In a Cultivation World with a Cheat System (Xianxia inspired quest).

[plotvitalnpc]

It will take you up to the final stage of the first realm. My calculations on just how much xp you can earn in one go were off (didn't account for future multipliers and bonuses when I first put down the numbers), so it caps out a bit too early. I'll be adjusting future arts so this doesn't happen again. I wont be changing the current numbers on the character sheet.

For now, while you are kinda getting shafted by no longer being able to practice the technique to the upper stage of the second realm, I've decided to just allow you the full effects of the technique early. So while the MC is still in the first realm, his physical stats from the art will put him on par with someone at the top of the second realm. Basically, anyone lower than the third realm will find near impossible to damage him.

What do you mean with your second question?



Yeah, a lot of those abilities are pretty high tier. Even in this setting, it would be several kinds of bullshit. If those get added to the store, I dont think 1m will even cover the combined price. Some would obviously be cheap, moreso if their overall power is reduced (say Animal path can only summon beasts of the same rank or lower, or Preta path has an upper limit to energy it can absorb), but the combined cost would be pretty high. Esp to have them all in a single Eye technique.

Click to shrink...

I was questioning the lack of the 'Buddhist Palm' technique from Kung Fu Hustle.
A technique about creating massive palm shaped shockwaves with your palm thrusts.

 

[Leingod]

I was questioning the lack of the 'Buddhist Palm' technique from Kung Fu Hustle.

Click to shrink...

Just write it up in the order form.

 

[The Froggy Ninja]

Is it allowed to write in the ranks yourself in Taoist Costco's order form? Because someone's doing a lot of it.

Click to shrink...

I was operating under the assumption that that was Kolar just partially filling things out.

 

[plotvitalnpc]

Well, I've written the Buddhist Palm up in the order form. May have embellished it slightly with a quality not confirmed in the film, but the Beast had a first row seat in the crater formed by the first strike with the Buddhist Palm, while the second one did nothing to him, but knocked a big old hand shaped hole in the building on the other side of him.
Then he surrendered.

 

[Leingod]

I was questioning the lack of the 'Buddhist Palm' technique from Kung Fu Hustle.
A technique about creating massive palm shaped shockwaves with your palm thrusts.

Click to shrink...

Incidentally, like a lot of things in Kung Fu Hustle, its portrayal of the Buddha's Palm is drawn from a simplified form of classic wuxia stuff. The "original" Buddha's Palm has 9 different techniques, only a few of which are used in the movie. They are:

1. The First Rays of Buddha's Light - A defensive aura that surrounds the users with glowing sutras that destroy incoming weapons and deflect attacks directed at them.
2. The Radiance of Buddha's Incense - A powerful directed Qi attack that can pierce most defenses. This was the one Sing used that cut a big swath out of Pig Sty Alley in the movie.
3. Buddha's Challenge to Nature's Force - Summons a maelstrom of wind, thunder, lightning and rain, all at the user's command. The maelstrom can "shatter rocks and clear avalanches."
4. The Peal of Buddha's Thunder - A focused sonic attack that can deafen, stun and knock over crowds of enemies.
5. From the Arms of Buddha in the Western Heavens - The user, seated in the lotus position, rises up in the air and rains down lightning made of pure Qi.
6. Buddha's Illumination of the Earth - This is the technique in the movie you think of when you think "Buddha's Palm."
7. Buddha's Reincarnation - The user levitates up on a cloud and causes the ground far below to shatter and explode, rising into the air.
8. The Wrath of a Million Buddhas - The user creates dozens or even hundreds of copies of himself and the copies all fire off The Radiance of Buddha's Incense simultaneously.
9. Buddha Puts His Foot Down - The user strikes directly at the enemy's Qi with a well-placed strike, usually to the target's foot (because there are a lot of pressure points in the foot that connect to the rest of the body). Physical resilience is useless; only internal mastery can be used to try to defend yourself from this technique. The scene where Sing smashes a bunch of dude's feet like a cartoon character is a comedic nod to this technique.

 

[plotvitalnpc]

Hm. Perhaps it should just be replaced in the order form with all of those in a sequence

 

[Leingod]

Hm. Perhaps it should just be replaced in the order form with all of those in a sequence

Click to shrink...

You could make it an Art, or a collection of Techniques like I made out of the martial arts from The Five Deadly Venoms.

 

[plotvitalnpc]

You could make it an Art, or a collection of Techniques like I made out of the martial arts from The Five Deadly Venoms.

Click to shrink...

Are you saying that I could make it an Art /or/ a collection of techniques, or that I could make it an Art, which /is/ a collection of techniques?
The grammar there is slightly ambiguous without vocal modulation.

 

[Leingod]

Are you saying that I could make it an Art /or/ a collection of techniques, or that I could make it an Art, which /is/ a collection of techniques?
The grammar there is slightly ambiguous without vocal modulation.

Click to shrink...

