed-door cultivation.
I am still at the 1st Stage Foundation Establishment due to my constant resets. This is the fastest way for me to accumulate points, roots, and multipliers.
"... Ugh, I can't do this anymore!"
It's also at this point that I give up and take a moment to rest in my bed.
As a modern person, even if I know that I am doing this for my survival, not having anything to entertain myself is getting to my psyche. I don't have anyone to talk to, and there is nothing else for me to kill some time other than cultivating. I know time passes quickly for me when I focus on my cultivation, but seeing darkness and feeling unseen energies within my metaphysical nerves isn't that exciting when I have to do it for an entire week.
I miss my anime and games. I at least want to read something to pass the time. I plan to stay in this room for a very long time. I think I might die of boredom if there is nothing else for me to do.
What should I do now?
I think about it while staring at the ceiling. "Thanks for the meal."
After a simple gratitude for my food with a clap of my hand, I split the cheap chopstick that is paired along with the lunch box and start eating the heated lunch. Today I am eating a box meal that contains a hefty amount of rice, omelet, karaage, and curry soup. This has been heated in my oven.
Most of my lunch box were stored in my mini-fridge. That's the purpose why I even buy this fridge with my points. It's a waste for a long term because I won't need food when I get to higher levels of cultivation, but right now I really need it to store the twenty bundles of lunch box I got from my purchase. The oven is also important, and then the bed and many things.
The robe I wore was a new set. I have already thrown my bloodied ones beyond the edge of the peaks. As for my other garbages like the empty lunch boxes, they've been piled up in the corner of this room.
The smell is fine with me. I am a shut-in, and my room is always messy most of the time. Something of this level doesn't bother me.
There is another problem I have to address that I notice during this week. I still don't have a proper waste disposal system. Specifically, I don't have anywhere I can piss or poop. I try doing it the natural way, doing it at the shade of the only tree within this peak. It smells horrible even when I return back to my room. I also don't have anything to wipe myself, so I reluntantly have to use my spare robes for it.
It is absolutely disgusting! Moreso than the pile of empty lunch boxes inside my room!
During this week, I acquire at least seven more points. The seventh one being a very recent one as yesterday, I got two points due to the speed of my cultivation and also staying all nighters for it. What usually takes me eight hours has been reduced to six hours before I become a 1st stage. I think it will become faster in the coming weeks.
So for now, I have to solve my dilemma by upgrading my current residence. In the Improve category, a new section has been revealed. It was called Ruined Pagoda. After staying here for a week, it seems like my cheat ability now considers this place as my possession.
Just in time. I am going to become crazy with the smell of my own shit. I quickly spent 1 point each on the bathroom and toilet. Now I can have a place to wash myself, and do my thing.
I don't know where the toilet is connected and how it functions without a sewer system, or how the bathroom has a tub and shower in it. I just chalk it up to the convenience of my cheat ability.
Now I have five points left. I think I want something that can help me cultivate passively.
"Is there a cultivation method here that can let me absorb and cycle qi passively?" I am just saying that unconsciously while looking browsing through the shop.
[Searching... complete!]
That sudden prompt almost made me jump out of my feet. What does it mean by that?
My question has been quickly answered after multiple things were shown listed in the shop panel. All of these were names of cultivation methods that would specifically help me with my problem.
The cost is a bit steep though. The cheapest one costs 10 points. I just spent 2 points total for the toilet/bathroom combo. I will need to breakthrough five times to the 1st stage and reset to get that amount of points.
I think it is worth it. I will truly die of boredom just focusing on cultivation. I need some entertainment!
And so, for the next three days, I dedicated most of my time with cultivation only. "Fuu.... finally!"
After a mentally tiring cultivation session, I finally got five prestige points. Quickly I operate my Prestige Shop and then pick the cheapest method for automatic cycling.
[Would you like to purchase the Auto-Cultivation function?]
"Yes!"
[Congratulations, you have purchased the Auto-Cultivation function!]
[This function will passively absorb Qi around you and cycle it through your dantian. The amount of progress you will get through this function is only 50% of what you will get through manual cultivation.]
After reading the prompt, I can feel the warm rich presence of the abundant qi in my surroundings. It is half of what I can absorb when I cultivate by myself but that is fine. Now even if I am doing something or sleeping, I can still progress through my cultivation. With this function, I can focus on some of my personal dilemmas like finding ways to entertain myself.
I can easily get points, and I think it is safer in this part. There are no dangerous beasts lurking in this peak, and no mortals will ever dare set foot here. Xie Wen's memories also tell me that nothing will interest rogue cultivators here, so I think I am still safe for sometime.
That means I can waste at least 1 or 2 more points. It's for passing the time and taking care of my boredom. One point can give me a lot of things, so I think it is alright for me to indulge in my hobbies right?
There is nothing happening at all.
With that thought in mind, the next point I got from my newest reset was used to buy light novels. The decision alone felt stupid in my mind, but my heart wanted something to soothe the boredom with these anime light novels.
The prestige shop truly sells everything, even useless junks like this one. A single point gives me a hundred light novel titles of my own choosing, and it seems like the shop reads my mind because it quickly puts every book that I haven't finished or read yet, along with some that are my favorites.
With all of these in my hands, I think staying here for a long time will be more bearable. Just as I expected, nothing truly happened to me. A month has passed since I started living here. I held myself back from spending any points as I needed them to actually improve my roots, and some of my talents and affinity.
The passive cultivation helped me a lot. Thanks to it, I have been able to pass the time reading my favorite light novels and then reset my cultivation in peace. With the increase of my cultivation roots and multipliers with each reset, my cultivation is getting faster. Now my passive cultivation can breakthrough to the 1st Stage within six hours. If I manually cultivate by myself, then it will take me three hours.
Of course, advancing to the 2nd Stage is still a long way. I underestimated the requirement for it. With my current roots and speed, advancing from 1st Stage to 2nd Stage will take me more than a week. That was very slow compared to advancing from mortal to Foundation Establishment.
The requirements to raise to higher cultivation level exponentially increases. It's not viable for me to attempt that. I have to save up more points and multipliers until I am sure I can cultivate to that level instantly.
So that is why I am sticking to resetting when I become a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Xie Wen's knowledge tells me it is very fast, but personally for me it is still so slow. It's been a month now but the speed of my cultivation is unsatisfactory.
Fortunately I am planning to stay here for a long time. If a month is not enough, then I predict it will take a year before I can instantly raise my level from mortal to the 2nd Stage of Foundation Establishment Realm. I have light novels in my hand, and the shop will ensure that I can sustain myself with just a single point.
There are still no monsters approaching this spot, so I think I am safe. I can stay here all the time without showing myself while building up my power. After I become a Golden Core Realm expert, I think I will start moving my sights from beyond this mountain. Six months have quickly passed. The weather at the top of this peak was extreme. Winter was extremely cold, and I was forced to improve my room and install an air regulator device. I also bought some stuff that improved my quality of life like a solar powered washing machine, a few hundreds of light novels, lunch boxes, cabinets for storing my robes, and a solar powered incinerator for my garbage.
I have also repaired the next room with the Prestige Shop, which costs 1 point because my room is becoming crowded with my stuff. I put my washing machine and incinerator there so I can have more space in my room.
Other than those irrelevant changes, the most important part was my cultivation. I expected it would take a year before I could reach 2nd Stage instantly. I didn't think it would take six months before that happened.
[STATUS]
Cultivation Stage: 2nd Stage Foundation Establishment
Spiritual Root: 373
Root Quality: Minor
Cultivation Speed: 3.78x
Prestige Points: 141
(Affinity)
Earth (F+)
(Talent)
Sword (F)
(Technique)
Iron Edge (Small - Success)
With the multipliers and roots I acquired from my resets, I can reach the 1st Stage Foundation Establishment within thirty seconds. Fifteen seconds if I manually cultivate. As for the second stage, I can reach that within sixteen hours through passive cultivation.
Upgrading affinity two times is the right choice. It decreases the amount of cycles I need to consolidate my foundation. With fifty successful consolidations, I can breakthrough to the 2nd Stage without any problem.
I have also increased the quality of my roots to Minor. That cost me a hundred Prestige Points. The next cost will be a thousand to turn my spiritual roots into Intermediate quality. I have to save up for that.
Advancing to the third stage is a lot harder. The original Xie Wen takes a year before he reaches the 3rd Stage. Even with my new improvements, I think it will take me a few months before I reach that. It's very inefficient.
After reaching the 2nd Stage, I decided to start resetting at this stage. I know it isn't that efficient. I can get more if I just spam reset on my 1st Stage. There is only one problem. It is very tiring to do so.
There is no auto-reset function in the Shop. I have to manually do that which takes at least a few seconds. With the speed of my auto-cultivation, I won't have time to do what I want. It's extremely bothersome.
So, I set my reset to the 2nd Stage. This is just right because 2nd Stage gives three times more multipliers and points than resetting on the 1st Stage. It is slow, but it's more convenient than doing it one-by-one.
[Reset detected, calculating... successful!]
[Spiritual Roots increased by 2!]
[Cultivation Speed multiplier increased by 0.03!]
[You gain a total of 3 Prestige Points!]
[STATUS]
Cultivation Stage: Mortal
Spiritual Root: 376
Root Quality: Minor
Cultivation Speed: 3.81x
Prestige Points: 144
(Affinity)
Earth (F+)
(Talent)
Sword (F)
(Technique)
Iron Edge (Small - Success)
After resetting my cultivation, my empty roots quickly fill up with a new batch of qi which my root sucks up like a baby and flow to my dantian where they are automatically being cycled.
After half a minute, that sense of expansion within my mind tells me that I breakthrough to the 1st Stage once more. I ignore that and take another book from my personal pile besides my large bed and then lie on my back.
I don't feel tired reading light novels. I am so close to finishing all of my backlogs of stories from my collection. I think I might have to find another hobby soon. Rereading some of them might be fine, but I am sure I am going to become tired of it when the time comes.
