Two days of hard work culminated in this moment's reward.
Zhao Zuo summoned the transparent panel and tapped "Upgrade," looking as cool as a multi-millionaire swiping his card to pay a bill.
A gray light spread out, enveloping the Willow Leaf Dart and absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power. The nicks on both sides of the blade rapidly mended, and the broken Spiritual Power patterns within reconnected and healed.
It was like a baptism, a rebirth from a state of ruin.
The miraculous transparent panel seemed to possess the ability to reverse time, repairing the damage out of thin air.
When the gray light dissipated, the Willow Leaf Dart was in pristine condition.
Zhao Zuo tapped it again.
[Upgrade Description: Repairs original damage. Slightly increases flight speed.]
After a few seconds, the original text faded away, and new text appeared in its place.
[Level: Lower Grade Magical Artifact +1 · Willow Leaf Dart]
[Experience: 5/400]
[Status: Not Upgradeable]
[Creation Points: 0]
Zhao Zuo attached the upgraded Willow Leaf Dart to a hidden clasp on his belt.
The clasp was positioned near his Dantian. When a fight broke out, he could channel Mana directly into the Magical Artifact through his clothes, allowing for a faster draw and a crucial first-strike advantage.
The advantage of a single instant could be the difference between life and death.
With the Willow Leaf Dart upgraded, Zhao Zuo was suddenly overcome with a sense of anticlimax. It was like finally getting something he had long anticipated, only to feel no joy upon receiving it—just a profound emptiness.
He couldn't help but recall the past eight days of round-the-clock effort, resting for less than four hours each day. He could never have imagined such a life in his previous world, yet in the Cultivation Realm, it was the norm.
He now gladly endured this repetitive, numbing existence. Under the constant threat of death, Zhao Zuo had surpassed his limits and unlocked new potential, finally becoming the very person he never wanted to be.
'So long, my life of slacking off. From today on, the grind begins!'
Zhao Zuo immediately flopped stiffly onto his bed and shifted into a comfortable position.
'I've been grinding for eight days straight. What's wrong with taking a little break!'
He then closed his eyes, intending to take an afternoon nap.
But he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. An image of a bloodless face and a pair of disbelieving eyes surfaced in his mind. 'No matter how glorious you were in your prime... you still couldn't escape death, fated to become a pile of dry bones.'
'Weakness is the original sin. If you don't get stronger, you'll be eliminated.' In his past life, "elimination" meant losing a job at worst. Here, it meant death. At that thought, the laziness that had just begun to surface in Zhao Zuo evaporated completely.
'Sleep, my ass! Get up and grind!'
Zhao Zuo shot up and began to execute his second eight-day development plan.
He divided his time outside of rest between practicing Qi Cultivation to advance his Cultivation and grinding experience for his Sky-Breaking Saber. This way, he wouldn't slow his progress while also strengthening his means of self-defense.
As for the job opportunity left by his body's previous owner, he would have to wait until next month to pursue it. After getting used to earning two Spirit Stones a day, Zhao Zuo now looked down on the original owner's old job, which paid a measly six Spirit Stones a month.
Still, he couldn't just give up on it. The job was linked to an opportunity to rejoin the Moyun Sect.
Only then could he replace his basic Qi Cultivation Spell with a Cultivation Technique that led directly to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The principle "techniques are not to be taught lightly" was on full display in the Cultivation Realm. The only way to obtain a Cultivation Technique that led to Foundation Establishment was to join a power. Loose Cultivators had no other path forward.
The cultivation levels in this world were Qi Cultivation, Nourishing Body, and Foundation Establishment, which comprised the Tao Foundation Three Realms.
Beyond those were the Life Artifact and Golden Core Realms. They were two branches at the same level. Zhao Zuo had some understanding of the Golden Core Realm, but he was completely ignorant about the Life Artifact Realm.
「Midnight.」
Zhao Zuo exhaled a long, turbid breath, concluding eight hours of meditative Cultivation. A satisfied smile touched his lips as he felt the Mana within his Dantian grow a little fuller.
For the rest of his time, he planned to grind some upgrade experience for the Sky-Breaking Saber.
Once his Mana was depleted, he would sleep on the firewood pile in the storage room. His Mana would automatically be full again by morning.
CRACK.
CLATTER.
It was the sound of a roof tile hitting the ground and shattering into pieces, the noise spreading through the silence.
Zhao Zuo's relaxed nerves instantly tightened. He first infused his Sky-Breaking Saber with Mana, then held his breath and silenced his presence.
He strained his ears to listen. Tensing his legs, he tiptoed away from the front door and hugged the wall near the back door.
From this position, he could either launch a surprise attack or retreat through the backyard to escape.
A few seconds later, cold sweat trickled down his cheeks and was quickly absorbed by the dust on the floor. With his mind stretched taut, time itself seemed to slow to a crawl, each second an eternity.
Faint footsteps sounded from the alley outside. They were deliberately muffled. Had Zhao Zuo not been holding his breath to listen, he might have missed them entirely.
'There's someone outside!' Zhao Zuo's vigilance sharpened.
Normally, no one would pay a visit in the dead of night. There was only one explanation: Tribulation Cultivators.
From the sound, Zhao Zuo deduced there were two people. That, of course, was the extent of his intelligence.
Time trickled by, and the footsteps faded into the distance. Just as Zhao Zuo began to think he was safe, the battle erupted!
BOOM!!
The clash of Talismans created a massive explosion, a sudden peal of thunder that shattered the night sky.
Zhao Zuo knew that a battle meant the Tribulation Cultivators' ambush had failed. They had picked the wrong target.
Sure enough, a woman's sharp cry rang out from the distance a few seconds later.
"You two losers think you can kill me!?"
An enchanting figure immediately came to Zhao Zuo's mind.
Shen Yunjiao lived at the end of Qingni Lane, near the Yunlan Mountain Range. She was considered a top-tier figure in the lane, with her strength at the Peak of Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer. It was rumored she might break through to the Late Period of Qi Cultivation in the next few years, and she was hailed as the resident most likely to reach Foundation Establishment.
She was around thirty years old. Her high Cultivation wasn't due to a powerful Spiritual Root, but her willingness to risk everything. Even in the Early Stage of Qi Cultivation, she had dared to venture into the Yunlan Mountain Range to hunt Demon Beasts. She would kill one every two months to fund her Cultivation needs.
She was also famous for her graceful figure and alluring curves. Combined with her lively, outgoing personality, she was like a burning red rose—possessing a deadly charm, yet covered in sharp thorns.
She was a tough nut to crack. Years of life-and-death battles had given Shen Yunjiao superb combat skills, allowing her to unleash the full potential of her Cultivation. Of course, this also meant that if the Tribulation Cultivators succeeded, they would hit a massive jackpot.
"Stop bluffing! You're heavily injured!"
The sounds of clashing Talismans and Magical Artifacts followed. A few of the braver neighbors pushed their doors open a crack to watch the fight silently... perhaps hoping to fish in troubled waters.
Zhao Zuo, of course, didn't dare get involved in the commotion. He remained pressed against the wall, on high alert.
About a minute later, a loud BANG and two blood-curdling screams echoed out. Then, Qingni Lane fell silent once more.
"The Tribulation Cultivators are dead! Everyone can sleep soundly tonight! Fellow cultivators, does anyone have Golden Wound Medicine or a Healing Elixir? I'm willing to pay a high price!"
A few seconds later, Shen Yunjiao's voice rang out. She was clearly the victor.
'As expected of a Cultivator who thrives on battle. Truly remarkable.'
She could kill two opponents even while heavily injured.
...
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