The first one. Since as an actual Art (like a lot of the more out-there wuxia stuff, which was usually written by guys who didn't actually know all that much about martial arts), it's a little disjointed in its techniques (at least IMO), with no real unifying theme everything is based around except "Buddhism!" But that's just my take on it. I think it's a symptom of the way that wuxia authors want to give every style a list of 9 or 18 or 24 or whatever specific forms/techniques without really justifying it, which causes a weird rigidity that just doesn't seem to fit with how martial arts works IMO.

 

[plotvitalnpc]

The first one. Since as an actual Art (like a lot of the more out-there wuxia stuff, which was usually written by guys who didn't actually know all that much about martial arts), it's a little disjointed in its techniques (at least IMO), with no real unifying theme everything is based around except "Buddhism!" But that's just my take on it. I think it's a symptom of the way that wuxia authors want to give every style a list of 9 or 18 or 24 or whatever specific forms/techniques without really justifying it, which causes a weird rigidity that just doesn't seem to fit with how martial arts works IMO.

Click to shrink...

Sensible. I mean, what's even better about From the Arms of Buddha in the Western Heavens compared to Buddha's Challenge to Nature's Forces? Is it fancier lightning?

 

[Leingod]

Sensible. I mean, what's even better about From the Arms of Buddha in the Western Heavens compared to Buddha's Challenge to Nature's Forces? Is it fancier lightning?

Click to shrink...

Well, the lightning in the former is explicitly made of Qi, so its probably stronger or can pierce through Qi or something. Meanwhile Buddha's Challenge to Nature's Forces probably has a bigger AoE and it's not just lightning. But yeah, there's a definite redundancy that makes one wonder if there isn't a bit of padding going on to fit with the "gotta have some multiple of 9 in your martial art!" thing.

 

[plotvitalnpc]

Well, the lightning in the former is explicitly made of Qi, so its probably stronger or can pierce through Qi or something. Meanwhile Buddha's Challenge to Nature's Forces probably has a bigger AoE and it's not just lightning. But yeah, there's a definite redundancy that makes one wonder if there isn't a bit of padding going on to fit with the "gotta have some multiple of 9 in your martial art!" thing.

Click to shrink...

Most of it doesn't even have to do with palms.
And a technique called 'buddha's reincarnation'?
The whole point of the buddha is that he doesnt' do that anymore.

 

[Leingod]

Most of it doesn't even have to do with palms.

Click to shrink...

Personally, I always thought the name was actually a reference to a.) the fact that most of these moves are non-lethal despite their power (palm strikes are usually meant to be non-lethal), and the Buddha is usually portrayed with a palm out, and b.) as a reference to Journey to the West, where Buddha challenges Sun Wukong to escape the palm of his hand, only to reveal that, as he is one with everything, his hand encompasses and is the entire universe. And then he turns his hand into a mountain, drops it on Sun Wukong, and seals him there for about 500 years. So it's a reference to the Buddha's vast and profound nature.

 

[Deathbybunnies]

There's something very satisfying about creating an art/technique/etc. and then having move into the real store, even if it might never get picked. I wonder if Kol feels the same way in reverse, getting us to come up with ideas?

 

[Kolarthecool]

Is it allowed to write in the ranks yourself in Taoist Costco's order form? Because someone's doing a lot of it.

Click to shrink...

I was operating under the assumption that that was Kolar just partially filling things out.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I was noticing it too. I've just been pricing it accordingly or changing the rank if I feel it doesnt fit.

There's something very satisfying about creating an art/technique/etc. and then having move into the real store, even if it might never get picked. I wonder if Kol feels the same way in reverse, getting us to come up with ideas?

Click to shrink...

Lol. It's a ton of work pricing anf ranking all of these ideas that will probably never be picked, or even considered, but it really is quite fun and interesting to see the ideas people come up with. There's so much I would have never even considered if it was left to me to make all the store items.

 

[Card Captor]

If people are really interested in Byakugan, I've got a manual in the shop suggestions that give a Byakugan-ish sensory package (only it uses all mortal senses), as well as a passive force-field around the body. It's also the prerequisite for a toggle-able damaging aura that grows in power and strength the longer it's on.

 

[Shark8]

Anyway, people never seem to remember that the "block off chakra" thing is not how Gentle Fist is used by most Hyuuga.

Click to shrink...

What's really irritating is how many people who remember forcefully closing a tenketsu is that it can also forcefully open one.

I wonder if Kol feels the same way in reverse, getting us to come up with ideas?

Click to shrink...

Lol. It's a ton of work pricing anf ranking all of these ideas that will probably never be picked, or even considered, but it really is quite fun and interesting to see the ideas people come up with. There's so much I would have never even considered if it was left to me to make all the store items.

Click to shrink...

I'm glad that you find it fun and hope you'll continue to be delighted at our ideas!
{Insert Might Gai "Nice Guy" pose.}

 

[Leingod]

{Insert Might Gai "Nice Guy" pose.}

Click to shrink...

Now I feel like we need some kind of Tool/Armor that's a green jumpsuit.