As for dangerous beasts outside? There is nothing to worry about, it is winter!
Most demon beasts hibernate at this season, and as for those who are active in winter, they won't even come up here because there is nothing here other than me. This is the peak of the mountain with no reliable footholds to climb up on. Demonic beasts will have a hard time climbing here even if they dare.
So I can relax and just leave the affairs of the outside world without any worries. My next goal will be reaching the 3rd Stage in a single day. After that the 4th Stage, then so on.
I have to persevere and hold myself back, even if I am feeling somewhat lonely being by myself here.
"Later..."
I mutter to myself, swearing with my heart that I will actually go outside and mingle when I feel my strength is adequate enough.
Even with my favorite books, loneliness truly sets in when everything is so quiet.
Here is another. Just a peaceful chapter and a preparation time for him. Early chapters will start with him trying to grow as fast as he can, but it will be a long process.
I hope those timeskips are fine. Nothing of interest really happens on those timeskips.
Thank you for reading everyone!~
P.S. If you feel like contributing to my life or my hobbies for writing, consider dropping by on my Ko-fi account and donating any amount you want. Thank you in advance and I appreciate it!~
Another month had passed before I surrendered from my solitude. The eerie silence and disturbing quiet breeze of the night are chipping into my psyche. Constantly, everyday, the only noise that accompanies me are the sounds of the wind atop this peak and the distant chirping of birds below this spot.
I don't want to waste points. I want to learn a technique that will help me greatly in this world, but if there is no one besides me that I can talk to, then I might go mad. In fact, I think I am on the brink of insanity not having anyone to talk to.
Reading is not just doing it. Seven months of doing it without any interruption is becoming dull even for me who really likes passing the time doing useless stuff like that.
I need someone to talk to, but I don't want to go down this mountain peak with my current cultivation base. My maximum is still at the 2nd Stage, and if I push it and stop resetting my cultivation, I can reach the 3rd Stage approximately two months and a half. 4th Stage will take longer, then the 5th Stage much more.
Then what else can I do then?
Why, I can buy it. The Prestige Shop can let me buy anything!
In the Pet section, different types of animals and beasts are on its list. They cost a lot though. Mortal pets cost 100 points while 1st Grade Demonic Beasts cost ten times more than that.
I don't have a thousand in me, so I choose the mortal pets. As I am a dog person, I choose a dog. Specifically a pure shiba inu breed. I named it Fluffy.
The dog I purchase manifests in front of my eyes, standing there with its dopey looking smile as it wags its tail and looks at me.
The prompt that suddenly shows itself after Fluffy fully manifests shocks me, but I manage to hide it while kneeling and patting the head of the dog. It leans into my hand, eager for my palm to rub its head. While it is doing that, I am checking the information I can see floating above its head.
Fluffy has Core Quality and Core Progression. That means it can cultivate. I think it is fair, every living being can cultivate whenever they want, so long as they know how to feel the qi around them and cycle it within their dantian. I recall through Xie Wen's memories that demonic beasts cultivate differently. They solidify some sort of core within their body which acts as their dantian, turning them into demonic beasts. They are originally normal animals that acquires sentience due to abundant qi within an environment, or other reasons that will help them absorb qi and consolidate it within their core.
With Fluffy's addition, I buy all the necessary things I need to take care of the dog. Dog food, dog toys, and other paraphernalia for dogs. I also buy a doghouse, which is somewhat larger than I am expecting for with just a single Prestige Point.
Fluffy seems to like it with how much it is rolling around, and running around from one place to another. It also looks like it is smart enough to understand me. It can follow my orders easily. I can feel a sense of bond between us, and I think I can feel its joy between this link. If I recall correctly, they say this is how Beast Tamers feels their bond with their Tamed Beasts.
It reveals another facet of the Prestige Shop. Pets bought in it would automatically be bonded to me. Does that mean I can buy a 1st Stage Demonic Beast and let it guard me?
Lately, I am becoming nervous. Recently when night comes, distant noises below this peak echo and I can't help but check below with my purchased hi-tech telescope every evening below the edge of this peak to check if there is any beast lurking near my place. I can see some small silhouettes on the broken steps leading to the destroyed tunnels below this peak, moving swiftly and hiding from the overgrown bushes and shades of trees around the peak.
Without this telescope, which only costs a single point, I won't even know these creatures are near my spot. They are still far, and there is no viable pathway for normal animals to get to this peak unless they can jump through the small ridges and eventual tree roots that are sparsely distanced around the peaks. Only cultivators can do that.
This spot is safe, but their presence still worries me. If those mysterious silhouettes are being attracted here, then what if stronger beasts or cultivators become intrigue at this place?
I need someone to protect me.
With the discovery I got from my purchase of Fluffy, I feel confident buying a demonic beast to become my guardian.
I just have to save up a thousand points! And so, six months have passed. Fluffy's existence made the days bearable for me. Most of my time was spent playing with the excitable shiba inu. Playing fetch, feeding it, and generally bonding with it around the limited space of this peak.
Within these months, my constant resets whenever I reach 2nd Stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm helps me reach 1,000 points. The amount of spiritual roots and multipliers I have made it possible for me to reach 2nd Stage within 6 hours. I can shorten it to 3 hours if I manually cultivate by myself.
The first month after I got Fluffy, I can constantly reset from 2nd Stage on a daily basis. Sometimes I do it twice if I don't sleep on that particular day. In the third month, I can constantly reset twice. Recently this month, I can do my resets thrice everyday.
This marks the first year of my transmigration to this world. Well, it's 1 year and 1 month if I want to be specific, but that's besides the point.
Building up points takes too long that I cheat for a bit by resetting a lot of times even at the 1st Stage. It's really troublesome always expelling qi from my pores just for it to return near instantly and breakthrough to the 1st Stage with barely a second passing.
Thankfully, I still have time. The creatures lurking beneath the peak haven't found a way to reach this spot, which gave me more time to build up my power. I can still afford to relax for a bit.
[STATUS]
Cultivation Stage: Mortal
Spiritual Root: 996
Root Quality: Minor
Cultivation Speed: 13.41x
Prestige Points: 1,004
(Affinity)
Earth (F+)
(Talent)
Sword (F)
(Technique)
Iron Edge (Small - Success)
The following is the progress of my cultivation. I will have a lot more if I just focus on expelling my qi on the 1st Stage, but once again that is troublesome and won't give me time to do what I want.
This progress is enough. My knowledge about this world tells me that this is comparable to the speed of a genius cultivator with top grade cultivation roots or peak rank elemental affinity. There is no need to panic so much when I still have a lot of breathing room.
And now I will have more breathing room because of the next purchase that I have been planning for half a year now. I immediately operate my menu and then search for the strongest demonic beast pet that I can afford with Prestige Points, and then purchase it. My heart clenches at the sight of my remaining points as my half year of effort vanishes with a pop.
Then, a large being appears in front of me with a radiant light. I have to close my eyes for a bit before the shine vanishes and I look at the demonic beast that I purchased. It is large. It hunches with its lupine limbs, its forelimbs stretching as it relaxes itself, before it stands up with its paws. Sharp canine eyes look down at me, its black furred tail slowly wagging.
(Kuro)
Race: Dark Forest Wolf
Bloodline: Demon Wolf
That is right. I chose a Dark Forest Wolf. Surprisingly, Xie Wen knows about it. It's a type of ferocious demonic beast that roams a thick forest along with its pack. Even in its lonesome, it can handle middle stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
It is also the fastest and most perceptive demon beast from the 1st Stage that I can afford. There are others at the 1st Stage that heavily outmatched it, but those cost a lot more than a Dark Forest Wolf.
I named it Kuro. I think it is a fitting name due to its dark blue fur that looks fluffy, and its emerald eyes that I think can reflect the moonlight in a sinister manner.
"Can you understand me? Nod if you can?"
Kuro swings its snout up and down, before staring at me once more. I nod in satisfaction.
"Okay, I want you to check whether any dangerous monsters are approaching. If they are hostile, you have to deal with them, or you can alert me. If it's a human, tell me."
Demonic beasts are dangerous. So I hope if a demonic beast comes here, Kuro can take care of them. As for humans, I know Xie Wen's memories tell me how ruthless most people are. Still, I don't want to just tell it to hurt strangers. I have to check whether they are trustworthy first before I think of my next action.
It barks at me and through our bond, I can tell it is agreeing to my order.
"Okay, that is all."
After dismissing it and letting it roam around the peak, I go back to my room and start thinking about my future. Fluffy climbs up the bed along with me, so I can only rub its fluffy body as I browse the shop.
Investing in a 1st Stage Demonic Beast as a guard is good. It will act as a deterrent against immediate threats that might come here. Though it is still one of the weakest types of demonic beasts. I won't feel safe with just Kuro alone.
Just adding more demonic beasts is not good enough. Checking for its diet, it seems like the majority of them like meat. It is much better if the meat comes from another demon beast. They can also eat herbs, flowers, or even some other supernatural element so long as it contains their affinity or is abundant with qi.
Those magical stuff cost a lot. I can't afford it with my meager income. I can only buy it mortal meat which gives me 100kg with a single point. That is still not enough because demonic beasts are known for their large appetite. A 1st Stage Demonic Beast is known for eating multiple humans before they fill their stomach. It's a sickening thought but that is the truth of this world.
So while more demonic beasts under my employ are good for security, they need high maintenance. I'll have to limit it to Kuro until I can get a lot of prestige points on a daily basis.
What I need next is surveillance. Kuro will take care of intruders. I need something to alert me so I can prepare too in case something actually happens.
I have been holding myself back for it because I don't know whether I can pull it off, and it feels like a waste of time. The cheapest surveillance system I can buy are solar powered security cameras which only cost 1 point each. They are also wireless which I can connect to any computer like a laptop.
But I don't know how I can put them around this peak. I can't just hang on the small ledge around the peak and stick it on the rocky surface of the cliff. I don't even know if its wireless connection can reach the laptop or not.
