Zhi Wanyi, a lowly outer disciple from a small sect, suddenly wakes up with a heaven-defying ability.
The ability to fuse everything!
With this newfound power, she will rise to the top of the cultivation world.
There is one problem... this girl is a bumbling idiot!
This is the story of a villager turned cultivator who will rise to the top with her cheat ability, even if she stumbles upon miraculous encounters through sheer luck.
(I am cross posting this story in RoyalRoad, SB, and QQ)
The Green Lotus Peak is a low-tier sect in the Dragon Continent. Within the Cerulean Sky Region, this is one of the righteous sects existing among with seven others.
Being a low-tier sect, it is obvious that they have a lot of untalented disciples. Their strongest only reaches the middle stages of Golden Core. It's not surprising as this region has a severe lack of areas suitable for cultivation. It has low Qi concentrations around it.
The Green Lotus Peak covers at least two mountain peaks. One of those peaks is for the Elders and the Core Disciples, while the other peak is for the Inner and Outer Disciples. They call these peaks the Low Mountain Peak and the High Mountain Peak.
The lower part of the Low Mountain Peak is the part where outer disciples lives. They are respectively separated into four areas. They are the Northern Hall, Southern Hall, Eastern Hall, and the Western Hall. In one of the dorms of the Western Hall, a girl wearing a plain white robe sits up from her bed, still feeling groggy as she rubs one of her sleepy eyes with her hand.
This girl is Zhi Wanyi, a recent addition from this sect. A month ago, cultivators came from her village and she was fortunate to be chosen as one of their disciples. She has no special roots or anything. She just got the bare qualifications for the elders taking the test to accept her within the sect.
Within a month, it has been shown just how talentless she is. Unlike her peers who easily reaches the 2nd Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, she is still at the 1st Stage. There is nothing she can do about it. Her cultivation roots is an inferior grade. She is also attributeless, so nature and wind Qi abundant on this sect doesn't help her from her advancement.
Though she is fine with that. She is just happy to cultivate. Being a cultivator is a dream amongst the mortals.
"I will become the greatest in this world!"
That's what she promised to her parents before she left their village.
This girl expects this day to be a normal one. She quickly got used to the chores given to them by the Sect Elders. Outer Sect Disciples are numerous and they act like servants for the maintenance of the sect. Others will suspect they simply got chosen because the sect is lacking servants. Zhi Wanyi thinks otherwise.
She thinks it is normal for them to work for the elders. It's common sense to follow her seniors. That's how her parents raised her.
So her mind is already expecting the usual. Wake up, eat, go to the quest stand, choose a work, do her job, take the reward for her job, continue cultivating with her free time, eat again, wash herself, and then sleep.
This day won't be like that. She freezes as her sight clears up, and then finally notices a floating panel in front of her eyes.
[Congratulations! You have been chosen to wield the almighty Fuse System!]
"Uwaaaah!"
She screamed. It takes awhile before Zhi Wanyi calms down. The System she got helpfully explained what it was to her after she calmed herself down.
[With the Fuse System, host can combine everything in this world! Martial Techniques, Daoist Arts, Alchemical Pills, Ancient Relics, anything in creation can be fused with the almighty Fuse System!]
[Everything has been explained to you. Open your status so you can start.]
"Ah... Open status?" She flinches when a new panel appears, this time showing words and numbers that she barely understands.
She recognizes some of the things written on it. Those were the things she learned after she got to this sect. All of the skills that started with the word "Basic" were techniques and methods the sect taught to every new disciples. Though she is curious about one thing.
'Why does farming and knitting part of method? I know I've been doing that when I lived with my parents, but aren't those things any mortal can do?' She wonders to herself.
[Host may choose anything to combine with so long as host owns it. Try it now!]
"Ah... what do you mean by that?" She asks, but the mysterious floating panel didn't respond.
She sighs and then think about it for a moment.
'Combining everything sounds so powerful. Can I really choose anything?' She looks around her room.
Her room consists of a bed, some furnitures like a cabinet, a drawer, and a table, and some essentials for a female cultivator like a comb, a mirror, and other accessories.
"What can I combine actually?"
[Everything.]
"So... for example, if I take my comb and my mirror, can I fuse it?"
[Yes.]
"So... What about those written on this floating spiritual texts?"
[Host can also combine anything displayed there.]
"... Is there a limit to what I can combine?"
[Host may only combine anything host possess. Anything host doesn't own cannot be combined!]
"How does this work actually?"
[Host must choose two objects or aspect that the host owns and then pick which are the dominant one and the supplementary one. The result will vary depending on what kind of combination Host does.]
"Then... I'd like to combine my comb and this mirror."
[Please designate which is the dominant material and the supplementary material?]
A new popup occurs in front of her vision. This time there are two empty icons within the panel and two other images on the side, the images depicting a pixelated image of the comb and the mirror she picks.
'What a peculiar sketch... they look blocky?'
As that thought passes her mind, she picks the comb as the dominant material and the mirror as the supplementary one.
[Would you like to proceed?] (Y/N)
"What does that mean?" She wonders with a tilt of her head.
[The System is asking whether you want to proceed with your choice.]
She raises an eyebrow at that.
"Is that even necessary? I think it's obvious I am fine with the choices I made when I pick it?"
[This prompt is to ensure Host won't regret the lost of the materials being fused.]
She thinks about it. "I see... so I will lost the materials I am combining..." She nods, finally understanding. "Then no, I don't want to proceed with that."
The popup vanishes from her eyes and nothing happens from the comb and the mirror. She sits on the side of her bed as a thought occurs to her.
"By the way, what's with the dominant and supplementary part?"
[The dominant material will be the base for the combination while the supplementary will be the essence that the base will inherit.]
"Which means...?"
[Materials used as the dominant one will become the finished product with the traits of the one used as a supplementary.]
"Does that mean if I fuse the mirror and the comb and I use the comb as a dominant material, it will turn into a comb with the traits of the mirror?"
[Yes.]
She nods in understanding.
"I see... such a miraculous ability." She suddenly stands up as realization hits her. "Wait, can't I just combine anything I own and turn them into superior treasures!?"
The System didn't respond but it wasn't needed. She already knew what she had to do.
"If I can combine everything, then I can quickly rise to the top! My dreams of becoming the greatest in the entire world is not so distant anymore!" She pumps her fist to the air as excitement fills her eyes. "This is surely a sign from the Heavens. Fate dictates that I will be the strongest in the whole cosmos!"
She laughs as visions of greatness fills her imagination. She is drooling at the imaginary sight of her being at the top of a mountain, standing imperiously while she looks coldly on the mortal world like a goddess. With the helpful guidance of the mysterious Fuse System, Zhi Wanyi starts with the fusing of her abilities.
The first thing she combined was her Knitting and Farming method. She used Farming as the dominant material from the two.
[You learned Weaving Growth Method!]
With the combination of Knitting and Farming, she acquired a new profound method that taught her a mysterious farming technique.
It's a farming method that connects anything she plants to each other, sharing their advantages and shedding all disadvantages with the use of a specialize technique, making it possible for her to turn a normal plant into a spiritual plant.
That alone makes it a valuable skill, but Zhi Wanyi wasn't satisfied. She combines that with her cultivation method. She chooses her cultivation method as the dominant material.
[You learned a new cultivation method! Would you like to name it?]
The knowledge of the Weaving Growth Method quickly fades from her mind. She can still recall bits of what she knows from it, but the intricate knowledge she learns from the mysterious farming method vanishes. In exchange, she learns a new cultivation method.
It's a cultivation method that expands upon the simple concept of just gathering Qi to their roots. It's a method that gathers nature Qi from the soil and other areas with abundant nature in it, weaving them into strands and then absorbing them to their roots as if they are weaving a thread to a cloth.
"I have to name it?"
[Yes Host. There are times when the results hasn't been named yet by the Heavens, and it is up to Host to give name to these unnamed creation.]
"Then, I will name it Superior Cultivation!"
[Are you sure about it?]
"Yes."
With that, she has the newest cultivation method called Superior Cultivation. If other cultivators hears this, they will facepalm so hard due to the simplicity of its name.
Next, she fuses her two techniques into one, with the martial arts being the dominant material.
[You learned Foundational Martial Techniques!]
She is not done yet. She fuses her newfound martial skill with her only Arts skill. She designates the Foundational Martial Techniques as the dominant material among the two.
[You learned Profound Heavenly Movement!]
"Whoa! It sounds so mysterious!" She exclaims in awe at the name of the technique.
Her amazement increases through the peak after she closes her eyes and consolidate the new knowledge that enters her mind. It's a new technique that details the movements of nature itself. A martial technique that Foundation Establishment experts will find incredibly useful.
(Methods)
[Tier 3] Superior Cultivation (Earth Grade)
(Techniques)
[Tier 2] Profound Heavenly Movement (Mystic Grade)
She is not done yet. She takes the pouch hidden beneath her bed and then spread the lower grade spiritual stones she has on top of her bed. These are her savings which she is planning to use to buy a weapon for herself, but now it doesn't matter to her.
She uses it all and combine them with each other. She has a total of sixteen lower grade spiritual stones. All of them turns into eight middle grade spiritual stones. Then four high grade spiritual stones. After that she now has two top grade spiritual stones.
"Wow, this is the first time I'm touching something this precious!"
She only knows of the lower grade spiritual stones. She doesn't know most things about cultivation stuff, and that includes spiritual stones. She only knows there are four grades of spiritual stones and the only one she sees since starting her life as a cultivator is the lower grade one.
"Can I still fuse these two?"
[Yes.]
"Hoh!"
With the System's confirmation, Wanyi combines the two top grade spirit stones on her bed. The two palm-sized stone brimming with pure Qi vanishes and then a new shimmering crystal replaces it.
[You successfully made a Low Grade Immortal Crystal!]
She claps in amazement at the bright crystal that emanates a sense of divinity in it. She feels at awe at it's appearance, her eyes gazing at the palm-sized crystal that pulses with profound energies she can't describe.
This is the first time she hears of an Immortal Crystal. She is clueless about them.
[You have successfully finished the Tutorial. Hints will now be disabled.]
[It is up to Host's fate what will happen with the help of the Fuse System. Combine everything and become the strongest in all creation!]
After that final prompt, it becomes silent once more. The panels vanishes from her sight. She tilts her head.
"Ah... hello? Are you there?"
There is no response after some time, so she thinks the System is done guiding her. She feels a bit sad, but quickly shakes her head as she looks at the immortal crystal.
"Whatever. This heaven-sent power will help me rise to the top!"
She feels like she is finally progressing to her goal. To become the greatest just like what she promise to her parents.
Just outside the Western Halls for Outer Sect Disciples is a stand. Inside the stand is one of the Outer Sect Elders. He is in charge of the Quest Hall, a place where Outer Sect Disciples takes their work so they can earn Sect Points.
They can use the sect points to gain some cultivation resources like spiritual stones or qi condensation pills. So many disciples flocks here to do their work. They can also submit some cultivation resources they possess in exchange for sect points so they can use it for other things.
It's the start of the day so a lot of outer sect disciples are lining up to get their job for today. Some are here to exchange points for cultivation resources. The elder in charge of this hall is busily processing the disciples lining up for their work, giving them their objectives or in case of those who are simply here to exchange stuff, giving them a pouch that contains cultivation resources.
"Next."
He looks at the girl who has a cheerful expression on her face, and becomes a bit curious. He can sense that her cultivation is at the 1st Stage of Qi Condensation so he feels confuse why she looks happy.