 

[Leingod]

@The Froggy Ninja

In the Resources tab for Taoist Costco, "Millennium Ginseng" is rated High Earth but is nestled among Mid Earth items. And in the Arts tab, there are two empty spaces between the High Mortal and Low Earth arts.

 

[Kolarthecool]

A/N: Should have posted this sooner but I got caught up reading some good stuff, lol. I'm sure you all know what that's like.
A/N2: due to more bad math on my part, you guys actually got 3,500 points from the cores not 6,500. This doesn't really affect much, I just have to decrease the rank and price of the item you use for cultivating.

Spoiler: XP Calc...

Notes regarding the xp calculations:
The MC has a base resting time of 8 hours each day. The Tireless trait halves this, giving him 4 hours of extra training time. This means an extra 5 days worth of training time in the month.

Prodigy doubles the insights (xp) gained from training and bonus dice.

Resolute Soul does not affect the xp gained from resources, only training.

Formations and Cultivation Chamber will affect the XP from resources as they fortify the extra energy being absorbed.

Cultivation XP bonus/malus is determined based on the difference between the cultivators rank and the rank of the cultivation art. The bonus is 25% added/removed for each point of difference.

All results are rounded up.

Overall XP
Training Dice: (3d10 x 30) + 5d10 = 95d10 = 542.
Bonus Dice: (2d20 x 30) + 5d20 = 65d20 = 693.
Prodigy: (542 + 693) x 2 = 2,470.

Resolute Soul: 2,470 × 0.05 = 124 + 2,470 = 2,594.
Pills: 1d80 x 30 = 30d80 = 1,360.
Liquid: 1d200 = 155.

Subtotal: 2,594 + 1,360 + 155 = 4,109.

Formation: 4,109 x 0.05 = 205.
Cultivation Chamber: 4,109 x 0.25 = 1,027.

Total: 4,109 + 205 + 1027 = 5,341.

Cultivation XP
Cultivation Art (LUB): 5,000.
Rank Difference (3): 5,000 x 0.75 = 3,750.
Resolute Soul: 5,000 x 0.05 = 250.
Cultivation Chamber: 5,000 x 0.10 = 500.

Total: 5,000 + 3,750 + 250 + 500 = 9,500.

Common Mortal: 9,500 - 1 = 9,499.
Body Refinement (Early-stage): 9,499 - 2,500 = 6,999.
Body Refinement (Intermediate-stage): 6,999 - 6,000 = 999.
Body Refinement (Upper-stage): 999 - 10,000 = -9,001.

Final Rank: Upper-stage Body Refinement.

341 XP Remaining.

One Palm Advances, A Thousand Strike +341.
One Palm Advances, A Thousand Strike (Initiated): 341 - 300 = 41.
One Palm Advances, A Thousand Strike (Basic): 41 - 600 = -559.

Final Rank: Basic Mastery.

XxxOxxX

In a Cultivation World with a Cheat System.
Arc One: The Clan Zhang.
Chapter Eight: Training Time (1).

XxxOxxX​

[O] Plan Tireless Monofocus

Spoiler

[O] Trait-Tireless: 300 points
[O] Trait-Prodigy: 1,000 points
[O] Lesser Universal Body (3 dice)
[O] Lesser Universal Body (2 dice).
[O] Elemental Dispersing trap (+5% xp LUB), 30x Cultivation Pills (High-Grade, Mid-Mortal rank) (1/day), 1x Cultivation Liquid (High-Grade, Mid-Mortal Rank) (day before last)

Spare XP → One Palm Advances, A Thousand Strike.

Cultivation chamber.

An important structure that can be found on the grounds of nearly every clan or sect. In this world, cultivation chambers count among the most important of resources available to a cultivator. Through the use of formations, incense, and all manner of secret methods, a cultivator can receive a plethora of benefits to their cultivation rate by using a cultivation chamber. More than that, cultivation chambers offer the safest and most secure space for those looking to progress in their cultivation.

Be it simple cultivation, or while attempting to breakthrough to another realm, one will always require tranquility and focus. Without first reaching the proper mindset, a cultivator will always find it difficult to cultivate. Their progress will slow and they will encounter many bottlenecks. A disturbance, or loss of concentration, at the wrong moment can even cause irreparable damage to the cultivator's foundation.

Cultivation chambers solve all of these issues. Not only does the chamber provide a concentration of energy that assists cultivation, but among the various formations are those that serve to block out outside noise and disturbances. The space within a cultivation chamber is among the best for achieving a clear and focused mindset.

It is within one such place that Zhang Tian now stands.

Standing within the large, expansive space of the cultivation chamber, Zhang Tian examines the room with an inquisitive eye. The chamber is a wide one with a high, curved ceiling. The walls and ceiling of the chamber are made of simple-looking, unadorned slabs of stone. Half of the room is composed of a training space; a circular, wooden platform ringed by tall pillars of wood, stone and metal. Within this area, one can freely practice their martial art forms on the platform, or train their innate techniques upon the inscription-reinforced pillars.