There are the magical types of surveillance like using an observation array around the mountain and connecting it to an object that can reflect light. I can connect it to a mirror and it will let me see everywhere that the array covers. The only problem I have is that this array is expensive. It costs a hundred points.
Should I go for the modern way? Or is it the cultivator way?
I thought about it for a moment before I decided.
"Right, I'll do it the modern way!"
It's cheaper, and it doesn't use any qi to operate. Cultivators can sense arrays because those use qi. Activating it will backfire on me if a strong cultivator approaches me. Compare that to a small security camera, it's mundane and not even worth a glance for cultivators.
So after some deliberation, I start my cultivation so I can reset and acquire points to purchase security cameras and a laptop. As for installing it, I hope it has an instruction manual along with it. Nine months ago, a group of Dire Wolves migrated their pack to the destroyed righteous sect. They changed location until they chose the broken cave abodes as their den. Two months have passed when it started, a scent that tickled their nose wafted beyond the peaks of this abandoned mountain.
These Dire Wolves salivated at the constant scent of delectable meat and other scents that flowed down the mountain. Humans wouldn't notice the scent, but Dire Wolves have sharp senses that could detect scent even at a mile radius.
Since then, half a year has passed. They attempted to jump at the narrow ledges and failed at climbing. Even as 1st Stage Demonic Beasts, they didn't have the right build to climb the steep cliff of the peak. They could only roam and hope that a path would open for them.
Their alpha thought otherwise. With its budding intelligence, it decided to wait. Delegating a group of its pack to surround all sides of the peak at all times while the others hunt for prey below the mountains. It knew what it saw at the edge of that peak. Even if it looked like a dot on most people's eyes, its sharp gaze knew the shape of humans enough for it to sneer.
A lone hermit living at the top of the peak. It doesn't know how humans work, but with its limited knowledge, it assumed that it was the same as them. A living being who needed to eat. This hermit might be the cause of this delectable scent that occasionally spreads atop the mountain. It was subtle, but the scent alone made them salivate.
Whatever it was doing, that hermit would soon run out of food. Then he would come down to search for his food. That was the moment it was waiting for. Food runs out and these wolves had to hunt to refill their stock. A human worked the same, it assumed.
So it covered every path this lone cultivator could use to escape. It was patient. It knew that sooner or later, that man would come down after they lost all their food. It just had to wait.
It heard another whimper from one of its pack members. It growled at it to quieten it down, before it harrumphed. It knew that its pack felt impatient. Even it felt impatient as they waited for the eventual descent of the lone cultivator.
It had been half a year since they sensed that delicious scent. That human was still staying there. It wondered just how much food they have stored in their abode that they could stay there for half a year.
'Surely, it wouldn't be limitless, right?' Is what it thought with its limited sentience.
Unfortunately for the alpha dire wolf, the MC is a cautious shut-in.
Sorry, not sorry xD
I hope you have fun with this story!~
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[Reset detected, calculating... successful!]
[Spiritual Roots increased by 2!]
[Cultivation Speed multiplier increased by 0.03!]
[You gain a total of 3 Prestige Points!]
"Phew..."
A sense of lethargy settles on my shoulders as the warm energy within my body leaves from the pores of my skin. That feeling of emptiness is short-lived as the same warm energy enters my roots, flows within my meridians, and then swirls within my dantian. In an instant, strength returns to my body. It's not the same strength as when I reach the 2nd Stage, but it is enough to make me feel at ease even with the growing headache making itself known.
It's a disturbing feeling constantly expelling my qi. If I have to give an example, it feels like losing blood and feeling nauseous. It's all a mental thing, and it doesn't really affect me physically, but it is still a psychological thing because I am willingly weakening my soul by expelling qi that strengthens it.
Like imagine just willingly losing blood. It's the same for cultivators, and it is done at a near instantaneous moment when I expel all of my cultivation out of my body. If I am going to constantly feel like this each time I reset it, I can't really do that constantly. I think I might puke if I do it frequently in a single day. There is still the lingering lightheadedness on my head when I do my resets.
It is really inefficient if we think about it rationally. It's not like it is affecting me physically, but this uncomfortable feeling stacks within my mind. I think I can't handle expelling my qi ten times in a single day. I can feel a sour taste in my tongue and that acidic sensation rising from my throat when I try forcing my cultivation to reset five times in a single day.
I mean, I am curious. My current speed through passive cultivation can let me go straight to the 2nd Stage within five hours. I want to know if I can handle constantly resetting my cultivation. My maximum cultivation reset in a single day is five times. I think I will take that as a hard limit for my resets in a single day.
So, why am I trying to check whether I can reset as much as I can?
Well, the reason for that is the thing my pet demonic beast is currently eating just outside my residence. It's a giant bird-like creature with a long bald neck and a monstrous four-pronged beak. This monstrous creature that looks like it comes from an animal experiment gone wrong is surprisingly one of the weakest demonic beasts in this world. It's called the Flying Dodo base on Xie Wen's memories.
I don't know why they call it the Flying Dodo. It doesn't look like a dodo at all!
Anyway, this is the first time a demonic beast reaches the peak of this mountain. Thankfully it is just a 1st Stage Demonic Beast that comes here. I am incapable of fighting currently because of my constant resets, so I can only rely on Kuro to protect me. This bird just appears out of nowhere to catch Fluffy, who is frolicking beside the pond.
This happened three days ago. So a sense of crisis looms upon me, and I feel that this place is not as safe as it seems. If a weak flying demonic beast can reach a mountain peak that is tens of thousands of feet high above the ground, then it is not an exaggeration to expect a stronger flying beast to reach this spot.
Then, should I leave this place?
No! Of course not!
Even if there is a chance a strong demonic beast can reach this peak, it's still a low chance compared to land-based creatures below. I see the feeds from the sturdy, wireless, solar-powered security cameras that I install around the peak. I can't really do it around the middle part of this peak because of the wolf beasts surrounding the area, but I manage to put all-direction security camera orbs on key parts around the peak that will give me a good vantage point to see all sides of the area below this peak.
Those wolf demonic beasts are waiting for me. There are a lot of them. I estimate they are close to a hundred just roaming around the broken paths and stairs of this mountain that leads to this peak, and most of them are looking above with an intensity on their gazes.
I don't want to risk myself on the land. This place is still safer than going below this mountain.
Still, this sense of crisis forces me to push myself and try to reset as much as I can. This is why I learn the limit I can handle with the constant reset.
Of course, I can push myself further, but this sense of lethargy and then strength and the lingering lightheadedness that is slowly turning into nausea is something I can't handle. I don't really want to push myself so much that I am going to puke.
I still have time. My cultivation is getting faster and faster as time passes. I think within a decade, I can reach the Qi Condensation Realm within a single day. That is an optimistic assumption by myself, but I have to.
"Wan!"
Hm? Oh right, Fluffy is getting hungry...
"Sure, give me a moment."
I also have to think about Fluffy and Kuro. My pet demonic beast can sustain itself with pure, raw meat. Fluffy is not the same as it is a mortal dog breed. Obviously with its status as a mortal dog, it can't survive in this world. For it to have any chance of survival, it has to become a demonic beast.
It can't do that by eating demonic beast meat. It has to naturally evolve into one. I think that will take long, but if it constantly stays within my room, then I am sure it won't take at least a year before Fluffy becomes a demonic beast.
I just have to take care of it until the time comes. With the new sense of crisis looming on my shoulders, I force myself to cultivate. In the following weeks, I delegated six hours of my time cultivating manually. At my current status, my cultivation speed and roots make it possible for me to reach 2nd Stage Foundation Establishment within two hours. If I force myself without resetting, I think I can reach the 3rd Stage Foundation Establishment in a single week.
During that time, I am contemplating whether I should go along with my actual plan or stick to what Xie Wen knows. It takes me a few days of deliberation and in the end, I decided to choose my own path.
[Would you like to acquire the Gun Talent?]
"Yes."
Something clicks within my mind after my purchase.
That is right. The weapon I want to accompany me as a cultivator is not a sword.
It's a gun!
Just like one of my favorite isekai protagonists said, a gun is more reliable as a weapon than anything else. It is a ruthless and efficient weapon with no regards to technique and forms. You simply point it and then pull the trigger.
Of course, I think about it. This world works in a different way. I assume normal bullets can't pierce the tough skin of demonic beasts, much yet bruise the skin of a cultivator. Foundation Establishment practitioners are already superhuman in terms of physical capability alone. Swords and arrows don't affect them, and even those in the early to middle stages of Foundation Establishment can swat a shot cannon by a mortal.
There is a reason cultivators are being revered in this world. They are too strong compared to mortal people. People at the lower levels can't contend against a high level cultivator because the gap in their power is too large. Having a higher cultivation base is always better even if the person is an idiot because the strength they will acquire is that humongous.
So a normal gun won't do anything to this world.
But that doesn't mean it is entirely useless!
Just like how a normal bullet is useless against cultivators, normal weaponry made by mortals are also useless to them. Special materials like spirit stones or metals were used to create weapons and armors capable of withstanding these cultivators. Most of the time they do it on swords, or some weave clothes that can resist elemental attacks.
It's the same case on the guns. If a normal gun and bullet can't deal with cultivators and demonic beasts, then I just have to get a gun made by these spiritual metals.
It's normally impossible in this world to find something like that, but I have the Prestige Shop. It can sell anything to me.
With a simple search on the Weapon section, I easily find what I am looking for. It's also a very cheap one, costing 50 points.
[Would you like to purchase the Magical Pistol?]
"Yes."
A small black pistol manifests in my hand. I look at it from left to right, checking the handle and the magazine within.
"... It's loaded..."
That almost stops my heart. It is fully loaded with seventeen shiny rounds within. All bullets, I realized, are made of metals conducive to any forms of qi. The gun itself also has a certain weight to it that even me, someone who is at the 1st Stage Foundation Establishment can feel it. It's not as heavy as Xie Wen's original sword, but its weight is foreign like half the weight of a sword's handle.