"Esteemed Elder, I want to exchange this for points!"
Unaware of the thoughts of the guy who now gazes at the beautiful crystal she puts on the counter, Zhi Wanyi is smiling widely. She submits an immortal crystal to the Quest Hall, unaware of it's importance.
"... Hm!?" The elder quickly notices the peculiarity of this crystal. He takes it and then peers at it carefully with a frown.
This is the first time he sees such a beautiful crystal, and he can feel a profound energy within it. It releases a sense of mystique that tickles his spirit. There is this feeling within him that is beckoning him closer to the mysterious energy deep within it.
"An ancient relic!" He exclaims. Then he looks at the girl who is now looking at him with a tilt of her head. "Where did you get this?"
"... Huh? I just got it on the ground?"
Zhi Wanyi acted clueless. It was a blatant lie that anyone could discern. Even this Outer Sect Elder noticed it.
He peers at the girl with his eyes narrowing before he shakes his head.
'It doesn't matter. If this disciple is just giving it to the sect, then that means she is clueless about its value.'
He does not pursue the lie and then speak to her.
"Do you want to exchange this with sect points?"
"Yes, Elder!"
The elder shakes his head solemnly. She is so naive to give such a heavenly treasure. She is wasting miraculous encounters. He thinks the girl won't get far in this kind of world.
"Alright."
Seeing that the girl is willing to give it without a hint of reluctance with it, he finally relents and gives her a lot of sect points. He puts it on her wooden plaque, an object that acts as their ID and also the one that tracks how much points they have within the sect.
This is what Zhi Wanyi really wants. To exchange it for sect points. Unlike others who will horde such a divine treasure, this girl is clueless about its value. She doesn't even know what it is.
Her interest lies on what she simply knows. The cultivation manuals within the sect library in the middle of the Outer Halls, and the cultivation spots where she can cultivate. She plans to have more time there to learn a lot of things.
"200,000 sect points!" She looks at her plaque in astoundment. "With this much, I can spend a lot of time in a cultivation spot! I can also stay in the library all day!"
Such simplistic desires already makes her happy. She is unaware how much potential she is squandering. Her steps are light and without a care in the world as she walks towards the direction of the library.
Welcome to my new story. This is another cultivation story.
Why am I making a new story when I have other unfinished ones on this site?
Because this one is supposed to be my first xianxia story in Royalroad. I change the format of this story and doesn't use as much Quotes and Spoilers because it's really hard to translate that into RR's format. I am still trying to get used to writing at RR, so yeah... This story is originally supposed to be published in RR.
I actually plan to put this as a participant for Writathon Challenge, but I realize that I can't actually write that fast. I think I will fail the challenge before it happens. I am already halfway done with this chapter when I realized that, so I decided to continue writing this and finish this one. Hopefully I actually get far with this story... I am feeling frustrated not being able to finish any of my stories because of writer's block, loss of motivation, or a lot of distractions like my life -_-
I want to reach a hundred chapters at least. Never have I written a story that reaches a hundred chapters. It's one of those milestones I want to reach since I started writing and hopefully this story let me reach that.
I have been ranting for a long while now, so I have to finish this here. Thank you very much for reading this story and I hope you have fun and look forward to the future chapters!~
... Also yeah, the protagonist is dumb...
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!~
Perhaps that poor girl should try fusing her head with a pumpkin. Some more mass up there can only help.
Still, the access to the library might actually be worth more to her here than the immortal crystal.
She can always make more of those immortal crystals, simply exchange her points for more spirit stones to fuse together. Also she might have had exploded if she had tried to eat it as I suspect she would if left alone with the crystal.
On the other hand with access to the library, she can learn a few more techniques to combine together.
Ah, fusion. I'm reminded of the good ol' days of Homestuck Alchemy.
I'll keep an eye on this for now, but I heavily suggest you spend additional time proofreading, or aquire (good) proofreaders. There are a lot of tense and technical issues which could seriously use some fixing.
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Chapter 2: Getting Scammed by an "Acquaintance", It Seems Like Karma Will Hit Them Soon
The Lower Peak Library is a large towering structure that contains cultivation manuals and techniques for both inner and outer sect disciples. The first three floors are available for outer sect disciples while the floors above it are reserved to inner sect disciples.
An Elder guards this library. He is the one who oversees those who enter and exit the tower. They can't enter the tower without his permission. To enter the tower, they have to show their plaque and then pay with their sect points.
Today, a few inner sect disciples have entered and gone to the higher floors to learn more techniques. Chong Yun, the Elder guarding the entrance of this tower, finds this normal. It is still early in the morning so the outer sect disciples are busy with their work to acquire sect points. It's only the inner sect disciples that have time to come here, and only a few will because most inner sect disciples have already mastered their preferred techniques.
"Hm?"
It is a surprise for him when he sees an outer sect disciple approaching the tower with a hop on her steps. When she is a few step away from him, she stops for a moment before she walks properly and then cups her hands to greet him.
"Greetings Elder Chong. This one wants to enter the first floor for learning."
He is curious why this outer sect disciple is not among with the others who are doing their daily chores, though he has quickly put that thought on the back of his mind as he present his palm at her.
"Show me your plaque." The female disciple hands her plaque and he looks at it. 'What... 200,000 points!? What did she do?' Astonishment colors his face at this sight, though seeing the girl waiting for him he immediately responds. "Right... how much time are you going to spend?"
"This one wants to stay all day, Elder Chong!"
That will cost a thousand points if she is going to stay in the first floor for a whole day. He deducts that amount from her plaque before handing it back to her.
"Thank you, Elder Chong!" She cups her hands again before she enters the tower.
He stare at the girl while feeling curious how she get that amount of points. Her plain white robe indicate that she is an outer sect disciple, and even if she is wearing a custom-made one, her qi signature is suggesting that she's at the 1st Stage Qi Condensation Realm. There is nothing memorable to her.
"Zhi Wanyi... huh..." He shakes his head. "She might have been lucky. Her potential is too low to be interesting."
He quickly dismisses his thoughts about her and resume his guard duty. Shelves that are full of cultivation manual and book fills the entire room. The place is quiet and peaceful. The only noise within the room originates from the girl who has come here recently.
Zhi Wanyi has a stack of cultivation manuals on her arms as she walk towards a particular corner of the library. She put the stack she is carrying to the other stacks she have made before she sit on the smooth wooden floor. After making herself comfortable, she takes the topmost book on the nearest stack of book around her seat.
"It's been so long since I enter this room. I want to learn as much as I can if I want to become the strongest cultivator in this continent!"
She read the book in her hand eagerly. This one is a book she have been reading since she joins the sect. They call this book the Profound Neutral Breathing Method. A cultivation method that absorbs the Qi around the atmosphere through a special form of breathing. Even when she have a new cultivation method, she want to finish comprehending this one because it will feel like a waste when she spends most of her time learning it for the past month.
She barely understands what is written on this book in the past. It details the step-by-step process of the breathing form for this method to work along with sketches that shows the proper forms for it. She only understands the images. As for the written archaic text, she is having a hard time translating it in her head.
She was taught by her parents to write and read but that doesn't meant she knew deep sounding words. Even when cultivators acquired boosts from their brain, it was only for memorization. Instinctive knowledge of whatever was written on a cultivation manual wasn't included in that brain boost.
She is slowly learning what it means, but it is a slow effort. Average cultivators can learn this within ten minutes as it is a short manual, but for her it is taking her long due to her basic education and her not being a genius at cultivation.
"Hoh!"
Her eyes lit up as she reads the book. She is expecting not to understand whatever is written on the book again and her trying to translate it within her mind for the usual duration of her stay. Usually, outer sect disciples spends fifty sect points to stay here for a time comparable to an entire usage of an incense stick.
It's not the case anymore when she looks at the texts. She has a sudden insight on each terms written on the book. It's like she has always known what it means when her eyes settles on those texts and process them within her mind.
'Wait... I can understand this because of my Superior Cultivation Method!' She realizes with a gasp.
Most of the knowledge that got implanted in her mind were stuff that were also written on the book. Just a look at the Profound Neutral Breathing Method, it made her realized how inferior it was compared to her current cultivation.
Her current cultivation method makes it easier for her to understand this book even with her lacking knowledge. She can use the Superior Cultivation as a crutch for any info she is missing, using what she knows from Superior Cultivation to fill in the blanks.
It feels like she reaches a breakthrough within her mind, as comprehension strikes in her eyes.
[You learned Profound Neutral Breathing Method!]
Her lips curls upwards, joy filling her heart as she puts the book on her side before pumping her fist in excitement.
"Great! I finally learned it!"
It's been so long. It felt like she had taken an important step to her arduous path to immortality.
She looks upon the many stacks of books she has taken. All of it are techniques that early stage Qi Condensation cultivators will find helpful. She immediately starts taking another one on top of the stack of books besides her and then reading it.
"There is no time to waste. I have to be diligent if I want to be the strongest!"
She continue reading, spending her entire day sitting on this corner with these cultivation manuals. Few days had passed since she started. She extended her time indefinitely as she found out she couldn't read everything for a single day. Cultivators could forgo sustenance due to their cultivation, and she took advantage of that as she reads more.
She leaves the tower on the fifth day when she finally can't handle the hunger from her stomach. Even if she can survive without eating or drinking, she can only do that for a week at most before she succumbs to her biological needs. If she wants to extend that, she has to increase her cultivation level.
She ignores the stare of the elder guarding the tower as she leaves the tower, and go straight to the cafeteria where she can get meals. The cafeteria is just below the area of the outer disciple halls. They have to take a scenic flight of stairs on the side of the mountain before they arrive near the foot of the mountain so they can arrive on a large vast land full of facilities that caters to them. One of these facilities is the cafeteria.
They call this vast land the Foot Entrance, as it's also where their gate is located. Only outer sect disciples uses these facilities as most inner sect disciples doesn't need any food and other material objects for their cultivation.
The cafeteria is a large two story structure. Many outer sect disciples enters the large open doors of this structure to have their meals. She quickly joins upon the crowd that enters the door.
The interior is bustling with life. Chatters and laughs fills the room as they eat on their tables. There are those who eats alone on the corner, or those who goes to the second floor along with their followers. Outer Sect Disciples working in this establishment moves busily with trays of food on their hands. Their movements are graceful and measured unlike the mortals outside from this sect.
She looks at the wall on the corner where she can see some busily cooking beyond the counter, just above that counter is a large poster that indicates today's meal.
"Oh, so it's pork dumplings paired with salmon rice balls."
She nods happily at that as she walks towards an empty table and take a sit. She simply has to sit here and wait for the meal to arrive. This has been how this cafeteria works. Everyday they change their menu and serve that to every disciple who enters this establishment. If they are staying here, then it means they are here to eat.
She knows just how hard it is to work in the cafeteria. She sometimes works in this establishment for sect points. It's an exhausting work that only gives fifty sect points for a whole day shift.
Other smart disciples will suspect outer sect disciples are being used as servants just by this fact alone. Wanyi doesn't think so. It's slightly harder than working in the farm, but she thinks it's proper for them to struggle like this as they are being given a chance to become cultivators. She can't understand some of her fellow disciples who grumbles under their breathe, thinking they are being insulted due to this kind of work.
"Oh... Sister Wanyi! You're here!"
A familiar voice calls out to her and she looks up. On her side is one of her fellow outer sect disciple. A beauty with long black hair and purple eyes. Just like her, she is wearing a plain white robe and currently she is carrying trays of food on both hands.