The other half of the chamber has been divided into two seperate sections. One, a small living space with only the bare essentials for rest and survival. The other half of the area, is the main cultivation space. Small holes in the floor release thin plumes of smoke, filling the area with a powerful, herbal scent. A highly complex pattern of runes have been inscribed in the area, all comprising the various, cultivation enhancing formations that make the chamber so highly valued. In the center of this formation array, is a short, rune inscribed pedestal with an orb of clear glass atop it.

Standing next to this pedestal, are the two forms of Zhang Tian and Zhang Hai.

"Tian'er, Father has reserved this Elite Chamber for your use for the next three months." Zhang Hai speaks, slowly looking around the room. "You can come and go as you please, but you should already know the importance of this place. Do not waste this chance."

Seeing the seriousness of his father's expression, Zhang Tian nods with a serious expression of his own. Just as Zhang Hai says, Zhang Tian fully understands the importance of this elite cultivation chamber.

The creation of a proper cultivation chamber can cost anywhere from hundreds of gold coins, to tens of the rarer spiritual crystals. The more expensive the chamber, the more powerful its effects. Within the Zhang clan compound, there are a few hundreds of cultivation chambers. Among these hundreds, there are only a total of three different types.

The first type, which is both the cheapest to construct and the most numerous within the compound, is the 'basic cultivation chamber'. These are small spaces, created with only the most basic of formations and resources. These smaller chambers lack both the training and resting spaces, with only the cultivation area to provide a secure space for proper cultivation. To use one such chamber, members of the Zhang clan must pay a small fee to rent the room. Those unable to pay this fee can only cultivate quietly in their own homes.

The second type, more expensive to purchase and extremely difficult to construct, is known as the 'elite cultivation chamber'. Only numbering in the low tens, the use of these chambers is only available to the clan's experts and elders. In addition to the training and resting space, which allow for extended use of the chamber, the formations and resources used in the creation of these chambers provide benefits that are over two fold greater than those of the basic ones.

With the large number of experts in the clan, the difficulties in cultivating when at a later stage, and the low number of elite chambers available, it is a wonder that Zhang Hai managed to reserve one such chamber for Zhang Tian's use. Especially as Zhang Tian has yet to even step into the first cultivation realm. The benefits of being clan head.

As for the last type of cultivation chamber, it is one that the current Zhang Tian shouldn't even think about. Known simply as the 'sacred grounds of the Zhang clan', the sacred grounds are said to be a cultivation space beyond any others. This singular chamber, hidden somewhere within the clan compound, is a mysterious place where only the clan head -both current and previous generations, can step foot. It is a place where Zhang Tian is unable to enter.

'Not that I even need to. The elite chamber is already more than enough for someone at my current level. Who knows what could happen if I try to cultivate in the sacred grounds.'

"You may already know how this space works, but Father will show you just to be sure." Saying such, Zhang Hai places his hand upon the glass orb. "Much like those of the light fixtures, you must simply enter the crystal with your will and command the formations to activate."

A faint light, glowing white, appears within the center of the orb. At the same time, the inscriptions surrounding the pedestal also begin to glow with a white light.

-whoosh-

The surrounding area begins to swirl with a faint breeze, a sign of the Qi being affected.

"Once active, you can then set the level of the formation."

Speaking up to here, Zhang Hai's brows furrow in concentration. A moment passes before Zhang Tian notices a change. The light within the crystal, as well as that of the inscriptions below, takes on a light-red tint. At the same time, a mysterious pressure seems to settle on his shoulders.

Standing within the formation, Zhang Tian can feel the surrounding Qi exerting a light pressure upon him. This pressure seems to be both a physical and spiritual force, pressing down upon both his body and soul. Moreso on his body, than his soul. Zhang Tian slumps slightly, his body being pressed down by the pressure of the formation.

'What is this pressure? It's like the gravity in the area has been increased.... I can withstand it for some time, but any more and I might just collapse.' Zhang Tian thinks, his brow furrowed in concentration as he attempts to push back against the pressure.

Looking away from the pedestal, Zhang Hai's eyes seem to shine with a bright light.

'It's just as Cho Mang said, his spirit is quite strong... So young, and still uninitiated, yet he is able to withstand this level of pressure. This boy…'

Zhang Hai can only feel pride at the sight of the slumped, yet still standing, form of his son.

Although this is only the first of the ten levels of this formation array, for an uninitiated mortal like Zhang Tian to be capable of withstanding the pressure... it is no simple feat. Although the force exerted on the body is no small matter, it is the pressure on the soul that makes this formation so taxing.

Without a strong will and soul, one should not even bother to think about cultivating. Only with a strong and determined heart can one walk the path of cultivation. Without such, one may as well remain a common mortal. Resolution and willpower are the most important requirements to reach the apex. To help strengthen the soul and temper the body, that is the purpose of this formation.

Even Zhang Hai could only withstand this much pressure after first entering the early stage of the first realm. Even now, on the cusp of entering the Ascended Mortal realm, Zhang Hai is unable to withstand anything beyond the eighth level of the formation.