Thankfully, watching many anime and playing games in my past life makes me somewhat knowledgeable about trivial knowledge. Basic stuff like not looking at the barrel of the gun, not resting your finger on the trigger, and looking for a safety pin is just something a person has to know if they want to handle a gun.
It's all rudimentary knowledge, but it is enough. With my Gun Talent, I have this instinctive understanding of how to use this pistol even with no prior training.
This is just the start. Next are the bullets. Qi conducive pistol bullets cost 1 point per ammo box. Each ammo box contains fifty pistol rounds. I bought five of these ammo boxes. Next are empty magazines. If I want to reload quickly, then I need to have a full magazine instead of manually reloading each round into a spent magazine.
Thankfully, the empty magazines for the model of my gun gives a bundle of them with each point. I use two points to buy two bundles of it so I can start loading each and carrying a few along with me.
Then I bought some basic kit for the military. A belt to store my loaded magazines, and a strap for my pistol.
After that, I buy the next important thing. Gun Technique!
Techniques are important for a cultivator. They are like special moves in a fighting game. Aces that can elevate the threat rating of a cultivator. Just like Xie Wen's Iron Edge, a sword technique that sharpens the blade he wields, doubling the slashing power of his swing.
The Prestige Shop has techniques for gun users too. This is the reason why I feel that using a gun is viable in this dangerous world. It is because of the existence of these techniques. Most gun techniques are pretty expensive, but there are few that are cheaper enough for me to afford. I buy one technique that is universal enough for range users.
[Would you like to learn the True Shot Technique?]
"Yes!"
True Shot Technique. An offensive technique that helps a cultivator take aim with their weapon, and shoot with inhuman accuracy. There is no guarantee that it will hit if the opposition is very fast or dodgy, but it helps increase the accuracy of a shot and make sure that at least the spot the user wants to hit will be hit.
There are some practitioners of this technique in this sect. Unfortunately, I think they are dead.
Going back on topic, included in the basic military kit was a target stand. I can train myself with this.
Before that though, I need to make sure to suppress the noise my gun will surely make after I use it. This might be a pistol, and I might be feeling more paranoid, but I don't want the sound of my gunshots to attract other demonic beasts. I am in the middle of the wilderness full of dangerous monsters. If I make a lot of loud noises, I think I might attract strong demons out of nowhere.
It's why I am not buying any game consoles in my Prestige Shop because I fear some sort of demonic beast will get attracted by the noise it will make. It will be dull if I just play without sound, so I just satisfy myself with light novels.
Anyway, this was the reason why it took a long time before I decided to settle on a gun. I fear the noise will attract trouble on my way. If I buy a suppressor, the suppressor needs to handle the bullet too. Mortal suppressor will break from a qi conducive bullet.
That is my assumption anyway because bows and crossbows in this world can't handle special cultivator arrows and bolts. They snap or even break on their own trying to do that. I think a gun and a suppressor act the same.
So, I spent 1 point for the magical pistol suppressor.
With all of these done, I feel confident enough to start my training. Gu Rou watched his master as he pointed the weird tool in his hand on a wooden circular stand with layers of circular white and red paint on it. He pushed his finger within the lever-like trigger on that device, and Gu Rou's ears twitched as it heard a sound akin to a person sipping from straw from the tube of that small device.
A moment after that was the sound of brief wooden creaks that turned into a slight screech. Gu Rou gazed at the wooden circular stand and saw pinky-sized holes on the layer close to its center.
His tail swished at the strength displayed by the small tool. He shook his head, quickly changing his perspective on this tool and calling it within his mind as a weapon.
This small weapon was deadly. If it could bore holes on wood, then flesh would be torn by its swift and hidden projectiles. He hasn't seen what kind of projectile it shot, just that it shot something from the mouth of the tube. Something small that would be imperceptible to anyone but the most perceptive.
He diligently stood on guard a few meters away from his master. He doesn't want another surprise attack from a creature not part of its pack. A few weeks ago, a weak prey dared capture its small brethren. He showed the error of its way by swatting it with his powerful claws, and finishing it with his ferocious fangs.
No more intruders came after that, though he was still attentive to his surroundings. He knew of the mutts that stayed below their den. How they licked their snout as they stared at his master. Gu Rou waited for the time they would counterattack. This type of insult shouldn't be forgiven.
"Hmm... True Shot truly lives up to its name. Even standing sixty meters away from the target let me hit it still..." His master muttered under his breath.
Gu Rou wondered if the time for their counterattack was close. His master now has a weapon that could deal with foes with swift preciseness. Once again, his tail wagged faster at the thought of getting back against those wolves below this peak.
... So I will admit, I forgot to write why he thinks it is troublesome to continuously reset his cultivation other than it will eat up on his hobbies. It is too stupid if it's his only reason why he doesn't want to do it continuously.
... Nah, I'm lying. The first part of this chapter is just an excuse after some of my readers pointed out that plot hole. I actually panic when you point it out. I was very tired at that time when I was writing it, and the general idea while I'm writing this is not really complete yet. I just want to write something because it has been so long since I wrote a story...
I try to look for a way to fix it, but it will just break the flow I made with all of the chapters I published. Thankfully there are only three chapters published yet, so I can use this one to explain why he finds it troublesome.
So, that is all about the confusion on that part.
Next, just some small fact while writing this chapter.
His reason why he chooses a gun is actually a personal choice for me. I always think why transmigrators from xianxia who has the power to create or buy anything they can think of doesn't pick a gun and instead choose a sword. Like its always a sword when it comes to weapon. I know it looks heroic, but for a modern person, I think they will choose something that is more reliable than a weapon that needs skill and finesse to use reliably. A gun is simple enough. Even a child can kill an adult if they have a gun, and much easier than that compare to them wielding a sword or a knife.
Of course it's a personal thing for me. I think it is natural to choose a weapon that will let you hit an enemy from a safer range. Also, guns are cool!
This is a personal opinion. I know that maintaining guns is a lot more complicated than maintaining a sword or other weapons. It has a lot of mechanisms in it and there is also the issue of bullets. I just only feel confused why most xianxia authors whose MCs have access to literally anything dismisses guns as useless.
Other than that, the gun here is loosely modeled after Glock 17. It's not THE Glock 17, its just loosely modeled after it. I don't have any knowledge of guns so please forgive me if I write anything inaccurate about it.
And about Kuro. Yes, he reads it as Quo Rou. Yes, I got inspired by a certain Xianxia story that focuses on a farm and a chicken. I like it actually.
That is all for the little fun facts about this chapter. This might be the longest author's note I made on the internet xD
I hope you still find this story good, and I apologize again for my blunder.
P.S. If you feel like contributing to my life or my hobbies for writing, consider dropping by on my Ko-fi account and donating any amount you want. Thank you in advance and I appreciate it!~
EDIT: Changed Quo Rou to Gu Rou because I butchered Chinese pronunciation. Sorry...
Throughout the year, I diligently cultivated every six hours and then took care of my pets. My progress soared to great heights, and it got fast enough that I reached the 3rd Stage passively in a single day after 2 months. That time shortened until recently I could reach the 3rd Stage within 3 hours through passive cultivation.
At the 3rd Stage, each reset gave me 3 additional roots, 6 prestige points, and 0.06 in my speed multiplier.
My cultivation speed was further improved after I upgraded my Earth affinity with a thousand points, and along with that was another upgrade to my roots, turning it into Intermediate Roots. It was why I could reach the 3rd Stage in a short time.
My current status is like this.
[STATUS]
Cultivation Stage: 2nd Stage Foundation Establishment Realm
With my diligence, I manage to raise my status enough that I think I can compete with the geniuses of this world. If I don't reset, I think I can reach the 4th Stage within three or two days. If I force it, the 5th Stage isn't impossible for me to reach within a month.
Having an E- Rank on my Earth Affinity and lots of intermediate grade spiritual roots makes it easier to reach higher levels in cultivation. My prediction of reaching Qi Condensation within a decade is an understatement. Within five years, I'm sure I can reach the next realm for my cultivation.
Which means in those five years, I can expect my vitality to recover.
I am 22 this year. I can still consider myself young but this is not the peak state of my body. I can return to my state of my youth after reaching the Qi Condensation Realm. So that is the goal for the coming years.
My gun skills are coming along nicely. Dedicating some of my free time shooting targets at varying angles helps me improve on my gun handling. Gunslinger Technique helps me correct my aim, and even let me do some freestyling when shooting my gun without affecting my accuracy.
It's also thanks to this that my current fight is going along smoothly.
The weird bird-like creature with a long bald neck and monstrous beak dives at me, but a single point of my gun and a pull of a trigger turns it into a corpse with a pinky-sized hole on its bulky body.
That shot was imbued with my qi. It easily pierces its feather and skin, hitting a vital part within it and killing it. The part I hit is where their heart is, so I know it is dead.
It falls on the ground with a spread of feathers, skidding to the ground for a few meters while it leaves a bloodstain on its track. I look at the others and see Kuro jumping and catching another bird with its teeth. As for Fluffy, I can see it running around and barking while it looks at Kuro.
Today, four of these bird monsters have come here while I am in the middle of my training. I am already prepared for it. They have been doing this for the past several months and I have come to expect it.
"Good work, Kuro and Fluffy."
I say to the two which they accept with a wag of their tail and additionally, an excitable roll on the ground from Fluffy.
Talking about Fluffy, it recently became a 1st Stage Demonic Beast. It is why I am letting it participate in our battle against the bird monsters harassing us.
Despite its mortal bloodline, Fluffy has become stronger after it manages to form its core naturally. Its size increases by at least two inches, and a mix of Beast Qi and Wood Qi are swirling within its body base on my divine senses.
"Okay everyone, carry them to the dismantling room. I'm going to cook you something good."