"Sister Shun. It's been so long." She responds, looking at her with a smile.
This one is Ling Shun. A disciple that lives near her room. They got acquainted with each other on her first week to this sect. Whenever she goes, Ling Shun also comes along to work together with her. It didn't take long before she considers the girl her friend.
"Where have you been? I haven't seen you for some time!" The girl puts a tray of food on her table before she takes a seat besides her.
"Oh right... I haven't told you. I got a lot of sect points so I decided to spend it on the library."
"Really? How much did you get?" The girl gasps, surprise at what she is hearing.
"Here."
Without hesitation, she shows Shun her plaque. The girl stares at it for a moment, her eyes widening as she realizes after sensing the spiritual imprint written on the plaque.
"... How did you get a lot of points?" Shun's eyes narrows at the plaque.
"I got this mysterious looking rock on the ground and then I give it to the Elder on the Quest Hall."
Shun furrows her brows at that, unable to believe she is spouting.
"What kind of rock it is?"
"It's a transparent crystal that is the same size as my palm. I don't know what it is actually, so I just give it to the Elder for points. It's more beneficial than just hoarding something I don't have a use for, right?"
"Ah, I see. Smart!" Even as Shun says that, she is sporting a complicated expression. It's like a mix of exasperation and mirth. "Oh right... since you have been gone, I have a hard time in my work. Can you please help me up here?" Shun, as if realizing something, clasps her hands as she leans closer to her with an upturned gaze.
"... Eh, sorry. I haven't rested for a few days now so I will be going to sleep soon after this."
"Boohoo, my life is so hard. Aren't we Sisters?" She says, fake crying at her.
Wanyi stares at her for a moment. This girl is always like this. She always cries out, saying she is having a hard time. Wanyi always takes care most of their work because she always buys her act.
Today though, Wanyi decides to be firm right now. She really feels tired due to her long time stay on the library.
"Sorry Sister Shun. It will be bad for my body if I don't take a rest."
"Well, if that is so, can't you at least share your blessings to your Sister? Let's say, half of your sect points? Isn't that a good trade?" A mysterious glint shines on her acquaintance's eyes as she leans closer to her face.
'Right... Sister Shun is so weak that she always cries whenever we are working. I think I have to help her out this once. I still have a lot of points anyway.' Not seeing anything wrong with Shun's proposition, Wanyi transfers half of her sect points to her.
She manipulates Qi with her fingers and then push some of the spiritual imprint within the plaque. The stored Qi which indicates the amount of sect points within it has been reduced and then pushes that imprint into the girl's plaque which she eagerly presents to her.
"... Wow, you didn't struggle controlling your Qi. Have you mastered the Qi Manipulation Technique?"
"Something like that." Wanyi says with a shrug. Then she turns to her meal, taking the chopstick that is among the tray of food. "Well then, I'm sorry again but I have to eat now and take a rest."
The girl quickly stands up and then shakes her hand with an awkward smile.
"It's fine. With your help, I can quit work earlier than I am expecting. See you later, Sister Wanyi!"
After that, Shun leaves her quickly. Wanyi simply shrugs before she starts her meal.
She is unaware just how rude Shun has been to her since she talks to her. Her mind is more focused on the food, and the skills she learns from the library which she is planning to fuse after her sleep. At the back of the kitchen, Ling Shun smiles maliciously as she looks at her plaque filled with sect points.
"Hehe, it's a good thing that lowly villager is so stupid. This is recompense for leaving me alone to suffer this humiliation!" She muttered under her breath.
Ling Shun is one of those people who finds these kind of work humiliating. She is the daughter of the Village Chief in another village far from where Wanyi originated. She was raised like a princess by her father, and felt she was entitled to everything.
When she got accepted as a disciple, she thought she would be the same as those immortals she heard from the villagers. Then she found out she would be force to struggle with tasks she saw as mundane masked as important objectives by this sect.
She felt humiliated. She doesn't want this. She only wanted to be strong and be superior amongst the others.
'I'll pay this humiliation back a hundredfold! After I rise into the Elder ranks, I'll make sure those bastards fall!' She thought darkly as she thought of the Outer Sect Elders of this sect.
She will do everything it takes to rise to the top so she won't have to, as she quotes it, suffer like this anymore. After a long rest, Wanyi wakes up early in the morning.
"Okay, it's time to combine my new techniques!" She looks at her status with renewed vigor.
(Arts)
[Tier 1] Fire Release (Initiate Grade)
[Tier 1] Wind Armor (Initiate Grade)
[Tier 1] Icicle Fall (Initiate Grade)
Techniques and arts that will usually take her longer to comprehend becomes easier for her. She learns them quickly by using the info she got from Profound Heavenly Movement to fill in the blanks.
She plans to relearn the Basic Qi Manipulation Art but she realizes it is impossible after she reads the manual for it repeatedly. She realizes that techniques she already knows and simply use as material for her fusion can't be relearned anymore.
She didn't think too much about it and just diligently learn as much as she can until she can't handle her hunger.
With excitement filling her heart, she starts the process of fusing all of her abilities into each other. She doesn't want to fuse the Profound Neutral Breathing with her Superior Cultivation. She wants to combine it with something better.
She uses the Wind Armor, a starter daoist spell that covers the body with Wind Qi, with Profound Neutral Breathing.
[You learned Incomplete Zixian Breathing Method!]
Knowledge fills her mind about this new method. It's a method of breathing that sucks in Qi around her through her mouth or nose. It's a cultivation method suitable for those who has wind attribute.
Next, she combines the Willow Steps and Winding Kick with Willow Steps as the supplementary. Then she uses Viper Thrust as a supplementary on Quick Slash, Shallow Strike on Flowing Fist, and Fire Release on Icicle Fall.
The Vanishing Footwork is a series of footwork that confounds the senses. It can be used as a movement technique or a combat technique through kicking.
Blink Slash is a sword technique that lets her instantly moves from one area to another. Anyone she passes through will be cut by her sword intent.
Sixteen Soft Palms is a palm technique that lets her hit the vital parts of her foe sixteen times in a single breath. It's a powerful technique that can disable cultivators equal to her realm.
Nether Fire enables her to create flames that can freeze people. Anything hit by the bluish flames will be frozen solid.
These alone will already make a normal cultivator into inner sect disciples. Wanyi isn't like that. She wants to combine them more as much as she can because she thinks she will get better skills by combining skills with the same or higher tier than it.
So she continue with her combination.
Without hesitation, she uses the Incomplete Zixian Breathing Method with her Superior Cultivation.
[You learned a new cultivation method! Would you like to name it?]
"Hoh! It's another unnamed cultivation method!" She claps her hand in excitement, before focusing for a bit.
The knowledge she got from it is a cultivation method the same as the Superior Cultivation one but with something added to it which is the part where she can now connect to the skies and gather pure Qi around the atmosphere with her breathing, doubling the efficiency of gathering Qi to her roots and meridians.
"Good! I will call this the Second Superior Cultivation!"
A lot of facepalms will happen if someone hears this. Sadly, no one is here to criticize her so there is nothing that can be done.
She combines her four other techniques and arts with each other. Blink Slash as supplementary for Vanishing Footwork, and then Nether Fire as supplementary for Sixteen Soft Palms.
She sucks in air with a shudder as the knowledge about these abilities settles within her mind and body.
Phantasmal Dream Blade. A strong technique that turns every movement she does into vicious Blade Qi. Her steps can cut air, and everyone she passes will be slice into ribbons. It's a vicious technique that can cut even the skies.
The Immortal Killing Finger is a palm technique that can kill anyone with a single touch of her finger. If she masters it, she can even kill an immortal with it.
"I can combine more!"
Not satisfied with just that, she combines the Profound Heavenly Movement with the Immortal Killing Finger. She uses the Profound Heavenly Movement as supplementary for the Immortal Killing Finger.
[You learned Thousand Killing Ashura!]
She sucks in a breath with her eyes wide in both terror and amazement as she sees a vision of herself, poking the mountain and causing it to crumble into smithereens. Overwhelming Death Qi fills each of her movement, causing the heavens to weep itself as she reaps lives both animate and inanimate with her hands.
She didn't notice it. Blood is trickling from her nose and her face is becoming paler. The knowledge she got is more than what her low level can handle. Even if the System gives her the full extent of this ability, protection against information overload is not included in it. It's an immortal technique that suddenly got shove in her brain. If not for the System's guarantee, she will die instantly before she even comprehends a sliver of this technique.
The only thing that happens to her is her body wobbling as she briefly loses consciousness due to the overload, and then her body jolting into wakefulness when her head hits the table besides her when her body falls to the floor.
".... Huh..." She is still feeling dizzy at the ability shown to her that she doesn't notice a guest coming to her. Her ears are ringing, and she looks besides her with her blurry vision.
She only see a figure approaching her in a panic, and touching her. Talking to her about something she can't fully understand. She noticed that the person is holding her plaque. She says the first thing that comes to mind while still feeling delirious. Chong Yun's curiosity got the better of him that he asked about that 1st Stage Qi Condensation Disciple until he got pointed to the right direction. He learned about how she got that much point, and decided to meet her.
'Luck is also a factor to become an immortal. Such disciple should be nurtured!' He is planning to talk to her, and then hopefully take her as his disciple when he got to her room.
"Young Zhi, this Elder wants to talk to you about something."
Being an Elder, there is no need for him to knock on an outer sect disciple's door. He simply announces his presence and waits for a moment. He frowns when no one responds to him. He knows she is inside as he can sense her Qi signature within.
"Tsk... Young people these days..." He thinks he is being disrespected at being ignored. He opens the doors himself to chastise the girl about the order of things when he stops after he enters.
He sees Zhi Wanyi on the ground. Bleeding with her nose and ears. A large bruise is on her head. Her body is incredibly pale while she looks at the ceiling with a far off look as if she is in shock.
He quickly rushes to her side.
"Young Zhi! What happened? Who did this to you?" He looked around, using his divine senses to locate any intruder hiding somewhere from this building. "Hm?" He notices the plaque of the girl just besides her, and the spiritual imprint from it.
He takes it and gasps when he sees that half of the spiritual imprint it is gone. He still recalls how much she has that yesterday, so for it to suddenly have half of it. He assumes there must be a conspiracy.
"Young Zhi, tell me who did this to you?" He said as the girl turns to him.
Her eyes simply stares straight from nowhere, before she speaks weakly.
"... Ling Shun..." After that, she loses consciousness.
Hearing that, anger fills his heart.
"Shameless! Bullying your fellow disciples for greed! I will enact justice right now!"
Before that though, the Elder carries the young disciple in his arms and leaves the dorm quickly. Wanyi needs medical treatment first before he starts hunting for this Ling Shun person.
I forgot whatever I am going to say about this chapter...
So I'll just say thank you for reading this. I admit, I actually got burnt out writing this whole chapter because it is very long, and I want to really post this now instead of later so I might have rushed the final parts of this chapter for a bit.... sorry...
Thank you for reading and see you in the next chapter 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!~
Amusing, but more importantly I cannot stress the importance of better editing. In particular, actions and plurals are constantly in the wrong state. I don't know how to say that but essentialy there are a lot of 's' at the end of words which really shouldn't be there.
Today, a few inner sect disciples has(have) entered and gone to the higher floors to learn more techniques. Chong Yun, the Elder guarding the entrance of this tower, finds this normal. It is still early in the morning so the outer sect disciples are busy with their work to acquire sect points. It's only the inner sect disciples who(that)has(have) time to go(come) here, and only a few will come because most inner sect disciples (have) already mastered their preferred techniques.