"This is the first level of the formation. Only once you are acclimated to it, should you move up to the next level." Zhang Hai instructs, having no doubt that Zhang Tian will be able to achieve such in no time. "Do not move on until you are ready, such actions can only cause you harm."

"Yes Father."

"Good, then I will leave you to begin. If you require any help, do not hesitate to come find me. Even as knowledgeable as you are, there are some matters that can only be solved with an experienced eye."

Finished speaking, Zhang Hai makes his way out of the chamber and closes the door. The room goes silent. Left to his own devices, Zhang Tian takes another look around the room before walking to his box of resources.

'System, I want to trade these cores for points.'

Well done Host!

This system welcomes your tribute.

Please accept (3,500) points.

Host, work hard and earn more points. This noble system has plenty of goodies for you.

Snorting in humor, Zhang Tian focuses his will towards the system menu within his mind's eye. A quick series of directed thoughts brings up a list of certain items.

'Just as I thought. Waiting to gain more points was the best choice. Compared to these, the Meteoric Copper Nugget may as well be trash.'

The items Zhang Tian is now viewing are those materials useful for his cultivation art. Items far better than the cheaper Meteoric Copper Nugget. For five hundred points is a nugget of Meteoric Silver, for a thousand is a nugget of Qi Infused Lead, and so on and so forth. Finally, among the items Zhang Tian can afford, is one item that the teen has never heard of before.

Coal Shell Shard (High Earth).
Said to the descended from the legendary Xuanwu, the Serpent-headed Coal Tortoise is a spirit beast highly renowned for its strong defense. This shard of the beast's shell is a valuable item for the crafting of armor and shields.​

Material Grade: Excellent.
Crafting Difficulty: Advanced Mastery.
Cost: 2000.
Sell: 300.​

'Serpent-headed Coal Tortoise? That is a beast I haven't heard of before. Interesting.'

Purchasing the item for a majority of his standing currency, Zhang Tian moves on to the next matter. A quick search through the system store, brings up the items he is searching for.

'System, is there any limit to the number of traits I can have?'

The items Zhang Tian has brought up, are two that he noticed while skimming through the store the first time; a pair of traits known as 'Prodigy' and 'Tireless'. When he saw them the first time through the store, Zhang Tian could ignore them given their low ranking compared to his Resolute Soul trait. Now that he is about to begin training, however, these two traits can only be useful.

There are no limits to the number of innate traits the Host can acquire. The Host should note that certain traits can have conflicting effects however.

This system does not accept blame for the Host purchasing any such traits.

'Of course not…'

Rereading the information on the two traits, to ensure they will not conflict, Zhang Tian nods to himself.

'Very well then. System, I want these two traits.'

Acknowledged.

Implementing Changes To Host..

!!Warning!!

Host, you may feel a slight amount of discomfort as changes are made to your body… prepare yourself.

"Oh fu-"

Speaking up to here, Zhang Tian clenches his teeth as his body becomes paralyzed while standing. Remembering what he experienced the last time, the young teen feels a sense of dread.

Luckily for Zhang Tian, the process this time seems to be a much simpler one. Other than the flaring of a headache within his head, and the pain of every single muscle clenching and unclenching repeatedly for a short period of time, the pain Zhang Tian experiences seems to be minor. Soon after it began, the process is done and Zhang Tian regains control of his body.

Process Complete.

'Thanks, I noticed...'

Sighing in annoyance, Zhang Tian dismisses the system store from his thoughts and seats himself on the nearby bed. Though the pain has faded, and his tiredness is completely gone, Zhang Tian feels the need to just sit and rest for a moment.

'This is it then… the first step in my new life… just a few moments rest and I can begin cultivating.'

The smile that appears on his face is one full of joy.
​

XxxOxxX​

When it comes to cultivation, the first step is usually always the same. For those that have received proper tutoring, this step is for them to identify their most suitable cultivation method. For Zhang Tian, this is something he has never been able to test. Now, many years later, Zhang Tian can finally experience this process.

As such, the first thing that Zhang Tian does to begin his training, is to perform a number of simple tests within the resting area.

For an unknown number of hours, Zhang Tian simply moves from one activity to the next. From practicing his martial art forms to reading a book, playing instruments to painting, drawing, and much more. Every skill that he has learned over the years is used as Zhang Tian attempts to sense the movement of the Spiritual Energy within his body.

At first, there is little change in the flow of his energy. The Spirit Energy, once weak and thin, flows strongly through his meridians. It is only after some time that Zhang Tian notices a difference. That being, a surge in the flow of his spiritual energy while he is:

[][method] Reading: knowledge can be gained from books at an increased speed.
[][method] Training: martial arts gain 1% of the XP gained by cultivation arts.
[][method] Crafting (artistic): small chance to gain inspiration (cultivation xp) from encountering artistic works.
[][method] Meditating: 5% bonus when attempting to breakthrough a bottleneck.
[][method] Write-in.

Having discovered this, Zhang Tian is now ready to begin cultivating.
​

XxxOxxX​

-crack-

With a loud snap, the formation plate breaks. A silent, invisible ripple of power spreads out through the air as the formation inscribed onto the plate activates.