I walk back to my house after saying that, checking my gun for a bit before strapping it back to my holster.
Another new thing I have in my current residence are the new things in the broken pagoda. I fixed two rooms within it with the Prestige Shop, and then turned them into a dismantling room and a kitchen respectively.
I did this a few months ago after Kuro nudged me to cook its hunt. It actually wanted the preheated lunch boxes I have in my mini-fridge first, but after I gave it that, it doesn't fill it as much compared to eating demonic beast meat.
This is obvious. Mortal food just doesn't fill a demonic beast's stomach. Unlike human cultivators, demonic beasts sustain themselves with qi. Demonic beast meat contains rich qi within it. Regardless of its level, its taste and the satiety it brings is a lot better than mortal meat.
It is also why mortals can't eat demonic beast meat. They can't handle the amount of nutrients and qi that it will bring them if they partake in it. At most, mortals can only eat at least a single serving of demonic beast meat and not more.
It's one of the basic stuff cultivators learn after starting their journey to immortality, so that's why I know. Well, I just borrowed the knowledge from Xie Wen's memories. After a quick preparation, and dismantling the body of these birds and separating each of its important parts to the useless ones, I am finally done with my prep. Now I just have to throw away the useless parts and then give the small crystal-like orb from their bodies to my pets.
These crystal-like orbs the size of my thumb are Demon Beast Cores. These cores are important for pill making, formations, arrays, inscriptions, and many more. They power almost everything.
They can also be used to strengthen Tamed Beasts.
All demonic beast have something like this, so hunting them is up to a cultivator.
This demon beast core is specifically an Inferior Grade 1st Stage Demon Beast Core. They were graded based on their size and purity. Those Bald Dodos are the weakest type of demonic beast and they are known to have such inferior grade cores that most cultivators think hunting them is a waste of time.
As for me, I am fine with it. It's not like I am going to use it for anything other than as a snack for my pets.
"Kuro, Fluffy. Catch!"
I throw them the four demon beast cores to their waiting mouth. The two of them immediately jump at the chance, getting two each and swallowing it whole with Fluffy jumping with quick and precise movements.
After giving them their snacks, I start with prepping the meat.
Due to Kuro's nudging these past few months, I took the Dismantling and Cooking skill. I think I made the right decision because Fluffy also acquired a taste for demonic beast meat after it became one.
I put the chopped meat of the bird monster within the Freezer, another addition within the dismantling room where I put most fresh and raw meat so I can just take one whenever I feel like grilling something.
After that, I take a bucket of thick slabs of bird meat then carry it to the kitchen. Kuro is already away and patrolling the vicinity of this peak, so its only Fluffy who is following me.
After entering the kitchen, I start heating up the grill while thinking of what kind of seasoning I will be using for the meat. As I am thinking like that, I feel something expand within my core as the sound of explosion occurs within my mind.
Oh... I just broke through to the 3rd Stage again...
I quickly take a proper seat and then expel my qi out.
[Reset detected, calculating... successful!]
[Spiritual Roots increased by 3!]
[Cultivation Speed multiplier increased by 0.06!]
[You gain a total of 6 Prestige Points!]
I say that expelling qi is not harmful to the body, but that is only the case if I am doing it while sitting crosslegged. If I try to do that while standing, sitting, or any inappropriate posture that is not for proper cultivation, then there is a chance it will cripple us. It is still removing our qi from our body after all, which means releasing it out through our meridians.
That is like flowing our qi within our veins in reverse. Doing it improperly will hurt our body.
So this is why I have to take a seat every time I expel my qi.
A lingering sense of migraine is slowly forming within my mind after a brief sense of lethargy hits me, then the sense of strength returns after my passive cultivation kicks in and I instantly breakthrough to the 2nd Stage after a few seconds.
I am just going to stand up when I sense something soft and warm in my hand. Looking down I see Fluffy pressing its head on my hand resting on my knee. I raise my hand and then put my palm above its head, rubbing it with a chuckle.
Well then, it seems like it will take some time before I can start cooking. The Alpha Dire Wolf glared at the unreachable peak of the mountain in rage. The delectable scent of cooked meat was turning it mad, and it wanted more than ever to get there and feast upon the meat hidden at the top.
It had seen the pesky flying prey above trying to run on their parade, but the scent was still there. So that meant the lone hermit above had killed those weaklings.
No, it wasn't alone. They had seen a large wolf that was slightly larger than the alpha looking down on them.
That increased the threat of the hermit from the peak. Though it wasn't perturbed by it. In fact, it salivated at the challenge that made itself known.
In its sight, it could feel that the dark wolf might be close to its breakthrough. That meant its core was on the verge of evolving. If it could eat the core of that kind of monster, then this Alpha who was also at the peak of the 1st Stage Mortality would be able to surpass its bottleneck.
So its desire to reach the top became stronger.
'It won't take long!'
It thought within its mind.
Behind him were a group of wolves it had personally trained along with it so they could scale narrow ledges of a crude rocky cliff. They trained for months just for the chance to feast upon the delectable meat that they always smell even at this side of the mountain.
Soon, they would be able to jump all the way to that peak, and then they would claim their prizes.
I made a mistake in my calculations when writing the story since the first chapter. I forgot to multiply stuff in his first year, and that underwhelms what he actually should have...
Should I go back and fix it? Well, personally I think it will break the flow of the story if I do that. I might have to scrap an entire chapter and change it to fit the narrative better.
So I decided to just fix it in this chapter and hopefully, smoothen it out...
Sorry again, I think later in the chapter I'll be using rough estimates so this doesn't give me so much headache. I want to continue writing instead of wasting my time in my calculator T_T
... Also, sorry for the short chapter...
That is all. Thank you for reading everyone!~
P.S. If you feel like contributing to my life or my hobbies for writing, consider dropping by on my Ko-fi account and donating any amount you want. Thank you in advance and I appreciate it!~
After numerous day and night cycles, the Alpha Dire Wolf was ready. It trained along with a select few of its pack members, and now it was confident that they could reach the peak of the mountain.
It let out a howl, and the eight elite wolves behind it joined with their own. With its signal, they started jumping on the highest branch that they could, and then they continued onto the visible ledges that they could step on.
In the middle of the night, the dire wolves along with its alpha made their move towards the peak of this mountain. They imagined a feast waiting for them at the top, and the alpha's hope for ascension in strength. It is the middle of the night. I am just planning to turn off the spiritual lamp that acts as the light in my room and go to sleep when I sense Kuro's feelings of disturbance and alertness. It quickly reaches a crescendo as that alertness turns into aggression.
"Kuro?"
My bond with Kuro let me know what it is feeling and now I can sense the same feeling as when it is fighting against those Bald Dodos. Though this time it is a lot more intense than when we are facing those monstrous birds.
I quickly reach out to my pistol and at my belt full of loaded magazines, wearing it as fast as I can before unfolding the laptop lying on the desk just besides my bed. The numerous security cameras I put around the vicinity of this place let me see what is happening, and what I see makes my blood run cold.
Wolves. Large wolves that reach my shoulder with their gait. If they sit, I am sure they will be taller than me. Kuro is a lot larger than them by half a foot, though there is one of the wolves leading this pack who almost reaches Kuro's height by a few inches. It is growling at Kuro while the others are positioning themselves on the other side, most likely wanting to flank Kuro to kill it.
I will not let them.
"Fluffy!"
With a single call, my shiba inu quickly realizes something is wrong as it growls at the door. I open the door, which it sees as an opportunity to rush outside without waiting for me.
That is fine. I trust Fluffy to take care of itself. It is a lot more nimble than Kuro and has shown its competence by dodging the dives from those Bald Dodos. Fluffy can also act as a distraction while I try and reduce the numbers of these wolves.
Still... it is surprising. How did they reach this spot? Isn't it impossible for demonic beasts to step on those narrow ledges?
If they can reach this spot, then does that mean the other wolves below can do it too?
... There is no time to think about it. I have to deal with this problem first before thinking about this. I can hear the barks, growls, and whimpers of the demon beasts more clearly when I leave the door of my house. Quickly, I point my gun at the first dire wolf I encounter. It is currently chasing Fluffy who is using itself as bait.
With its back turned, I can freely aim at it without worrying for a retaliation, and then pulling the trigger while activating True Shot. Shots imbued with my qi cut through the distance between me and that wolf, and it hit its rump with a cold silence and only its loud whimper as a sign that it was harmed. I shoot it once more to make sure that it stays down.
Then I look around, trying to find the other wolves. Alarm bells ring within my mind, and if not for me turning around, I will not even know how I died. Above the only roof of the ruined pagoda is a wolf standing there, already in a pouncing posture as it gazes at me.
I freeze up, but grit my teeth and force myself to aim my gun at it. It is too late because it pounces towards me before I can shoot. I still pull the trigger, and then let out a grunt as its weight slams against me.
Damn! It's so heavy!
I push it and then roll around before taking a proper shooting stance in the direction where I push that wolf. Thankfully I manage to hold onto my gun when it slams against me.
I can see that wolf whimpering which shows that it is still alive. It feels merciless shooting a downed enemy, but I shake my head from those useless thoughts.
A demonic beast will kill a person if they see one. If I don't give it the killing blow, then it will be me who will die here.
So I harden my heart and then shoot it even if it's down. The breathing of that wolf stills, and I just notice that the sound of creaking I can hear is my grip on my gun. I relax my fingers for a bit, taking some calming breaths before snapping my gaze around.
I am still not out of the danger. There are no other immediate threats planning to pounce at me. That means my pets are distracting them enough. I have to help them out before they get hurt! Gu Rou watched the strongest threat among the intruders carefully. The others had left, and only one of its pack members remained to help it. His small compatriot, Fu La Fei, had taken the attention of the others who would ambush him.
They circled each other, posturing while they growled and tried to intimidate the opposing party. They checked each other out. The movement of their limbs, their posture, their positioning, and even where their eyes were pointed.