Ling Shun walked on the flight of stairs with a large smile on her face. Her steps were light as she patted the hemp pouch tied on her waist. Her destination was the cultivation spots above the lower section of this peak, located midpoint before the upper section.
"I, Ling Shun, will never be humiliated after I am done with my close door cultivation. Prepare yourself world, as I rise to the top!"
She declared arrogantly, doubtless of her successful future. Her steps were hurried, anticipation building up in her heart as she envisioned herself in a golden chair, sitting crosslegged as many servants kowtowed around her.
So absorbed by her delusions that she hadn't noticed Elder Chong Yun in her path. She gasped, surprised as she bumped into him as her bright expression turned demonic quickly.
"Who dares!?"
Shun glared at what she bumped, and saw a familiar embroidery of that green robe. She slowly looked up, her face progressively paled as realized who it was.
"What if I dare? Do you have any complaints?"
Grim face and a frown met her eyes as the tower guard looked down on her. Dark eyes gazed at her scared figure, his look made her hallucinate a giant who coldly stared at an ant.
"I-I... I-it's my fault, Elder Chong! Please don't take it to heart!"
Cold sweat trickled on her forehead as she quickly bowed, her hands cupped in respect. Her body trembled as time ticked by. His gaze stayed at her fidgeting form, before he spoke words that made her entire blood freeze.
"Do you think I am stupid? You think I don't know what you did?"
The world stood still as she heard his words. It echoed on her ears as she tried to process his words. Confusion quickly turned into panic as she spoke, her fist clenched as she trembled as her eyebrows came together.
"Elder Chong, this is slander! Whatever you think I've done is nothing but lies!"
Her words were filled with indignation. Burning shame and humiliation colored her face as she glared at the elder with tears forming in the corner of her eyes.
Chong Yun scoffed at the paltry display of anger. His gaze turned a notch colder.
"Are you saying that I am blind? That I don't know what is right and wrong?" His voice rose an octave, anger visibly marred his face. "ARE YOU DENYING STEALING FROM YOUR FELLOW DISCIPLE?"
His voice echoed on the mountain. The air shook with the vibrations and the birds on the distance flew in a start. The flame of anger within her heart was quickly snuffed like she had been hit with a bucket of cold water. Her eyes dilate as she heard his accusation.
"I-I... I don't have any idea what you are talking about, E-esteemed Elder!"
"Zhi Wanyi. That's the girl you have stolen from!"
Boom!
Her mind exploded. Uttering that name gave her a fright.
'He knows! He truly knows!'
It felt like the world itself came crashing down on top of her head. Her knees felt weak that she fell on the ground into a kneel. The Elder sighed at that sight, then he turned his back at her.
"You will be put into the disciplinary prison for a year. Reflect on your actions while you are there!"
Ling Shun felt powerless. She knew she couldn't resist. She could only let the nature ran it's course as she knelt there in defeat.
'No... my life... my ambitions!'
Her entire dream shattered on that day. Combining stuff, I realized, wasn't always a good thing. There were times techniques I fused would be more than what I could handle. It would be much better to limit myself to Tier 5 and below only.
I thought of a simple solution to handle powerful techniques that I would potentially learn in the future.
I have to become stronger!
It's natural. If I couldn't handle something of that nature, then I just had to be stronger. If I become stronger, then it would be easier for me to handle high tier abilities.
Really, it's such a smart idea if I do say so myself!
A day had passed since I lost consciousness. My head still throbbed till this time. I had to nursed my forehead and eased this headache as it kept distracting me from my thoughts. It's getting better lately, but it still felt uncomfortable.
By the way, when I woke up, Elder Chong Yun was besides me. He said something about how he enacted justice in my name, and that he took care of the one who bullied me. It's the first time I heard someone was bullying me.
I wonder who it was?
Anyway, he told me something interesting.
"Take this. You have a bright future ahead of you, Young Zhi."
I wondered why he gazed at me like that. It's like how my grandpa looked at me before he gave me sweet potatoes. He did give me something. It's a hemp pouch filled with Qi Gathering Pills and low grade spiritual stones. Strangely, I felt its content had the same cost as the remaining sect points I had.
Anyway, I graciously accepted the pouch. After Elder Chong left, I stayed within my room along with this pouch. I originally planned to go to the cultivation spots just above our halls, but with these cultivation resources in my hands, I just have to fuse them!
I counted them on my table. There were hundreds of Qi Gathering Pills and low grade spiritual stones within it.
I can fuse a lot of things with this!
So, I started fusing them together!
First were two Qi Gathering Pills.
[You successfully made a Middle Grade Qi Gathering Pill!]
I almost forgot. Qi Gathering Pills, and any pills for that matter, were also separated by their grades. The higher the grade, the more potent they were. Peak grade pills were the best they said.
I see, so these Qi Gathering Pills were low grade ones. It's my first time having seen one, so I didn't know what to expect.
Anyway, if I could make higher grade Qi Gathering Pills, then it would be a good thing for me.
So I fused all of the Qi Gathering Pills in my bed.
[You successfully made Middle Grade Qi Gathering Pills!]
[You successfully made High Grade Qi Gathering Pills!]
[You successfully made Top Grade Qi Gathering Pills!]
Hundreds of pills turned into few. Golden pills rich with pure qi laid on top of my bed. A rich nourishing scent filled my nose as it's lingering energies brushed on my skin.
Now that I have top grade Qi Gathering Pills, I think I have to stop right?
Though, I want to know if I can combine them together. What will be the result I wonder?
Curiosity filled me that my body moved before my mind processed it. I mentally chose two top grade pills and then fused them together. The two vanished and was replaced with a golden pill that surged with intense pure qi.
[You successfully made a Low Grade Qi Rejuvenating Pill!]
"Hoh!"
A Qi Rejuvenating Pill!? Isn't this a pill Foundation Establishment cultivators uses to improve their cultivation!?
I remembered hearing it from one of those braggarts who visited the cafeteria how a Qi Rejuvenating Pull could supplement a Foundation Establishment expert's cultivation. It's a miraculous pill that was sought after by core disciples.
It was also not something a mere Qi Condensation initiate like me to possess. I quickly hid it in the pouch before someone saw.
As for the low grade spirit stones...
[You successfully made Middle Grade Spirit Stones!]
[You successfully made High Grade Spirit Stones!]
[You successfully made Top Grade Spirit Stones!]
[You successfully made Low Grade Immortal Crystals!]
Now I am the proud owner of these point makers. If I ever run out of points, I could exchange them for more on the quest hall.
As expected of me, I'm so smart! With all the preparations set, I made my way to the Green Spring Passage. It was a wide area that led to many cultivation spots. Each cultivation spots catered to cultivators with specific attributes. There were five cultivation spots in total available for cultivators.
These spots were the Fire Corridor, Ice Corridor, Wind Corridor, Earth Corridor, and the Metal Corridor.
Without hesitation, I chose the Earth Corridor. That place might be filled with Earth Qi, but there were Nature Qi mixed within it. That was suitable for my Second Superior Cultivation method.
Beyond the large empty square, in the direction I chose, a winding passageway welcomed my sight. It stretched towards a cave entrance where one guard stood. I walked towards that direction until I got close to the guard. Then I showed my plaque to him.
He nodded and took that from me, before he put my plaque to the side where many were also hanged in display. They would deduct sect points from us when we left, and it depends how much time we spent within a cultivation room.
I think it was ten points for every every incense stick?
After I nodded at him, I entered the cave and walked through a long hallway. It took sometime until I reached the end of the hallway. Beyond the hallway was a large room with lush greenery in front of me. Its like I came to the forest even though I knew this was inside a mountain.
The Earth Corridor was a forest isolated with some sort of array that maximized the production of Earth Qi within it. This environment was suitable for people who had Earth and Nature attributes.
I walked around for a moment, passing some cultivators who took their preferred spots. Occasionally I encountered some who were standing and moving around, practicing some sort of technique instead of sitting crosslegged and absorbing Qi on their surroundings. Some of those people glances at me, but they haven't said anything.
After walking for awhile, I found a spot without anyone nearby so I took that spot. It was a large tree stump with a good view of the surroundings and the artificial skies above. I took that as my spot and sit appropriately to start absorbing the Qi.
Before that, I opened the hemp pouch within and then took one of the top grade Qi Gathering Pills within.
This will be the first time I will try ingesting a pill. I took a moment to ready myself before I pushed it between my lips. A rich savory flavor spread on my tongue, and it was surprising when it quickly dissolved in my mouth. After that, abundant amount of pure qi surged within my meridians.
I quickly dive through my consciousness, and followed the method from my Second Superior Cultivation within my mind. Within my sea of consciousness, small passage were being filled with ethereal wisps of dusts. They came from everywhere, and it took all my control to just process them into manageable clumps that would flow within these passageways.
I followed the process of my new cultivation method and controlled these chaotic energies. Energy that had a sense of pureness with them were simply pure qi. Mixed with these pure qi were energies with the taste of the soil and another with a taste of the rich harvest. These were Earth Qi and Nature Qi respectively.
With my will and control of my Qi within my consciousness, I took hold of these energies and straightened them up into threads. An image of a loom formed within my mind as I linked my roots with these chaotic energies, and then turned them into small threads.
Carefully, I weaved these threads within my passageway, breaking through bottlenecks that blocked me from my advancement. Nature Qi and Earth Qi were separated at first, and as I became used to the process, I slowly mixed them together. Knitting them like how I wove clothes.
Just when I pushed through a small passageway with these woven energies, my senses expanded as something just clicked within my mind.
[Congratulations! You made a breakthrough to the Higher Grade 1st Stage Qi Condensation!]
Multiple paths revealed themselves within my mind, and my meridians expands for a bit. I took that chance to process more of the chaotic energies still rampaging within my dantian. The amount of Qi that I turned into threads were a drop in the ocean compared to the Qi that currently flowed through my body.
It would be a waste if I don't process these faster. They would soon leave the pores of my body and dissipate from the air. So I redoubled my efforts as I flowed the Qi within my meridians. I wove them with both speed and precision, breaching through narrow paths and filling up empty wakes with these spool of Earth and Nature Qi.
I consolidated each of these woven energies. Turned them into streams of energy that flowed freely like a thread to a loom.
[Congratulations! You made a breakthrough to the Peak Grade 1st Stage Qi Condensation!]
I made another breakthrough after I filled another passageway with these solid threads of Qi. I resumed and filled another empty space that had been revealed with my breakthrough into a pond of Qi.
With a single breath following the guidance of my cultivation method, more Earth and Nature Qi gathered around me as clumps of energies with the taste of the rich soil and fertile ground tickled my taste buds.
Energies coalesced into thin threads as I controlled them within my meridians. Every possible path had been filled after some time, and only the center where all of these path merged remained empty. I guided the flow of these threads of Qi into that empty space, each paths that led to the center were linked together with a single pull. Then, I knotted them together, and then turned them into tiny nets that filled up the entire empty space until they were filled to the brim with these knotted threads of energies.
"Ssssu!"
Something exploded within me. My mind felt so clear as some sort of burden left my entire body.
[Congratulations! You made a breakthrough to the Low Grade 2nd Stage Qi Condensation!]
When I opened my eyes, I noticed that I was sweating and a strong pungent odor strikes my nose.
"... Eugh!"
I look below and reeled at the black sludge of wastes that clung to my robe and body. I almost forgot, breaking through meant shedding off impurities from our bodies. These impurities were these black sludges of wastes that smells disgusting.