-whoosh-

Coming on a delay, a powerful gust of wind buffets out from the center of the formation. This wind is almost visible to the naked eye, as it seems to push a cloud of thick mist out of the affected area. Standing within the formation, Zhang Tian sighs in relief as the pressure affecting him seems to lighten.

Surrounded by a zone of filtered Qi, with the warmth of a dissolving pill within his stomach, Zhang Tian begins to cultivate...
​

XxxOxxX​

-inhale-

With a deep breath, Zhang Tian inhales the Qi of Heaven and Earth. A thin, white colored mist can be seen entering the teen's nostrils. Once inside his body, a change seem to occur as the mist darkens to a light shade of grey.

A moment passes.

With strong focus, Zhang Tian controls the Mortal Qi in a specific manner. Even as a majority of this energy seeps into the surrounding bone and flesh, a steady stream of it is pulled through the meridians in a specific route.

-exhale-

With a powerful blow, Zhang Tian exhales a cloud of turbid air. A black mist flows out of his mouth, rising into the air before slowly fading away.

This process repeats for an unknown period of time before…

-crack-
-crack- -crack- -crack!-

From within the body of Zhang Tian, the sounds of cracking and shattering can be heard.

-swoosh-

Following soon after, a gust of wind erupts outwards from Zhang Tian's form.

Standing steady and straight-backed within the cultivation formation, Zhang Tian looks down at his hands with a pleased smile.

'This… only this little time has passed and I've already broken through into the Body Refinement realm. This speed… is this the benefits of my cleansed body or is it the prodigy trait in effect?'

The early stage of the Body Refinement realm, the first step that all cultivators must walk. To enter this stage, a common mortal must use Mortal Qi to clear the impurities from within the meridians and acupoints. Only once the Qi can complete a full, uninterrupted circuit through the body will this process be complete. It is the very first step in actual cultivation and can take a number of days to complete.

Zhang Tian has accomplished this process in just under a few hours. This sort of speed is unheard of. It is a peerless speed that not even the top geniuses in all of the countries history can match. Whether this is because of the previous cleansing from the system, due to his newly acquired Prodigy trait, or a mixture of the two is unknown.

-creak-

Clasping his hands into fists, Zhang Tian grins at the powerful sound that rings out. His muscles flex as a powerful force radiates out from his entire form.

'Whatever the case… I'm finally a cultivator.'

Overjoyed at the thought, the young teen doesn't hesitate as he returns to his cultivation. Even after cultivating for some time, he doesn't even feel tired.
​

XxxOxxX​

-Pak!-

The sound of a powerful impact echoes through the room. Less than a second later-

-pak- -pak- -pak-

-the sound of many, smaller impacts follow.

Stepping away from the wooden pillar, Zhang Tian looks down at his open palms with a frown. The skin of his palm is red and sore, blisters and calluses already beginning to form.

'That was about two hundred strikes. Four impact sounds and two hundred strikes... it's still too slow.'

Flexing the tightness out of his hands, Zhang Tian steps away from the pillar.

'Something feels wrong. No matter how hard I try, the QI just doesn't flow fast enough…'

Thinking back to the technique scroll, Zhang Tian attempts to understand the reason for his difficulty. Eyes closed in concentration, the teen begins to visualize the steps of the technique.

Within Zhang Tian's sea of consciousness, a shadowy figure brimming with power forms. Slipping into a combat stance -legs spread wide and knees bent, with one hand extended forward in a fist and the other drawn back in an open palm, the figure looks ready to strike out at any moment.

A beat passes, then the figure strikes forward with a strong palm strike. Without even pausing, the figure's form is reset and they lash out again. And again. And again.

'What if I…'

Watching the actions of this figure within his mind, Zhang Tian ponders his own mistakes.

'No, that doesn't seem right either. The form and stance are correct, it's the Qi that is causing troubles. Perhaps...'

Seconds, minutes, hours, or even days. Zhang Tian is unsure just how long passes before his eyes open. When they do, there is a glint of light within them. A small smirk appears on the teens face.

'So, it's like that.'

Taking a stance exact to that of the shadowy figure, Zhang Tian closes his eyes once more. Focusing on the energy within him, Zhang Tian uses it to reach out to the Qi of the world and draw it towards himself. Deep within his body, Mortal Qi forms and surges through the meridians. Coalescing in the open palm, the power begins to build and build.

Seconds after closing, Zhang Tian's eyes snap open as his palm lashes forward. Cutting through the air with a powerful sound, the palm closes in on the pillar in the blink of an eye.

-Pak!-

A blast of energy bursts forth from the open palm, cushioning the palm and affecting it with a rebound force. In a movement too fast to follow, Zhang Tian's arm bounces back from the pillar... then, seemingly striking an invisible barrier with the elbow, the arm rockets forward once more.

-pak- -pak- -pak- -pak-

"Oof."