Gu Rou could sense great delight from it, and the drool from its lips almost made him lose composure.
'This mutt is so daring to covet my flesh? It's courting death!' Gu Rou thought in anger.
But it stilled its burning wrath, and waited for the other party to move. It knew that it was strong, and a wrong move would be bad for him. The other party also knew that he was strong, so this large and ferocious-looking dire wolf waited for his move.
They waited, and then waited, until something happened. The wolf that was trying to flank him finally lost its patience as it kicked the ground with a snarl. Gu Rou's eyes lit up as he turned his head towards it, and swung his claws at its approaching maw.
He hit it precisely on the side of its face, wounding it with his sharp claws. Blood was drawn as that fodder whined in pain. Even with that small success, the dark forest wolf was attentive. He saw a silhouette fast approaching from its periphery.
He swiftly dodged to the side before the claws of the alpha clamped on his neck. After a weave, he retaliated with a bite which was quickly avoided by his assailant. He quickly followed up with a swipe of his claws, and the opposition retreated a few steps. Both growled at each other with intense hostility in their eyes.
That first exchange signaled the start of their deadly dance.
Without taking rest, two gray furred wolves faced the singular one that guards this peak. Their movement was deadly and precise. Their teamwork was mesmerizing that normal beasts would be fooled.
Such teamwork was useless in the face of pure power. In a few exchanges of swipes and bites, the smaller dire wolf fell victim to his bite. His teeth broke through flesh and bone, and separated the spine from its neck. Such a result was normal as a dark forest wolf has better capabilities than dire wolves.
The death of the smaller one affected the leader of these night raiders. It barked as it pounced on him with a fierce expression. Its body seemed to have bulked up as a malicious aura covered its entire body. The speed that it pounced shocked him, and his surprise was taken advantage of as it got close to him.
It slammed against him with a fleshy thud. The two rolled on the ground, growling on each other as they swung their claws at each other. Reaching out vital parts with their fangs while they thrash around. It only took a short moment before Gu Rou managed to disengage and reevaluate his enemy.
He felt a burning sensation from his side. His dark fur has been matted red by the large gash on it. Still, it wasn't worse compared to the dire wolf who nursed one of its hind legs. There were some scratches from its body and the tip of one of its ears was missing.
Gu Rou's heart soared at this challenge. This was the only foe it fought that wounded him. He welcomed this type of challenge. His contempt against this interloper changed into something more.
'A worthy opponent!'
The two knew that the next exchange would be the final one. They lowered themselves, and then lunged at each other. Their fore limbs and teeth primed for the final blow.
In that single exchange, the winner was decided as the sound of teeth sinking onto flesh. The whimper of the loser echoed on the night sky as crimson blood stained the ground of this peak. There, the moonlight shone upon the dark furred victor of this deadly bout.
The alpha wolf lay twitching on the ground, whimpering its death throes as Gu Rou stood proudly on the moonlight. Then it straightened its posture, and then bellowed with its victorious howl. Letting the Heavens know of its exploit. The former mortal dog weaved through pack formations, expertly dodging beasts much larger than her. Instead of fighting, Fluffy simply ran. Then she stopped before she turned around with a dopey smile on her face, her tail moving like a fan.
Fluffy saw this dangerous activity fun. She loved leading intruders with her provocation, then dodging their attempts to attack her. It was so much fun for her whenever she successfully evaded attempts on her life. It made her heart pumped much more intensely compared to when she played fetch with her Master.
Her natural expression caused the three wolves to snarl, their faces turning ugly as they moved to flank her. Seeing them provoked by her dopey grin made her heart flutter in excitement as it turned around and led them around the place.
One of the wolves almost got close to her, but then it whimpered and fell to the ground later. The other two stopped in confusion for a moment, their head turning left to right in alert. Noticing that, Fluffy stopped and then barked at them before she sat.
Her bark took the attention of these two, and seeing her face made their eyes burn in anger. They followed her once more though before they could reach her, unseen projectiles pierced through the air and downed the two wolves.
Fluffy strutted towards the dead wolves, putting her paw on one of the wolves whose eyes became glassy. A hole on the side of its skull could be seen with blood spurting out from it.
She was sad that playtime was over, but her mood quickly rose as she saw her Master emerge from his hiding spot. She knew her Master used a mysterious hidden weapon to slay foes. It was why she wasn't as worried. Her Master was there to protect her.
"Good job, Fluffy."
She was happy with the compliment. She quickly moved towards her Master and waited for head pats. She liked the warm hand of her Master, and preferred to experience those fingers and palm rubbing against its head and ears.
It was why she liked this kind of activity. Whenever they were done with their playtime, her Master would always praise her.
She hopes more intruders come so she can have more head pats. "Phew..."
Finally, all of the monsters are dead. Now I can relax.
I believe in Kuro. It is the strongest pet that I have, though it surprises me when I find out who it was fighting. It's the alpha of the dire wolves. They say it is a lot stronger than a normal dire wolf, and they can unite a hundred dire wolves to their cause.
I tense up thinking that a hundred more might come, but coming back and looking at the security feed doesn't show any wolves coming as back up. I think it's only the nine of them who try to attack us.
I am curious how they manage to reach this place. This spot is more than a hundred and fifty feet above the nearest stable ground. How did they get up here?
Is it even safe to stay here?
I almost got hurt awhile ago. Kuro got wounded in its fight against that alpha wolf. If this is the kind of result we will get just fighting a group of 1st Stage Demonic Beasts then what about the stronger ones?
2nd Stage Demonic Beasts are known to be ten times stronger than a 1st Stage Demonic Beast. What if they arrive here and decide that the people living here are their next meal for the day?
Should I relocate my base?
... No, it is too early to think like that. I have been staying here for two years now. It's only now that those wolves manage to reach this peak. I can't just expect other land-based monsters to also do that the next week.
There is still some time. I can still grind more points, spiritual roots, and multipliers before something bad happens. I have to be optimistic here!
Talking about being optimistic, there is one good thing that happens in this fight. When I first arrived at Kuro's side to help, I saw it feasting upon the flesh of that large dire wolf. I think it might have eaten its core because I sensed a change in its aura.
Kuro has successfully reached a breakthrough. It is now a 2nd Stage Demonic Beast.
There were some bad things that happened tonight, but something good came out of it. The original Xie Wen will think this is Heaven's Will and such an opportunity is normal in a life and death scenario. I don't want to be put in a dangerous scenario as much as I want!
I'm not foolish enough to throw my life away just for a chance to rise to the top!
I have my cheat ability, so there is no need for me to compete for resources or look for trouble.
That sense of crisis is looming behind my mind once more. This time, something within my mind is telling me to push myself beyond the limit and find more ways to strengthen myself.
I admit, I have been neglecting my research for a bit as I feel a bit complacent with my gun, my pets, and the speed of my cultivation. I am already satisfied with my progress. I thought nothing bad would happen for the foreseeable future if I stayed here.
Now I know I am just being too naive in my thoughts. I am still a weak person in this world. I have to build up more power than ever.
I can't also leave this place. This spot has more qi than doing it below. The room I am using also has a qi gathering array in it. This spot is the best cultivation spot for a weakling like me.
So the next thing I have to do is to build up defense, and strengthen myself. I also have to find a way to strengthen my beast more. I wonder if the Prestige Shop has other things in it that can help with my growth. I only know about increasing affinity and spiritual roots.
Those are my thoughts as we clean up the corpses of the wolves around our area.
It's been a long time since I wrote a battle scene. It is one of the only things that I have an easier time writing because I really like combat scenes.
With this being a xianxia genre, an obligatory fight scene is inevitable I think. It is still a staple of this kind of setting after all, and I don't want to miss out on it.
I hope you have fun with this chapter too, see you next time everyone!~
P.S. If you feel like contributing to my life or my hobbies for writing, consider dropping by on my Ko-fi account and donating any amount you want. Thank you in advance and I appreciate it!~
The day after the crisis last night, I noticed that half of the wolves waiting below were gone after checking the feeds from my laptop. This is a good thing. I think they realize that their alpha is dead and think this place is not worth the trouble?
I think that will give me some time to build up my strength. Now I have to think about what to do next.
I review the knowledge I got from Xie Wen's memories about cultivator facts. The basics of cultivation is sitting in a proper posture so they can absorb the qi more efficiently. The most proper posture for absorbing qi is sitting crosslegged. Doing this makes it easier for qi to enter the pathways within meridians as the majority of their body are exposed to the elements with this posture, and it relaxes their spiritual nerves, making it easier for qi to flow within their veins.
After the process of properly sitting on the ground is done, next is actually absorbing the qi. This is done by a special breathing technique which will stimulate their spiritual roots and letting it suck on the qi around them in tandem with their breathing. It's a kind of breathing that is done internally instead of externally. They call this method fetal breathing. Fetal breathing is possible even for mortals so long as they know how to do it.
The next process is something much harder that a mortal needs to have prior experience for it before they can do it. This is sensing the qi flowing within their meridians and urging it to move through the proper paths within their nerves. Only those who know the sensation of the qi within their meridians will be able to do it. People who are unaware of it will fumble their way, and there is a chance they damage their meridians with a wrong mindset and method.
The first time Xie Wen was accepted on this destroyed sect, it took him a year and a half of constant exposure to qi and absorbing it before he managed to properly flow it within his meridians. Average people with intermediate talent can do this within three months more or less.
A cultivator has to know where to move their qi before they commit to it. Mortals map out their meridians first by absorbing qi and carefully urging it in a certain direction with their will. Internal qi control is easier than external because it is within their body, though that doesn't mean they can just move it casually. Mortals can't really see their spiritual roots just like how you can't see your own nerves with your mind alone. It's only when they become a cultivator that they can become mentally aware of the existence of their roots, and have a smoother time flowing their qi within. This is why cultivators have an easier time controlling their internal qi than mortals because they acquire the capability to be aware of it after they step foot on the path of cultivation.