I almost hurled at the smell of these disgusting stuff. I have to change into another set of robes and wash myself thoroughly. This smells truly horrendous!
"... But... this feels like a waste..."
A warm feeling still lingered in my stomach as a surge of energy swirled within my dantian. There were still a lot of energies left from the Qi Gathering Pill, and just ignoring it felt like a waste.
... Right. Cultivation is a grueling path. I should take advantage of this while I still have the chance. Even if this smell would distract me greatly from my cultivation.
So I dove through my inner consciousness again, and quickly forget about the outside world as I immersed myself with my cultivation. "Ugh... What's that smell? It smells like a year long rotten egg!"
"Does she have no shame?"
"Ew!"
Young disciples parted on her arrival, their faces filled with disgust as they furrowed their brows in frustration, their gazes focused on the origin of this dumpster scent.
Zhi Wanyi walked down the flight of stairs with hurried steps. Her face red in shame that she was tempted to jump on the mountain in embarrassment.
She had stayed all day within the Earth Corridor and had successfully broken through to the Peak Grade of the 2nd Stage Qi Condensation Realm. It wouldn't be that worse if she broke through once, and no one would smell the impurities that clung to her robe.
Though as she broke through a lot of times, more impurities left the pores of her body and it solidified into this rotten stench of corpse that clung to their nose even if they were a hundred meters away from her.
Even she knew embarrassment, so she quickly walked towards her dorm. Her joy with her breakthrough quickly replaced with a sense of humiliation and embarrassment.
'I should have left when I broke through!'
Just like what I said on RR, the first two chapters are experimental on my part. This chapter, and the following ones I will return to my old writing style. So expect barely more past tenses instead of the frequent use of present tense on entire chapters...
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!~
Even with the embarrassment fron that time, joy filled my heart as I made a quick breakthrough to the peak of 2nd Stage Qi Condensation. I really thought it wouldn't take long to reach Foundation Establishment.
Oh, how wrong I am to have assumed that!
The next day after that, I've reached the middle grade for the 3rd Stage Qi Condensation Realm. On the day that followed, I've only increased a single grade in the 3rd Stage. Fourth day of my attempt with my Second Superior Cultivation and I only reached the peak of 3rd Stage.
It took me two days following that to reach the 4th Stage of Qi Condensation Realm.
Each time I broke through to a higher grade, the qi pathways I have to fill doubled. With every stage, they quadrupled in numbers. It became harder as the pathways became numerous. Large empty gaps called veins within my meridians had to be filled, which took thrice as much time as I needed to fill a single path. Blockages had to be broken carefully, or circumvented in a way that wouldn't damage my spiritual nerves, or else I will be crippled!
The Second Superior Cultivation is truly superior in many terms. It's a hundred--no, a thousand times better than the basic qi gathering method which is simply us doing the basic lotus position and gathering qi through a special process called fetal breathing. It's a type of breathing where we breathe through our pores.
It's hard at first, but after careful guidance by our Hall Elder, I managed to learn it. That was the most basic form of cultivation. Simply breathe and absorb Qi around.
The Second Superior Cultivation threw that into a ditch after it displayed speeds that far exceeded normal cultivation methods. The complicated methods that needed knowledge of advance concepts like internal manipulation of Qi, conscious control of willpower, and imagination were needed for this method. Turning ambient Qi into threads to ease the flow of Qi and purify them within my meridians were actually complex.
I have to follow their intricate steps to fill up my meridians. My inferior roots only have five thin roots within certain points of my body which made it harder for me to absorb Qi efficiently compared to my other peers. If other cultivators had my Second Superior Cultivation, they would quickly reach the peak of Qi Condensation within a week.
That's how strong it was!
It just showed me how hard it was to breakthrough to the next stage. I haven't even reached Foundation Establishment, which was a realm where people would call you a True Cultivator. This was a stage that untalented ones couldn't achieve in their lifetime.
This again was another knowledge we got from an elder.
I haven't used Qi Gathering Pills since my first time using it. I heard from my seniors some time ago that it would be bad to ingest pills daily. I think they said something about pill toxicity?
Anyway, I would follow that advice. They were more experienced about this than me!
Two weeks have quickly passed. I had broken through to the Higher Grade of the 4th Stage. I might need another week to ascend to the next grade. I planned to take another Qi Gathering Pill after a month. I think that would be safer?
Anyway, I felt it would be a waste simply cultivating within the Earth Corridor, so I have decided to learn new techniques and other methods to fuse. I entered the tower once more to learn more.
Of course, I entered in the first floor. There were a lot of books here that I can learn.
It would be more cheaper than going above the floor. I have the power to combine everything into better ones, so learning better techniques is a waste of time!
Such was my thought as I gathered books and stacked them up in a corner. It's time to increase my repertoire of skills! Sounds of papers being flicked resounded in a corner of the library, before a small thud occurred. A book was closed with both hands before it was put to a pile on the side, while the girl who sat crosslegged on the floor took another on a larger pile besides her.
Weeks have passed. Chong Yun watched as the girl was absorbed in her academic fortress. She read every manual her hand could reach, and entire shelves were vacated of their contents as she put them around her. A veritable mountain of books surrounded her.
Chong Yun still couldn't believe it. He recalled this girl was stuck at the earliest stages of Qi Condensation Realm. Now he felt the aura of a 4th Stage Qi Condensation expert from her. Such drastic changes was unprecedented, and it was barely a month since he last saw her.
'Is this girl really someone with inferior roots?'
The speed and strength of a cultivator was decided by their spiritual roots. It was something everyone had since birth. Those who were bless with hundreds of wide unblocked roots could easily reach higher realms even with the most useless cultivation method. Those who have thin and fewer roots could only dream of reaching Foundation Establishment.
Zhi Wanyi had the most inferior roots out of every cultivator he had met. She only had five roots that were so thin it would be practically impossible for qi to be absorbed. Even if she did absorbed them, she still had to carefully control them within her as there was a high chance she filled her pathways wrongly, or she forcefully pushed it and overfilled certain parts of her meridians. There was a high chance it would damage her spiritual nerves if she wasn't careful.
Another factor was that larger spiritual roots meant easier way to absorb qi. With how thin her roots were, it was a surprise she could gather enough qi to start her journey as a cultivator.
She just did the impossible anyway.
'My eyes are right. There is more to this girl than she lets on!'
Intrigue colored his face. His heart soared in excitement at the birth of an unprecedented genius. Only a genius could circumvent such disadvantages and still breakthrough to the next level with ease.
'Then... I have to give my support to this girl. She might become the hope of our sect!'
The elder retreated back to his post after he was done with his observation. He was satisfied with Wanyi's diligence and studiousness. Those were the kind of traits this sect looked for their disciples.
There was one thing that confused him.
'Why is she reading entry level techniques?'
He couldn't fathom the logic behind it. Such techniques were only useful for children. They were techniques, methods, daoist arts, and other skills that simply built foundation to a cultivator's path. None of those were advance enough to stick to a cultivator for a long time.
His confusion lingered as he came back to his post. It took another week before Zhi Wanyi felt hungry enough that she had to leave the library once more. She made sure to return every manuals back to their shelves. Being a cultivator increased her memory capacity, so she remembered where each books were located.
It's been a month since she stayed in the library, cooped up in her own studies. No one had seen her as every disciple skipped this floor and goes to higher ones for the advance techniques. They had no interest for entry level skills.
With her current level of cultivation, she could forgo food for a longer time now. It was when she felt the pangs of hunger that she stopped.
The elderly guard on the post saw her approach with her hand on her stomach, and he quickly called out to her before she could leave.
"Wait, Young Zhi."
"Hm?"
The young cultivator perked up, surprised at being called out. Though the brunette quickly cupped her hands after she realized who called out to her.
"Yes, Elder Chong. What can I do for you?"
It was a bit casual to his taste. They instilled young cultivators to respect their elders, so such would normally offend elders. He shook his head as he knew the girl might be tired with her long study.
"Young Zhi. Do you have any plans to join the Lotus Youth Competition?"
This was his plan. Zhi Wanyi showed incredible promise in her progress. He was willing to sponsor this girl to become a candidate. Seeing her confusion, he explained.
"The Lotus Youth Competition is an annual competition held in this sect. It's purpose is to find promising disciples every year. Only Outer Disciples are allowed to join this tournament."
With a flourish, a jade token appeared on his hand.
"Everyone must win the qualifiers before they are given a token, which will let them join the actual tournament that many Elders will watch. There is another way to enter this tournament and it's through an Elder."
The eyes of the girl widened as realization struck her. He chuckled, amused at her reaction before he handed the token to her.
"I can see potential in you. Don't disappoint me, Young Zhi!"
Wanyi bowed with a tremble. Amusement filled his face as he watched her reaction. With such a reaction, he knew the girl was overwhelmed with joy with this opportunity.
"I'm sorry, but I'm busy with my studies!"
Silence. The world froze as her voice echoed in his ears. It was such a shock that his body turned stiff like a stone. His eyes still gazing at her with his arm still outstretched.
"... I might have heard wrongly. Can you repeat that again?"
Wanyi tilted her head, before she spoke once more.
This time, it was much louder.
"I said I'm busy with my studies, Elder Chong!"
H e winced. Her voice echoed on the silence without a care. The vibrations brushed through his skin, and it felt like she spoke directly to his ears. His tense expression turned into a frown after he processed what she actually said.
"... Why?"
"... Hm? Elder Chong, do you want me to answer louder?"
Confused at the question, Wanyi thought he might not have heard her.
He almost puked blood at the implication she made. His body trembled in anger.
"Cheeky brat! That's not what I meant!"
"Eeek!?"
"What do you meant by busy? Can't you see the great honor you will get when you join the tournament? You will acquire rewards like cultivation resources that will help you in your cultivation, and even get a chance to become and an Inner Disciple if you ranked high enough!"
"W-well... I apologize if I offended you, but I am really not interested. I think it will be better if you choose another?" She suggested.
It was such a baffling thing. A disciple suggesting things to an Elder. He felt like a nerve was about to burst in his head.
"Anyway, I am really in a hurry Elder Chong. If there is nothing else, I will be going now!"
He almost puked blood at her words, and actually puked blood when she left him alone without giving him a chance to persuade her. He stared at her receding back, the token still held in his hand as the sound of wind whooshed around him.
Then he slowly put his jade token back to his long sleeves, and then held his head. His face dark as if rain just poured on top of his head.
"... This sect is doomed..." He muttered under his breathe. Elder Chong said something about a tournament when I left the library. It must not be important if he was inviting a new disciple like me.
He might also be deaf. He kept asking me to repeat my answer. Next time, I have to speak louder to him so he could hear me.
I quickly pushed those thoughts away from my mind. I've just taken a meal, and recovered my energy after a sleep. Now it was time to focus on something more important.
I have learned a lot of stuff in the library. Basic techniques, methods, arts, and even crafts from different types of vocation. All of which I planned to combine into something better.
I have to hold back though. I don't want to repeat what happened when I made the Thousand Killing Ashura. I have to stay below Tier 5.
Sometimes, skills I fused would jump many tiers when I made good combinations. I have to stop combining at least Tier 4 to prevent that from happening.
I look upon my numerous techniques that I learned. I easily comprehended everything as I used some of my techniques as a crutch to understand their concepts. What made things harder for me were the crafts, as I don't have any knowledge about them.
Crafts were entirely different than combat techniques. They were auxiliary paths cultivators could learn like formation making, pill making, talisman creation, and many more. I couldn't use the knowledge from my methods or high tier techniques as a guide to comprehend these auxiliary skills.