Stumbling back from the recoil force of his own blow, Zhang Tian grins. Although the sound of five impacts was heard, a far difference from the single sound that would be produced by a master of the technique, the wooden pillar has actually been struck close to five hundred times. Five hundred strikes in just under a second, a devastating blow to weather.

'As I thought. Rather than circulating the Qi at speed, I should instead divide it in two and pulse each half one after the other.'

Steadying himself, Zhang Tian looks to his hands. Even after seeing the bleeding cuts and bruises on his palm, the smile does not fade from Zhang Tian's face.
​

XxxOxxX​

Standing in the center of the cultivation area with his eyes closed, Zhang Tian furrows his brow in concentration. The air surrounding his form seems to tremble as the inscriptions upon the floor glimmer. Within the zone of the formation, a thick cloud of white mist forms with Zhang Tian hidden at its center.

-inhale-

With a powerful inhalation, Zhang Tian draws all of this mist into his body. Flowing towards him in thick streams, this mist is all drawn in as the teen continues inhaling for an unnaturally long time. Eventually, the mist is all drawn in and the form of a bloated looking Zhang Tian can be seen within the formation

A moment passes. Then-

"GAH!"

-exhale-

With a sound similar to the roar of a great beast, Zhang Tian blows out a powerful stream of black mist. The substance is putrid and foul, managing to leave a long streak of blackness along the floor even as most of it seems to evaporate into the air.

Within the formation, Zhang Tian hops up and down several times before performing a variety of kicks and punches. His movements are crisp and fast, his hands and feet nothing but a blur as the teen moves through a simple routine. The air whips and cracks as his loose sleeves flap about. This is a speed that only those at the peak of physical fitness can hope to attain.

Coming to an abrupt stop, Zhang Tian stretches his arms out and simply looks at them. The skin is pulled taut over rippled muscles, his body having reached a stage beyond that of any mortal. Lean and muscular, Zhang Tian's body has been transformed into something approaching a work of art. A trait common to many cultivators.

'Only a few days and I've already broken through to the intermediate stage. Even if I was expecting this from my cleansed body, isn't this speed too much?'

In just the few days since he started cultivating, Zhang Tian has managed to step into the intermediate stage of the Body Refinement realm. Even with his cleansed body, and the aid of the cultivation chamber, this is a process that should have taken him a number of weeks, if not months. Yet, the proof is before him. Zhang Tian has fully flushed his body of impurities and stepped into this new stage. With just a few more steps, he can step into the upper stage of the realm at unprecedented speed.

The intermediate stage is also known as the Body Strengthening stage. In this stage, the Mortal Qi will be used to strengthen and reinforce his body. This is where the effects of the Lesser Universal Body cultivation art will begin to show themselves. Zhang Tian can hardly wait to start.

'Then...'

Zhang Tian looks to the pedestal in the center of the formation. The light within the crystal is a light shade of red. However, this is a shade that is darker than it was when Zhang Hai first activated the formation.

'...shall I move up to level three?'
​

XxxOxxX​

When using jade slips and crystal tools, the process of entering them with one's will is quite simple. This is due to the various inscriptions that are applied to those items. Unless one has reached the Core Ignition stage and unlocked the Qi Sense ability, it is near impossible to enter an uninscribed item with one's will.

That very issue is one that Zhang Tian knew he would have to face when he first learned of the process involved in cultivating the Lesser Universal Body art.

With a suitable material in hand, the Lesser Universal Body requires that the cultivator enter the item with their consciousness and grasp onto the meaning of 'density' held within the item. To do this without Qi Sense is an almost impossible feat. Though he was willing to attempt it, Zhang Tian didn't expect much chance of success. Not without another purchase from the System at least.

'Then… surely this must be because of the Prodigy trait.'

Floating within a realm formed of his own sea of consciousness and the Qi of the Coal Shell Scale, Zhang Tian can only feel a sense of stupor.

Somehow, on his very first attempt, with almost no effort required, the teen has managed to sink his will into the stone. A feat that others would find impossible, that even peerless geniuses would consider difficult, and Zhang Tian has managed it as easy as flipping his palm. What else can this be but the mark of a prodigy? A one in a generation genius capable of feats impossible to the common person.

'More than that… isn't this too simple?'

Referring to the orb of light floating in his metaphorical grasp, Zhang Tian can't help but feel astonished. The cause of this, is the various motes of light that fill the realm he has entered.

A warning within the cultivation manual of his art, is that one must be extremely diligent when seeking out the meaning within the item. As there are countless meanings within the item, ranging from color to temperature, size, weight, history, and many more, it can be difficult for one to discover the proper meaning they require.

Again, in his first attempt and with very little effort, Zhang Tian has managed to find the meaning of Density within the Coal Shell Scale. After entering this realm, the young teen seemed to have an instinctive understanding of the various swirls and flows of the light motes. Just looking at one section, Zhang Tian could decipher that the motes around there represent appearance. This other section is for texture, while that one there is for taste. With this understanding, Zhang Tian was able to easily track down the mote for density and capture it.

But…

'Surely it can't be this simple.'

..
…
….