Now the final process, cycling. Before cycling occurs, a cultivator has to move their qi within their dantian. Dantian is the center point of our spiritual roots and meridians and it is where the absorbed qi gathers. Other terms for dantian are Profound Sea, Sea of Qi, Cultivation Core, and Spiritual Core/Center. This part is important because it is basically the power source of a cultivator. It doesn't really exist physically but if I have to give an estimate where it is located, it is somewhere between my lower chest and upper stomach area, and a few inches lower than that if I want to be more precise.
Simply gathering qi in their core won't really do anything. People who do that will simply waste their time as that accumulated qi will just find a way out of their body if they don't actively control it within them. This is where the Cycling part comes in.
Cycling is a process in which a cultivator spins the qi they gather within their dantian continuously. Doing this will purify the qi they gather and take the traits of the cultivator doing this. After sufficient time passes, the qi will acquire the traits of the cultivator and it will solidify into a point within their dantian. This signifies the completion of a single cycle.
The time it will take to complete a single cycle depends on a cultivator's affinity. If a cultivator has a fire affinity, then the qi they are cycling will gain the traits of fire qi before it fully assimilates within their core. This is why the rank of the affinity is as important as the quality and amount of their roots.
That is the basics of cultivation facts. Cultivators have to know this part if they want to cultivate, and know why things are the way it is. This fact only tells about the cultivators themselves. There are still outside factors like the environment, the cultivation method, their affinity, supplements, and many more.
What does this tell me then after reviewing this fact?
It is that I need a high ranking affinity if I want to cycle my cultivation quicker. I am an anomaly with this fact because I still have a low rank Earth affinity. Its upgrades elevate my speed a thousand times more than usual when it comes to cycling the qi, but it will be slow compared to other average cultivators if not for my speed multiplier. With the cultivation speed multiplier from my cheat ability, my speed surpasses even geniuses of my sect.
If affinity is so important, shouldn't I buy another affinity then?
That is a bad idea. Affinity is the core concept of the soul. Every person has their own affinity because it represents their soul. One affinity is common for almost every living being though sometimes, there are the special ones who have more than one affinity. They call these people multi-affinity cultivators and they covet these people due to their great potential.
That doesn't mean it will be easier for them to cultivate. No, it will be much harder as a cultivator with two affinity will have to cycle twice as much as a cultivator with a single affinity. As far as Xie Wen knows, only disciples from a Holy Land have these types of personage and, if the rumors from Xie Wen's fellow disciples can be believed, then most of the time these cultivators with multiple affinities focus on one of their affinity while neglecting their other so they can keep up with their peers.
If they want to keep up while not compromising their foundation, then they will need a lot of precious resources. These resources cost quite a fortune that they can buy a whole nation if it's converted to pure cash.
A single affinity is much better than adding a new one.
Then what else can I do then?
Right, there is the option of using supplements to aid in my cultivation. Pills are one of the most basic supplements for a cultivator. They can boost the cultivation speed of a cultivator.
There is only one problem. Consuming pills at a lower level is harmful. They give an extreme boost that will be impossible for low level cultivators. The Qi Gathering Pill, the most basic pill in every part of this world, requires the person to be at the 5th Stage Foundation Establishment Realm at the minimum if they want to safely ingest it. Those below that will simply destroy their meridians and forever crippling them from the path to immortality.
There is also a cool down period for each consumption of a pill. It depends on what type of pill it is but I know that the Qi Gathering Pill needs at least a month before a person can safely consume another.
So I need to be at the fifth stage before I can think of using a pill.
What else can I do then?
Cycling is dependent on my affinity rank so I need to improve my affinity to increase the speed of my affinity. I can instantly do a hundred cycles in a second. It is why I can reach the 2nd Stage instantly after expelling my Qi. The amount of cycles I need just increases a lot more as I make minor breakthroughs from my current realm. This is normal. Breaking through a minor realm is supposed to take months or years, and a cultivator usually goes outside to look for opportunities so they can shorten that time. I am only staying in this mountain and barely any opportunities are coming at me. I'm just relying on my cheat ability to get to this point.
Is there any way I can further increase my cycling speed?
Hmm... wait, now that I think about it, there is another way right?
Xie Wen's knowledge comes down to what the sect teaches him. Even the process of cultivating lal boils down to a single method that the sect gives him. It's a standard cultivation method that they give every outer sect disciple.
I didn't question it at the time. I think it really doesn't matter and I can just use it while relying on my multipliers to raise me up to the top. Though I really should have done it for a long time now right?
I need a new cultivation method!
That's it. Xie Wen's memories tell me that, unlike outer sect disciples, inner disciples are given superior cultivation methods and techniques by the Elders. That means there are better ways out there than what I simply know!
I should have thought of that! Dammit! This is what happens when I keep procrastinating and being complacent with my perceived safety!
Ugh... I'm so pathetic...
It's a start, but this new avenue gives me another option to increase the speed of my cultivation. I have to stop focusing on my useless hobbies and actually start taking my life seriously.
Dammit, I'm an adult in my past life. I should be better than this! "... Holy crap... that is amazing..."
My soul sings upon recently purchasing my new cultivation method. My knowledge expands as I instinctively realize that the new cultivation method that enters my mind is a thousand times better than Xie Wen's original one.
The Prestige Shop calls this method the Unnamed Earth-based Cultivation Method 1 and it feels so uninspiring that I decide to call it Genbu's Method. Surprisingly, the shop recognizes it and renames this cultivation method from its list into the one I prefer.
The Genbu's Method is a strong cultivation method that cost me 2,000 points. It's a technique that seems to be built on my core concept instead of just my affinity. I am extremely suitable for this method, and when I try to cultivate manually using this method, the result shows itself in an explosive manner.
"I reached the 4th Stage that fast...?"
I think it didn't take me a minute before I felt that sense of expansion within my mind. My passive cultivation can instantly reach the 3rd Stage and even if I don't manually cultivate, it will only take a minute or two before I reach the 4th Stage.
And I can feel it. As I try to manually cultivate it, I can easily cycle humongous amounts of traitless qi and turn them into millions of my own traits, consolidating them so fast that I think I might be dreaming.
It is no dream though because after two hours, I feel the familiar strength from when I wake up from this world returning to me.
This is so amazing!
I can't believe that my speed will improve this much by just changing my cultivation method. I think I even manage to absorb a lot of qi than what the array can reasonably gather in this room. My cycling is so fast that I am sucking the qi around my surroundings like a vacuum cleaner.
I look at my hand, and clench my fist. I feel that I am a lot stronger than the original Xie Wen. It might be because of the improvements from my roots and my affinity. I have more qi reserves within my core than when I wake up in this world. If I have to compare the two with my rough estimate, I might have a hundred times more qi reserves than the original Xie Wen.
Now that I am at the 5th Stage Foundation Establishment Realm, I have to try boosting that more.
A Qi Gathering Pill only costs a single point so I bought one. It appears on top of my palm and I quickly take it before popping it within my mouth. The circular golden orb quickly melts from my tongue, and it gives me a lingering taste of sweet candy.
After doing that, I can feel a surge of qi forming within my stomach. In a panic I quickly take a proper meditative position and then process the rampaging amount of qi into my dantian. Cycling them as fast as I can and consolidating them within my core. The speed in which I can cycle them increases tremendously, and the only thing I can see within my mind's eye is the process of the abundant qi swirling like a hurricane within my core.
Then an explosion occurs, and another as my profound sea expands at a quick pace.
6th Stage!
7th Stage!
8th Stage!
9th Stage!
Then it stops just at the tip before I can reach the next major realm. I open my eyes, and quickly notice the incredibly rotten odour that fills up the entire room. My shiba inu is nowhere to be seen, so it likely left me alone. I can't help but gawk at the strong smell, and then grimace when I look down and see the thick black gunk soaking my clothes and body from head to toe.
Impurities? Why now?
Maybe it's because I am simply going back to my former strength so I am not releasing any impurities to my body?
Regardless, because I am close to breaking through anyway, I go all the way and cultivate all the way. I just ignore the smell of rotten egg and flesh hitting my noise as I continue with my cultivation.
Even though I am close to the tipping point, it took me until evening before I felt a great change within my profound sea.
The gaseous-like substance of my consolidated qi turned into some sort of pure crystal liquid. This is the first time I have seen something like this so I don't have anything to compare it to. Along with that, my senses expand greatly along with an exponential increase of power welling up in my body.
I open my eyes, and just know within my heart that I made a major breakthrough to my realm.
"... This is... Qi Condensation then..."
The black gunk that sticks to my clothes slips past my skin as if an invisible barrier is protecting me from its touch. As the disgusting impurities slide away from my movement, I see my palm has become smoother and perfect. The slight tanning on my skin is gone and even some of the imperfections on my body can't be seen anymore.
In just a single day, I reached the Qi Condensation Realm with a change of cultivation technique and a basic pill. How many points will I get if I reset right now?
There is a sense of hesitation within my heart, but I ignore it. What I need is more multipliers and points so I can become a lot stronger than holding onto this strength.
So, I began the process of expelling my qi out of my dantian. There is something different than when I do it as a Foundation Establishment cultivator. When I expel my qi normally, the gaseous substance bearing the traits of my qi leaves my pores like a semi-transparent smoky fog.
This time, crystal clear liquid falls from the pores of my skin and falls on the ground. Even when it drops on the black gunk beneath my feet, strangely this crystal-like dew doesn't mix up with them. Just like how water reacts to oil.
[Reset detected, calculating... successful!]
[Spiritual Roots increased by 10!]
[Cultivation Speed multiplier increased by 0.55!]
[You gain a total of 55 Prestige Points!]
... Wait, what?
No seriously, resetting from Qi Condensation Realm only gives me that much!?
"What the fuck!?"
I think the chapter is getting too long, so even if not much happens in this chapter, I think I will be ending it here. This chapter is specifically just expanding what is already known about cultivation and its technicalities in this setting.