The only ones the System considered I learned were the basic ones.
As there were a lot, I quickly combined most of the techniques I learned and turned them better. This was how it looked now.
I don't know why the System separated Arrays and Formations from Crafts when they were all considered part of the crafting class, but it doesn't matter. I deliberately left them for last because I planned to use some of my combined techniques as supplementary for them.
I felt I have too many arts and techniques, and I felt restless seeing that much. I won't be able to use of them as the Thousand Killing Ashura had almost every combat technique I could possibly think of. Phantasmal Dream Blade also covered most things about the sword.
So there was no need for me to hesitate. I combined Basic Earth Formation with Impenetrable Blade Wall, Basic Illusionary Array with Undeniable Force, Basic Sealing Array with Jade Temperance Sword, Basic Cooking with Scorching Orb Manifestation, Basic Painting with Ardent Viper, Basic Pill Making with Spirit King Invigoration, and Basic Talisman Creation with Cloud of Netherworld.
New knowledge entered my mind. Formation that could fill an entire space with invisible slashes. An array that could chain even dragons, and an array that could imprison everyone with a giant palace filled with immortal soldiers.
There were many more like paintings that I could breath life with sharp qi-infused imprints, cooking that could even extract souls from demonic beasts, a heaven-defying pill making technique, and an extremely fast method of talisman creation.
There were many more I could combine, but I feared another backlash so I held myself back. It's a shame because I wanted to know more.
When I reach Foundation Establishment, I'll try and combine techniques beyond Tier 5.
For now, I wanted to cultivate once more. It's been a month since I cultivated. Now that I feel refreshed, it's time to continue my advancement. So I made my way to the Green Spring Passage.
Before that, I made a quick detour to the Quest Hall so I could exchange some of my immortal crystals to the Quest Hall Elder.
"... Another Ancient Artifact?"
"Yes. It just fell on top of my head."
He stared at me for a moment, before he shrugged. Then he gave me a million points after I handed him my plaque.
I felt a bit guilty lying, but I don't have any excuse where I got that.
I think I might be good at deceit as the Elder doesn't say anything. Am I actually a genius?
I contemplated about it as I left the Quest Hall and head straight to the Green Spring Passage. Yu Anlong stared at the back of the mysterious young outer disciple. He recalled she was just a 1st Stage Qi Condensation newbie two months ago. She had inferior roots based on his divine senses.
He was curious how she got to that level, and where she found these ancient artifacts. He stared at the five glowing artifacts that emits a whitish glow. A divine and mysterious energy trickled from its perfect vertices.
"Hmm... I might have to monitor that girl."
Another Elder got interested at the clueless girl.
I am tired, but I really want to push this chapter because I might actually not be able to update this if I keep procrastinating. Hopefully this chapter is not that bad....
It keeps slipping my mind to mention this. Anyway, this story will mainly be lighthearted and comedic. I will try to keep the story grounded to the setting and facts that I already established within the story, but I won't shy on serious and dark events as this is still a Xianxia world, but majority of the story will not get too serious.
Even if this gets serious, it won't stay that long as I intend to write this to be fun.
Also, while I might try to keep it grounded to the setting, expect the MC to always be an exception to this. Which means there won't be high stakes for the MC in this story.
Of course, this is not set in stone. I might just introduce some sort of obstacle to the MC, but that is yet to be seen with my plans for the story. Current plans are simply focused on exploring her ability and wowing people around her.
I hope you have fun with this story 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!~
Six months have passed. I spent my time cultivating in the Earth Corridor and learning everything in the first floor of the Lower Peak Library. My cultivation had stagnated overtime, and I was forced to spend most of my time in the library this past month.
I am stuck at the peak of 5th Stage Qi Condensation Realm for the past month. I knew I am close, I could feel it. Though no matter what I did, I couldn't force it as there were more tiny pathways within my meridians that couldn't be filled as fast or else I damage them.
Even with all the complete knowledge I got from the Second Superior Cultivation, it didn't help me breakthrough as fast. I couldn't make tinier threads of Qi to weaved them with ease due to how small my pathways were. They said it would get numerous and smaller as I ascended to higher stages.
I don't have to worry so much about it. They said average cultivators who had started would take at least five years before they could reach the peak of Qi Condensation. I should be happy I got this far within less than a year even with my inferior tiny roots.
Regardless of how much time it would take, I will reach the top of this world. I swear upon my family name!
Other than that, my pilgrimage in the library became cumbersome. I learned everything and combined them, though there were a lot that I couldn't be bothered to look anymore. My Status was cluttered with spiritual texts that doesn't make sense in my eyes.
I knew what each of them entailed. They were skills and techniques that got shoved within my brain, though it made me dizzy seeing so much in my screen. I wanted to combine them all into something so I won't have to see such clutter in my eyes.
Even with such bothersome features from the mysterious Fuse System, I persevered and learned everything I could on the library.
[You learned Iron Palm!]
"Finally!"
I stood up and stretched my numbed limbs before I looked around. I have read every book within the first floor of the library. In my next visit, I will learn everything on the second floor!
For now, I have to take care of these new techniques and stuff I learned from the first floor and combine them.
An idea came to me to deal with this bothersome problem. If I couldn't handle high tier techniques by myself, I should simply fuse them with other objects. The mysterious Fuse System did say it's allowed. I could combine everything so long as I owned it.
So I think it is time to go down from the mountain and visit the city near this sect! As I left the tower, I saw Elder Chong standing guard on his usual spot. I greeted him loudly.
"Greetings, Elder Chong!"
I made sure to speak loudly. He had trouble hearing me most of the time. I'm used to it. Some elderly villagers from my home also had the same problem, so I'm used to it.
"For Heaven's sake, stop yelling! This is the library!"
Angering an Elder was supposed to be scary, but I knew he wasn't that serious. Most elderly were simply irritable like this, so I wasn't concerned.
"I apologize, but you might not hear me if I speak normally."
Is it my imagination or did he just coughed up blood?
"Gah, this youngster will be the death of me!"
"Elder Chong, are you alright? Do you want me to get some Recovery Pills?"
"Shut up, just leave already..." He waved his hand at me, while his other hand clutched his head with a dark expression.
Well, that seemed to be it. I left him alone and walked back to my room so I could get a change of robe. Chong Yun nursed his forehead after Zhi Wanyi left. He took a breath and then exhaled, calming his heart disturbed by the young cultivator's disrespect.
"Ah... I forgot to tell her about the auction in the Red Lantern City."
He lamented the missed opportunity, and his shortening temper as of late. He suspected Wanyi to have a talent to provoke others. He hoped that wasn't the case as that girl, even if she was a genius, had inferior roots. She wouldn't last long in this bloody world if she kept that up.
He still hoped Zhi Wanyi accepted at least one of his offers. She was a once-in-a-century genius from this Cerulean Sky Region. It would be a waste if she doesn't grasp these opportunities. That was squandering her chance at immortality.
He tried for the past six months to urged the girl to the right direction, though the young cultivator always refused. If she wasn't busy with her studies, she would excuse herself with another thing like how she was close to a breakthrough.
He still doesn't know how she reached the peak of 5th Stage Qi Condensation Realm, but it doesn't matter. It displayed her genius talent at cultivation even with her disadvantages. Such a thing was enough for him to support her.
'... Am I doing something wrong?'
His confidence to himself took a bit as the girl kept refusing her. This was the first time he supported one of the outer sect disciples. He wondered if this was the kind of hardships Elders got when they supported geniuses.
He shuddered at the thought of many people that was like Zhi Wanyi.
'There might be truth with the saying that geniuses were eccentric and weird...'
He sighed, depressed at that thought. Early in the morning, Zhi Wanyi left her room refreshed and with a new set of robes. Before she goes to the Foot Entrance, she goes to the Quest Hall to get a mission.
Yu Anlong perked up when he saw the mysterious young cultivator arrived, standing at the back of the line of other outer disciples. He quickly processed the other insignificant outer disciples who were here for their job so he could welcome the girl.
"You are here. Are you here to exchange other stuff you found on the ground with sect points?"
He got used to the flimsy excuse this young disciple spouted whenever she submitted ancient treasures to him. He decided not to ask as it benefitted them more to simply let her. He already told the other Elders about this girl, so if she ever decided to, she would be welcomed on the halls of the inner disciples.
Whatever fortuitous encounters she got would benefit the sect itself. Might as well let her instead of grill her for info. Such heaven-defying luck shouldn't be constrained by a small sect like them.
The sect leader was already aware of her presence, and had ordered him to simply play along with her cluelessness.
He expected the girl to be here to exchange sect points. That was the only thing she did whenever she came here, even though the Quest Hall's purpose was to give missions to outer sect disciples.
"Sorry, I don't have anything in hand right now, Elder Yu." She said with a shake of her head, much to his surprise. "I'm actually here to get a mission to the Red Lantern City."
Those words surprised him. It's the first time she came for a mission after this six months. He thought she would be staying cooped up in their sect for the foreseeable future, stumbling upon treasures from unknown origins other than within the sect. He still felt curious just where she got her supply of those heavenly gems.
His surprise didn't last long as he masked it with a calm smile.
"I see. Then here are the available sect missions for that city. Choose whichever you want. Though I have to remind you that there is a time limit for this."
He showed missions written in parchments that could be done by outer disciples. These ranges from a simple herb gathering quest up to hunting demonic beasts that inhabited Lusheng Forest.
After accepting a mission, a disciple had to finish it within the allotted time. If they failed to do so, the sect would consider the mission failed and wouldn't expect the disciple to come back. The logic behind it was that they met an unfortunate fate while they attempt the mission, and should be treated seriously if it kept repeating.
The allotted time for each mission were reasonable. It lasted between one week into months. It depends, but all of these were possible for average outer disciples who were all from the middle to higher stages of Qi Condensation.
He wondered what kind of mission this girl would pick. The aura she exuded told him she was at the peak of the 5th Stage Qi Condensation. At that level, she could start hunting 1st Grade Demonic Beasts so long as she was careful about it.
Almost everyone who were at the middle stages of Qi Condensation picked these kind of missions so they could acquire combat experience. Combat was needed if they wanted to acquire insights and possibly ascend to the next stage of their realm.
"I'd like to do this."
She showed him the parchment, and his smile twitched as he saw the contents of the mission.
"... Herb gathering mission?"
"Yes. I always heard from those at the cafeteria that herb gathering quest is safer than the other ones. So I want to do that as my first sect mission."
He thought about it, and then realized that this would be the first mission she would do outside from the sect. He recalled she only does quest within the sect like helping out with the cafeteria at the Foot Entrance, taking care of the mortal livestocks, and then cleaning the halls of the outer disciples. He nodded in acceptance, approving of her humbleness and her trait not rush things up.
"Good. Traits like yours are rare for a cultivator. Continue with this path and I'm sure you will steadily grow into a powerhouse." He nodded sagely.
"... Okay?"
She sounded confused which made him chuckle. After processing the quest she picked, she was allowed to leave now with the allotted time of one week. It's just a herb gathering quest, and the city was pretty close. As cultivators, they could reach the city before the sun sets, so that time was more than enough.
"Oh right..." Before she left, Zhi Wanyi seemed to have realized something as she put her wooden plaque on the counter. "I'd like to exchange half of my points for spirit stones."
He tensed up when he heard her request. His smile turned crook as he gazed at the plaque. When he saw the numbers imprinted on it, he almost froze.
"... 3,000,000 points..."