-crack-
-crumble-

Apparently, it truly was that simple. With one of its core concepts drawn from it, the Coal Shell Scale crumbles into dust in Zhang Tian's hands. At the same time, Qi containing this concept flows through the teens body and suffuses itself completely throughout.

In a process visible to the naked eye, Zhang Tian's skin is pulled tight as the muscles below seem to stretch and strain. His bones creak and groan, and his body bulges in an odd manner. Yet there is no sign of pain on the teens face. A few moments pass like this before, with a hiss similar to that of rising steam, a cloud of black mist flows out from his very pores.

As the cloud dissipates into the air, Zhang Tian's form is revealed within. Though he has grown shorter and stockier by a negligible amount, the most noticeable difference is that his skin has darkened by a small degree. As if he has acquired the lightest tan possible. Dispelling the last of the black cloud with a light pulse of power, Zhang Tian looks down at his minimally changed body. Looking his arms over, the teen takes in his slight tan and nods to himself.

'The first step is complete, now I just need to reinforce my foundation and continue cultivating.'

With this thought in mind, Zhang Tian returns to his cultivation. Not once does the thought of resting even cross his mind. Even after experiencing several, twenty hour long days, the teen still feels quite energized. Perhaps it is the training and visibly growing stronger, perhaps it is the Tireless trait. Whatever the case may be, Zhang Tian is welcoming of the opportunity to keep training.
​

XxxOxxX​

Like this, the first month passes.

As the last days of the month approach, Zhang Tian can be found soaking in a tub of viscous, green fluid. His eyes are closed as his chest rises and falls in a steady pattern. Suddenly-

-crack-
-swoosh-

A familiar sound rings out as a gust of energy pulses out from the teen. Opening his eyes, Zhang Tian raises one hand from the clinging liquid and clenches it into a fist.

"Hah… the upper stage of the Body Refinement realm. All in a single month… why am I not even surprised."

Shaking his head with a mutter, Zhang Tian closes his eyes and returns to his bath.
​

XxxOxxX​

The first month is over. Two months remain until the gathering.

The next month will include more training but Zhang Tian is now strong enough to perform other activities (hunting, missions, profession, etc). You can suggest up to (2) bonus activities for Zhang Tian to take up this month.
[][activity 1] Write-in.
[][activity 2] Write-in.

Zhang Tian will acquire (100) Class 1 Beast cores and (25) Class 2 cores. A total of 10,000 additional points, will you buy anything? (hint -new cultivation art- /hint)
[][shop] Write-in.
​

XxxOxxX​

Character Sheet Updates
> Items Removed: Elemental Dispersing trap, 30x Cultivation Pills (High-Grade, Mid-Mortal rank), Cultivation Liquid (High-Grade, Mid-Mortal Rank), 40x Beast Cores.
> Traits Added: Prodigy and Tireless.
> Item Gained (then removed): Coal Shell Shard.
> Lesser Universal Body +5000 progress.
> Cultivation Realm changed from 'Common Mortal (0 / 1 xp)' to 'Upper-stage Body Refinement (999 / 10,000 xp)'.
> Foundation changed from 'N/A (Impurities: 0%)' to 'Stable (Impurities: 15.45%)'.
> One Palm Advances, A thousand Strike raised from 'Initiated (0 / 300)' to 'Basic Mastery (41 / 600), Qi Cost changed from '5 sec charging time' to '4.6 sec charging time'.
> Strength increased to Good.
> Speed reduced to Below Average.
> Vitality increased to Great.
> Comprehension increased to Great.
> Insight increased to Good.
> Cultivation Speed increased to Peerless.
> Qi Creation increased to Above Average.
> Qi Capacity increased to Excellent.
> 'System Points: 60 (1560)' changed to 'System Points: 260 (Pending: 10,000)'.
​

XxxOxxX

Voting is closed.​

 

[Golden Eyed King]

I hope we can cultivate to a good enough level and grind enough experience in the palm technique for the tourney.

 

[jacobk]

Zhang Tian will acquire (100) Class 1 Beast cores and (25) Class 2 cores. A total of 10,000 additional points, will you buy anything? (hint -new cultivation art- /hint)

​

Click to shrink...

​

Am I reading the character sheet correctly to say we have capped out the LUB cultivation art? I'm a little unclear on how cultivation arts work with the system.

 

[Ompa60]

Am I reading the character sheet correctly to say we have capped out the LUB cultivation art? I'm a little unclear on how cultivation arts work with the system.

Click to shrink...

Yeah it's capped out. We'll need a new cultivation art to advance further in the Upper stage Body Refinement.




[x][method] Reading: knowledge can be gained from books at an increased speed.

This seems most fitting for his character so far.

 

[DarknessSmiles]

[x][method] Meditating: 5% bonus when attempting to breakthrough a bottleneck.

 

[Deathbybunnies]

Nice! Time to look through the shop for a new Cultivation Art, methinks. Perhaps more than one, if we can train multiple Arts at once? Or do we just benefit from all the ones we know, and train one at a time?