It's inspired by many xianxia systems in different xianxia stories, and I mostly simplify it so I won't have to think so much while writing the story. I hope you have fun with the slight expansion of the technicalities of this world.
As for the latter part of this chapter, I have already written what points he will get each time he resets on a particular stage, so that is final. Don't worry, I think it is balanced mostly when I think just how many points he can get when he can quickly reach specific realms with passive cultivation alone in a single day. Even if he has a daily limit from his reset due to feelings of nausea, I think it is still incredibly broken, moreso when he finds out what else he can improve from his repertoire.
And he will continuously improve as the story goes, but I don't want to turn it that in the first ten chapters he is immediately a god. I will have to end the story as soon as possible if that happens...
I'm sorry if this still disappoints you and it breaks your immersion into this story....
Thank you for reading and I hope I see you in the next chapter!~
P.S. If you feel like contributing to my life or my hobbies for writing, consider dropping by on my Ko-fi account and donating any amount you want. Thank you in advance and I appreciate it!~
A few days have passed since the death of their alpha. The howl of the black guardian had broken their wills and on the following days, the wolves who waited around that peak stepped down one-by-one until their new alpha had decided to migrate.
Throughout their year-long stay in this mountain, they had scavenged almost anything in these ruins. The decomposed and burnt bones of the deceased disciples and elders of this sect had been chewed and swallowed by these dire wolves. There was nothing else in this mountain other than that. The only meals available in this mountain were critters or the occasional small animals like squirrels and rabbits that found themselves in this ruin. Their numbers had grown since their stay here so the wolves couldn't sustain themselves with such small prey.
So they would migrate. The mountain had nothing else in it. The qi within it were mostly yin in nature and was quite gloomy. Only those who played with the dead could find this place as a paradise. This wasn't it for the size of their pack. They needed an environment that could sustain their numbers.
With the loss of their alpha, some of their members with ego had separated from them along with their small followers, further fracturing their once large pack. This migration was inevitable because there wasn't anything for them in this mountain.
So within the next two weeks, the sight of dire wolves from the mountains were reported ascending in groups, separated and hostile and unfriendly with each other. Other demonic beast factions within this forest took note of it, and took advantage of this.
This part of the Green Wind Forest was populated by 1st Grade and 2nd Grade Demonic Beasts. 2nd Grade Demonic Beasts were considered the king of this particular part of the forest. Going beyond the forest would be suicide as 3rd Grade and 4th Grade beasts lurked within it. At the heart of this uncivilized region was a place where 5th and 6th Grade ruled amongst everyone with the ancient beast from the 7th Grade slumbering within.
This nameless mountain was located at the shallower parts of the northern side of this forest. Even if it was the shallower part, this entire area alone covered thousands of miles. It was large enough for a diverse ecosystem to develop.
This also meant that many factions of demonic beasts have formed, even a collection of 1st Stage Demonic Beasts were grouped up so they could survive better in this diverse area. It was normal in this world. Many uninhabited places were filled with nature, and with nature came with raw and abundant qi that animals could evolve into, further bolstering the numbers of demonic beasts that roamed it. This was also why rogue cultivators came here to acquire opportunities. Most insights and fortuitous encounters occurred during life and death scenarios. There were many beasts that cultivators could choose in this place.
The current status of the fractured dire wolf pack was noticed by these many factions along with some rogue cultivators who hunted here. While some chose this time to hunt these fragmented packs, there were a few who saw this as an opportunity.
One of those was an alliance of 1st Stage Demonic Beasts. This alliance was composed of pig and boar demons. They had a grudge against these dire wolves. They were always bullied by their pack along with their strong alpha. Now that they have lost their pillar and their unity is broken, these beasts are confident with their chances.
At the same time as these alliances of boar and pig demons made their moves towards the mountain, a few rogue cultivators had seen the changes in their behaviour. One person named Du Ming looked at the marching demon boars at a distance, and felt it was disturbing enough to turn around and report it.
Just beyond this forest is a city called Windy City. Many rogue cultivators and other outer disciples from nearby sects gather here to benefit from this dangerous forest and their beasts. With this particular area being crowded with 1st Stage and 2nd Stage beasts, it's a great training spot for outer disciples and lone cultivators who have no backing.
Humans and demon beasts alike were shaken just by this simple change alone, and different factions tried to cover this gap with their own agendas. The loner at the top of the nameless mountain was unaware of it, his concentration was entirely on his own cultivation. A few weeks have passed since that surprise attack, things have calmed down a lot. There are still the occasional monstrous birds coming at us but we are dealing with them easily and they are generally non-threatening anymore.
I didn't slack off after getting my new cultivation method. Whenever I am done with my daily five resets, I keep reviewing Xie Wen's memories and thinking of ways to improve my cultivation speed. One of the ways I manage to implement is to change the effect of the array in my room and the effects of my environment in general.
This idea comes to me after recalling about some special cultivation areas for people with special affinities, and using these special cultivation areas for a boost on their cultivation speed and gaining insights. That gives me an idea.
What if I make this area specifically produce Earth Qi?
Due to me generally owning the entire area of this peak, I can buy and install stuff in this place with my Prestige Points. My cheat ability automatically makes the changes if I am buying cosmetics for the environment or other special stuff like formations or arrays.
Surprisingly, turning this area into a space that can produce Earth Qi is cheap. It only cost me 100 points to implement that on the entirety of this peak excluding the pond area. I didn't touch the pond area because I don't really have any plans from there.
Now there is a formation around my place that converts pure qi into earth qi, and then it synergizes with the improvements I make with the array installed inside my room. Now instead of being a simple Qi Gathering Array, that room has become an Earth-Affinity Qi Gathering Array. The synergy is that, with the effects of the array, the earth qi that now naturally forms with the formation around me becomes purer and whenever I absorb it, I barely have to do any cycling before I consolidate it in my core.
My cultivation speed increases tremendously because of these additions. Now instead of me managing to reach the 5th Stage Foundation Establishment within two hours, it has now become easier for me to reach 7th Stage within that same timescale.
But that's not all!
My cheat ability considers this entire area as my possession so I can improve anything in this place. This includes the formation I install in this peak and the array inside my room. Both of these upgrades costs 1,000 points each but that cost isn't a concern anymore due to the speed of my cultivation. I can gather that amount within a week from my prior boost.
Resetting from the 7th Stage gives me 28 points and because I can reset five times maximum before feeling nauseous enough to stop, I can get a total of 140 points in a single day!
Adding the points I have before all of these boosts gives me more than enough points to upgrade the formation and the array after two weeks. My cultivation speed has undergone another terrific boost. A week after the improvements from my cultivation spot, I can easily reach 9th Stage Foundation Establishment within 3 hours of passive cultivation!
It made me understand how much I am wasting the potential of my power. I should have done this a long time ago!
It makes sense too. A proper cultivation area for my own affinity will naturally boost my cultivation speed. With the right cultivation method and environment, it will complement each other and give a qualitative boost to my progress. It is so obvious in hindsight but I haven't seen it because of my complacency and stupidity!
Really, I can only shake my head discovering it this late!
Anyway, other than that, I can't think of anything else that will help me with the speed of my cultivation. Those are the only ideas I can get through Xie Wen's memories, so there is nothing else I can do. If I find another way to further boost my cultivation speed, then I will take it so long as it won't put me in a life or death situation.
[Reset detected, calculating... successful!]
[Spiritual Roots increased by 9!]
[Cultivation Speed multiplier increased by 0.45!]
[You gain a total of 45 Prestige Points!]
That's the final reset for today. I stand up and stretch my arms, loosening up my muscles. I always do this since the day I start my daily manual cultivation that always last six hours. I move my legs, stretch my arms, and roll them around for a bit to give them life. These action might not really do anything. Xie Wen's memories says we won't feel any numbness even if we sit for a long time due to the boost our cultivation gives us. Though I don't care. I think its a good trait to always loosen up the muscles so I won't feel any cramps if I ever have to suddenly do any strenous activity for some reason.
I look at my status after I am done loosening up my muscles.
[STATUS]
Cultivation Stage: 8th Stage Foundation Establishment Realm
In just ten seconds, my passive cultivation let me reach the 8th Stage. It just shows how much I gain by just staying in my room. If I leave my room, I will only be able to reach 6th Stage in an instant. Staying here gives me the most boost.
It tells me that the environment matters as much as my own affinity and root quality. This also strengthens my resolve to not leave this place and silently cultivate to my heart's content.
While thinking like that, I can feel a sense of disturbance in the hearts of my pets. I feel curious so I look at the laptop first to look at the feeds of my security cameras.
Since the day those wolves left the area below this place, I managed to descend and install more security cameras so I will know whether someone is coming closer to my side or not. These wireless security cameras have a long reception range and the laptop I have can easily connect to them even if they are more than a hundred feet away from it.
There are a lot of cameras so I bought a large flat screen monitor to accommodate the additional security cameras I added around this peak.
"Huh...?"
In one of the screens that shows the furthest point from my location, on a spot where it is hidden amongst the trees overlooking the broken stone stairs leading to this peak, I can see a group of demonic beasts marching leisurely towards this direction.
It seems like Kuro notices them with its sharp nose and perception. They are still far but it is weird that another group of demonic beasts are coming here a few weeks after those wolves leave us alone.
Why are they coming here? Should I be concerned?
I prepare myself. Taking my gun and wearing my tactical belt so I can react quickly when these demon beasts somehow manage to climb up to this spot.
Short chapter for now... I'm sorry, I am feeling tired.
I think this is the last time I will be posting two chapters a day. Starting tomorrow, I will be posting one chapter daily so I can take more rest...
Sorry again everyone...
Comments gives me motivation, so feel free to leave your thoughts or comment what you like. Thanks for reading everyone!~
P.S. If you feel like contributing to my life or my hobbies for writing, consider dropping by on my Ko-fi account and donating any amount you want. Thank you in advance and I appreciate it!~