The girl have that much points within her plaque. Half of it meant he had to give the equivalent of spiritual stones to those points. His stand only had low grade spirit stones. Each low grade spirit stones costs 100 sect points.
He could barely afford that. This sect wasn't that rich that they could give those amount of spirit stones to a single outer disciple. He would need to request for more at the Higher Peaks if he wanted more spirit stones.
"... Unfortunately, we don't have enough spiritual stones for that amount of points. How about this, why don't you exchange your points with something else?"
With quick thinking, he suggested as he showed some pouches that contained some cultivation resources.
"Uh... I want to buy something in the city, so I really need money right now." A lightbulb lit up on top of Wanyi's head. "Wait, what if I exchange the remaining points for mortal currencies?"
He winced at her suggestion. He did have sacks of mortal currencies behind him. Those contained gold, silver, and bronze coins respectively. Though they were dirt cheap compared to a spirit grade stone.
"... How about this. Do you want to exchange a million points for a spatial ring? I'm sure you can't lug such an amount with your arms alone, right? With this spatial ring, you can contain any objects the size of a small pavilion!"
Zhi Wanyi's lit up as she looked at the ring presented in front of her. Not just her, other disciples who had been waiting behind her also exclaimed, surprised at seeing such a treasure.
Most disciples taken by the Green Lotus Sect came from the poor background. The very few who acted like rich young masters were simply sons or daughters of merchant families. No real young masters would join such a desolate sect. At most, only fallen clans or nobles would even entertain such ideas as most of these young ladies and young masters would choose a better sect.
So it wasn't a surprise they would be amazed at the sight of such a treasure. Only Core Disciples and some of their Inner Disciples have spatial rings.
"Hoh! I would like that, please!" The girl clapped her hands, excitement evident in her face as she jumped in joy.
This was the first time Zhi Wanyi saw a spatial ring. She only heard it once or twice when she worked at the cafeteria. She wasn't aware she could exchange points for a Spatial Ring.
"I'd like to exchange my points for two of that please!" She added, much to his surprise and bafflement.
In the end, she got two spatial rings and five thousand spirit stones exchanged with 2,500,000 sect points. The remaining points she had were spared so she could use it on the Green Spring Passage.
As she left, the other disciples gazed at her with envy and amazement. Just like Yu Anlong, most disciples had learned of her. A girl who stumbled upon shiny rocks that could be exchanged for lots of sect points. It became popular between outer disciples from the Western Hall to look around the Lower Peak for anything so they could also exchange it for lots of points instead of working tirelessly for a meager fifty points all day.
As for those who attempted to scam the girl. No one dared. They heard what happened to Ling Shun, and knew the Tower Guard of the Lower Peak Library has been protecting the young female cultivator. The girl hasn't even offended them, and most of them were at the early to middle stages of Qi Condensation. So even if they tried to fight her, they knew it would be hard as the girl had the same cultivation base as them.
A few even feared her as they thought there was some sort of giant figure backing her. They don't want to offend her as much as possible, so they could only watch her with envy and some with adoration.
Elder Anlong shook his head before he barked at them to move the line. They don't have all day to freeze the line just because of one mysterious and amazing disciple. After that, Zhi Wanyi took a small detour on the Foot Entrance to the Cafeteria and ate something before she left the large wooden doors of the sect. In front of the entrance was a long flight of stairs that directly led to the foot of the Lower Peak Mountain.
Mortals would balked at the sheer length of the stairs. Thousands of steps above was needed before they could reach the gates of the Green Lotus Sect. Zhi Wanyi recalled how amazed she was when she first got here. The Elder and Inner Sect Disciples who recruited them from their village used a leaf artifact that expanded greatly, which took them straight to the entrance of the sect.
This would be the first time she would personally walk the steps of the stairs. She took her first step, and another, before she walked down with fleeting steps. It looked as if she was gliding down the flight of stairs as she looked around.
Just besides the large mountain where the entrance of the sect was located was another larger mountain than it. Her progress slowed as she gazed up, eyes bright in intrigued as she saw half of the neighboring mountain obscured by the clouds above.
Such thing was common for sects. Mountain peaks, mostly those that pierced the skies were the best spots for cultivation. Most elements gathered above, and they were higher in quality compared to those from below which cultivators needed to process within their meridians first before they even have to let it stream peacefully within their roots. An unprocessed qi would simply dispersed from their pores or in unfortunate cases, clog their spiritual nerves in ways that would prolong their progress in their cultivation. It might even result in a blockage that would obstruct them from ever ascending for a long time.
Disciples of this sect wanted to be part of the Higher Peak Mountains as most precious resources and techniques were stored above there. Only the sect leader and important elders stayed there, and just below this large mountain were Core Disciples that have their own cave abodes.
This girl was different. She simply admired the mystical sight of a mountain that pierced the skies as she slowly walked down the stairs of this sect. She wondered if she could own such a mountain if she rose to the top.
"I'll have to do my best to get to that point."
Encouraged by that vision, another kindle had been added to fuel the flames of desire for her dream. The promise she made from her parents and the image of herself standing atop a mountain like a goddess pushes her to work harder for her cultivation.
With that, her unhurried steps turned fast once more. Her feet looked as if she was sliding on ice instead of stepping on stone flight stairs. It was a technique she learned from her fusing, and she used it to glide down the long stairs until she reached the foot of the mountain.
From there, she walked forward and then immediately stopped when she noticed something just in front of her. She poked it and the air itself rippled like water. Her knowledge bank made her realized what it was.
"A barrier array..."
It was a barrier array, and if her wide array knowledge could be believed, it was a region-wide barrier array that covered the entirety of the mountain ranges which this sect owned. She wasn't sure what the exact effect was due to having seen one single part of the entire array, but she knew it wouldn't hurt her. There was a certain imprint there that let those who possessed certain items to come and go as they pleased.
She moved past the invisible curtain of the barrier and felt as if she stepped over a wall of still water. Her wooden plaque shone for a bit before it became inert once more. She nodded at that, before she resumed in her journey.
Beyond the stairs was a long path. Stone steps stops halfway through the path and became flattened dirt from beyond. Around the path were large straight trees with branches filled with bushy leaves. Darkness filled the clump of trees on the surroundings, and the morning light only lit this long pathway.
Lusheng Forest. The forest where these mountain ranges was located. It was a vast forest filled with mystery and danger. It was said high-ranked demonic beasts lurked at the heart of the forest, and no one dared to venture that deep.
As for the pathway in front of her, it led to the nearest city from this sect. From this sect to that city, it would take a whole single day if they travelled from a horse carriage.
As a cultivator though, their speed was so fast that mortal horses couldn't contend against early stage Qi Condensation disciples. As someone from the peak of 5th Stage Qi Condensation who had many movement techniques from her repertoire, Zhi Wanyi vanished from her spot as she zoomed forward.
She was like a soaring blade as she moved in a straight line. Her movement left a sharp sound that cut air itself as she used a movement technique to move at speeds that equals sound, and her sharp aura cut through wind which made her sprint undisturbed.
What would take an entire day only took her three hours before she saw the red painted walls that signified civilization.
Beyond the path where she is going to take, bandits surrounded a carriage filled with farm produce. They licked their lips as they got closer to the carriage with their swords drawn and glinting dangerously. The mortal guards were wounded as they huddled closer to each other, protecting their harvest with swords and axes on their hands.
These were simply farmers who came from a small remote village within the safer parts of Lusheng Forest so they could sold their produce here. These group of scums were a bandit group that used this spot as their ambush spot. Taking advantage of poor mortals so they could gather money, women, and food. Their leader was a rogue cultivator who had reached the 2nd Stage Qi Condensation.
In a mortal's perspective, cultivators were like gods. They could destroy mountains, split the oceans, and push the skies down. With a cultivator leading them, they could only resist in futility.
"Hehehe, surrender and I will spare your lives!" This person who had the most typical look for a vagrant was their leader. He licked the blunt side of his sabre as he laughed maniacally in front of them.
The others were cowed by such a crazy display. He was releasing his aura that affected their mortal minds easily. There was a pressure on their shoulders that made their body turned into lead. It was hard to even breathe for them.
The villagers felt all hope was lost when they heard a sharp sound passed through them.
"What?"
"Gwaaah!?"
"What's happening!?"
In a single instant, the situation got reversed as every bandits suddenly lost their clothing. Million lines formed on their drabs before their clothes got disintegrated into nothingness. Even the leader froze as he saw both his sword, his clothes, and even his hair ceased to exist. Only dust remained which got dragged by the strong breeze that followed along after a few seconds.
"W-what.... what happened?"
One of the bandits asked, dumbfounded and still trying to process what just happened. They turned to their leader only for their concern to turn into worry as they saw him sweat a lot in his naked body.
".... Run..."
"... What?"
"I SAID RUN!"
After that shout, the leader bolted out of the sight. Jumping into the covers of the bushes and then vanishing from their sight. The other bandits stared at that sudden event, before they scrambled amongst themselves. Leaving the farmers unharmed.
The group of villagers doesn't know what just happened, but they were grateful by the Heavens for the timely support.
All of that, and Zhi Wanyi, the one who passed them by, have one comment in her mind as she dashed towards the city.
'I didn't think rats can stand with their legs? Thankfully I got past them!'
She shuddered at the thought of being touched by human-sized rats. She was really glad she used the Phantasmal Dream Blade so she could move safely even with her mad dash.
I decided not to write whatever she learned from her long time in the library because there is a lot. Like really a lot. I can't think of a lot of chuuni sounding techniques, so I'll just leave it all to your imagination and what she will combine it with in the next chapter.
I hope you have fun with this 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!~
Above the clouds lies a temple-like structure. It was built on top of a flat ground full of spiritual grasses and surrounded by hollowed parts of the mountain, making it look like an inactive mouth of a volcano. A pond lays besides the temple, and a small wooden boat floated on top of this pond.
A person sat in a lotus position in that boat, a fishing rod held comfortably in his hands as it's net was deep within the gentle pond. Outside, the pond looked pristine and unpopulated. Beyond the surface of the water were countless school of fishes that swam around with their colorful fins. A silver hook that shone in this pond was rather eye-catching if someone swam in this water.
On the surface, everything was peaceful. The scenery was like a picture taken as even the guy sitting in the boat was unmoving. Then the water rippled as a certain weight settled on the other side of the boat. The unmoving man in a lotus position smirked, his closed eyes opened to show beautiful green eyes.
"What is it?"
Behind him was another man, this time wearing all black, who suddenly appeared sitting with his head lowered.
"Zhi Wanyi has left the sect grounds. Should we pursue?"
The man sighed before he shook his head.
"Tsk tsk... People with divine luck shouldn't be monitored by our eyes. Let her be. Our sect will flourish with her presence alone."
"But Sect Leader... if we follow her, we might know where that child is getting those treasures. We might possibly gain more if we take things by ourselves!"
"Haa... such narrow-minded views. It's why you have been put as the shadow." His calm eyes sharpened as the atmosphere itself suddenly turned heavy.
The guy in all black gulped, and his posture was tensed as he awaited the next words of the guy fishing. The thick pressure that held the whole space quickly vanished as if it was an illusion, while the guy shook his head.
"Ouyang Yiluo, you have been living for a long time so you should know. Heaven's design cannot be controlled by mortal hands. Don't think that the peak of Golden Core amounts to something from the Heavenly Dao. Such hubris would cause the downfall of our sect!"
The black robed guy, now identified as Ouyang Yiluo, lowered his head greatly. His eyes, the only one exposed from his robes, was crestfallen.
The serious atmosphere quickly dissipated as the fishing guy chuckled. Then he stopped, his fishing rod set aside as he fully turned around and regarded the guy.
"I know how loyal you are for our sect. You monitor everything, and guard our sect for dangers beyond our capabilities. Still, we are the weakest sect within the Cerulean Sky Region. If we try to offend the Heavens, our four hundred years of legacy will be destroyed. I cannot afford that. I promised under the Heavens that I, Hua Qingque, will maintain and lead this sect until death."
"I am wrong. Please punish this foolish one!"
The white haired sect leader simply shook his head, before he gazed at him with calm eyes.
"It's fine so long as you know." He turned around and looked below the still waters of the pond. "These immortal treasures will help the future generation of this sect. Zhi Wanyi will be the one who will help us with her heaven-defying luck."
The ring in his finger shone for a bit before a white crystal materialized on his palm. He took hold of it and looked at it, mesmerized at the Immortal Qi it exuded. Then he held it above the pond with a smile.
"That is right, it's been a month since I offered it an ancient crystal. Hopefully, the Ethereal Grand Nature Array had expanded enough to accept another."
As he said that, he let the crystal fall from his hand. It fell on the pond without any fanfare. The white crystal shone lightly as it drifted in the depths of the pond. The fishes within crowded around the crystal, though they haven't gotten close and simply encircled it as it fell to the floor of the pond.
When it fell on top of many other crystals, the fishes left. Leaving the white immortal crystal among many spiritual stones piled up in this water floor. If someone could peer beyond the mountain of spiritual stones buried deep within this pond, they would see a green sapling that shone with a gentle green glow. Beneath this small sapling, deep within the rock where it was planted were gigantic roots that connected straight to the ground.
If others peered a lot closer and could sense beyond what the mortal could sense, they would find the ghostly image of a tree with branches and roots that covered the entirety of the mountain ranges that the sect owned. Each roots were wrapped tightly around the mountains, and few ghostly leaves were slowly forming around them.
Once more, the air seemed a lot more purer. Each time he took a breathe, rich refreshing Qi gathered on the sect leader's nose. The Qi barely needed procession within his core as it felt so divine and untainted by other elements.
He returned to his fishing, a serene smile on his face while his eyes were deep within his imagination, envisioning a grand future where their sect rose once more from its former glory. The Red Lantern City is large. It's a lot larger than hundreds of my hometown.
This is my first time inside a city, and I can say it's very exciting. There were lots of people and stands that sells food. There were stalls that catered to both mortals and cultivators alike.
I easily managed to enter after the guard saw me. They quickly recognized that I'm part of a sect, likely because of the robes that I wore. Even if it looked somewhat plain, it is still the standard robe worn by outer disciples of the Green Lotus Sect.
After my little tour of the city, I looked for a place to stay. I have a week before I have to go back to the sect. I'd like to use all of those time and enjoy my time in the city. This is my first time in a city after all.
I asked the others about it, and they said there were some high class inns that would serve an esteemed cultivator like me. I just nodded at their words and ignored their exaggerated politeness they directed at me. I'm just an outer disciple so there was no need to call me with such lofty titles.
I walked on the busy streets of this city, passing through the crowd until I arrived in one of the larger establishments I saw. Written on the red plaque hanged on top of the traditional covers above the entrance had "Luoxin Pavilion" written on it. I slid the paper screen door and entered the establishment.
Within was a wide room with a line of beautiful women wearing festival-like long gowns. All of which gazed at me and calmly greeted me.
""Welcome to Luoxin Pavilion, Esteemed Cultivator!""
That was surprising. Is this how they treat cultivators here?
One of the women approached me with her head slightly lower and her eyes on the floor.
"Greetings, this one is Ru Mei. May I know how may I call our esteemed guest?"
That's too formal! I can't handle this kind of atmosphere!
"Uh... there is no need for such formalities. I'm just an outer sect disciple."
"My, how wonderful. Being a disciple of a sect is surely a great honor, isn't it?"
"... Yes. You're right."
She wasn't wrong. My parents said that being a cultivator was a blessing for mortals. That meant we could achieve greater things in the whole world. We could become god among men.
"Anyway, I'm Zhi Wanyi. I don't mind how you refer to me, but please don't be so formal. I am not used to it..."
"Understood. Will it be fine to refer you as Lady Zhi?"
"Suit yourself." I just shrugged, already feeling tired at talking to them.
"Great. So, what can we do for you, Lady Zhi?"
"I'd like a place to stay. Is there anything else you can do other than that?"
Ru Mei smiled before she told me their other services. Other than a room to stay, they also serve food, give massage, give tour guides, run errands from their guests, and even drive guest to any part of the city. All of which costs spirit stones.
Thankfully they only charge one spirit stone for each services. Even staying a room for a single day cost a single spirit stone. This was obvious though as low grade spirit stone was equivalent to a hundred gold coins, or so I have heard.
"Hmm... how much service I can get with this?"
I took a top grade spirit stone from my spatial ring and showed it to them. I heard some gasped, and others have eyes as wide as saucers as few covered their mouth with their sleeves. I noticed Ru Mei gazing intently at the spiritual stone before she lowered her head once more.
"If you are willing to give that much, then Luoxin Pavilion will be at your disposal for a whole year."
Oh, she could decide it like that?
"Is that so? Won't the owner complain?"
"You don't have to worry about that." Ru Mei straightened her posture as she gestured to herself. "I'm the owner of the Luoxin Pavilion."
... That was surprising. I have been given the largest room they had. It had a large bed, and many furnitures where I could store my stuff. There's also a small stage to the side where I could call a servant to play music to me.
Not like I would. I simply spent one of my top grade spiritual stones because I can. Throughout my three hour long sprint to this city, I spent my time messing around with the mysterious System. I realized I could fuse my stuff even if they were inside my spatial ring.
So I turned all of my low grade stones into top grade ones. I don't have a reason to turn them into immortal crystals. It looks like no one knows what it was so it might have no value in this city if I showed it.
After I got my room, I left the pavilion as I have other plans for this day. I didn't rush here just to sleep once more. I've already taken a long nap in my room on the sect.
I refused their offer to escort me with their personal carriage. I don't really plan to use their services right now. I wanted to experience the city with my own eyes and feet, so I walked on my own and roamed around this busy city.
I found many restaurants, large mansions, and many stalls around the street. After touring around the city, I stopped at a stall that sold weapons. I just randomly picked one. This street is crowded with cultivators. I could feel many qi signatures moving around, so I knew they were cultivators.
Well, there were many cultivators around here. Even at the pavilion, I sensed muted qi signatures from Ru Mei and some of the ladies working there. The guy who manned this weapon stand also had flickering qi signature within him. They were likely holding back their aura.
It's something I learned from some of the techniques I have. Controlling the qi we cultivators naturally released. I have no reason to hide my cultivation. I'm just a Qi Condensation weakling. There's no way they would pay attention to someone like me.
Maybe when I got stronger, I'll have the adoration of many people. For now, I have to be satisfied with this.
"What can I do for you little lady? Are you looking for weapons?"
"Right. I'd like to purchase some."
"Oho, if you are looking for weapons suitable for cultivators, you've gone to the wrong stall. I only sell mortal weapons!"
"That's fine. I'd like to buy some."
"Oh, is it for training?"
"... Something like that."
The man with bulky arms manning the store shrugged before he stepped to the side. Behind him were more weapons displayed on wooden racks.
"Just choose what you want. All of them costs 20 silver coins."
"Uh... I only carry spirit stones."
"That's fine. I think you said it's a bulk order right?"
"Yes." I showed him one of my top grade spirit stones "How much could I get from this?"
I glanced at him and saw his body had turned into stone. His eyes gazed intently at my spirit stone, just like the time I showed it to Ru Mei.
"... A-are you sure? T-these are only mortal weapons, you know!?"
"That's right. I'd like to buy them with this."
After I said that, as if a man possessed he moved with surprising speed. Wrapping spears, swords, axes, and many other weapons displayed on his stall before putting each sacks in front of me.
"I'm sold! Thank you so much Esteemed Lady!"
Before I could utter a word, he had quickly covered his stall with a tarpaulin and left the scene with hurried steps. I think I heard him laugh when he got to a reasonably far distance, saying something about being rich and not having to work anymore.
I'm pretty clueless about handling money. This was the first time I have done so as I'm used to exchanging stuff with sect points. When I was still at the village, my parents were the ones who took care of our finances, so I have no knowledge about it.
As he left the place, I felt a lot of gazes suddenly pointing at me. Most came from the stall owners around me, while some from the crowd who stopped and stared at me. Some of their gazes felt like smoldering rays that might burn me.
"Miss, if you are looking for quality gear, just buy my stuff! I'll give you a discount!"
"We have the greatest artifacts all over the Dragon Continent! Please take a look at my wares, young lady!"
"Shut up! Don't listen to them! Their products are trash compared to the ones at the capital!"
"Did I offend you? Don't throw slander on my business, you two bit hack!"
"What did you say!?"
And then all hell broke loose as many tried to call out to me, and most fought against each other. I wondered why they were suddenly fighting. I could feel some unpleasant gazes from certain directions around me, though I couldn't accurately tell where it originated.
... Wait, maybe it's like that?
Father said something about peddlers having it hard. He said they were rabid when it came to customers, willingly trying to squeeze out as much as they can so they could profit from another. I think I understand somewhat. They might have a lot of children or were supporting their parents, so they needed a lot of money!
There is one thing I have to do then. As someone who will become the strongest in the future, I have to show my compassion to them.
Truly, my mercy is equal to my high intellect. As expected of me!
"Sure, I'd buy your products."
I showed more top grade spirit stones at them, and everyone stared at me before they quickly gathered around me with drools on their mouth. I didn't shy away and bought every product they showed at me.
It wasn't like they were expensive. They were willing to sell all of their products with a single top grade spiritual stones. I have plenty to spare at them.
It's not like something bad will happen by doing this right? I'm just helping up some mortals on their business! A commotion had occured in the city. In one of the square catered for cultivators, a rich lady was throwing top grade spirit stones left and right. Stalls were emptied by her sheer wealth and even big business and other prominent merchants were notified of her existence.
Someone carrying top grade spirit stones wasn't normal. They might have a great backing if they were daring enough to show that much wealth. Every organization within the city became interested at this girl.
Of course, most assumed she had great backing. They wouldn't dare touch her in fear of backlash from their organizations. Though there were some who were foolishly brave, incredibly greedy, or simply stupid to think that far. Their eyes were blinded by greed as they settled their eyes to Zhi Wanyi.
"Hehehe... I'll be rich after I rob her!" One guy in black robes said as he gazed at the lone girl intently.
Others were a group, already planning a raid on the pavilion where she stayed. Then there were those who couldn't wait and planned to ambush the girl before she could even return to the pavilion.
All of this and Zhi Wanyi wasn't aware of this. She walked back to the inn without a care in the world, her steps were like bunny hops as she hummed a happy tune. Feeling incredibly satisfied of herself.
I felt like it's getting longer so I decided to finish it here. Hopefully you find this chapter fun too!~
Thank you for reading everyone, and hope to see you again in the next chapter!~
Feel free to comment and like xD
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I have to apologize everyone, but I have to go in a hiatus for this story. My ideas around this story is turning chaotic that I can't put any words on the next chapter. I'm in a constant write & delete process as I don't feel satisfied with whatever paragraph I started with.
I think I'll take a rest on this story... hopefully I get back to this -_-
