Antechamber (I)
A new dawn came, and with it a new visitor--Spirit Sage's servant here to whisk away the pair of my disciples for one of their awards: Antechamber.
Back when I proposed the bet to Elder Qin and asked for the Antechamber specifically to be one of the rewards, I didn't really know anything about it. I mean, I still don't, but I didn't back then, either.
All I know is that it's some sort of a hallowed place of cultivation that's occasionally been offered as a reward in the sect for monumental deeds. How I got the Elder to promise he'd arrange for both of them to attend... I will never know.
"Okay, let's go," I said as I joined them; maybe it was a bit of paranoia in me, but I didn't want to leave them alone with Spirit Sage. Not that I'd be able to do anything if that demonic bastard decided to kill them or take them in, but for the peace of my mind, I want to escort these rattling buses while they're getting polished. "Hua, make lunch and dinner for Light. I'll also swing by the Resources Department today and order us a new batch of materials to build her house, so finalize the measurements."
The boy nodded, and I wondered silently if he ever got tired of pretending to be a mute weakling while he was a half-god...
Anyway, the descent was speedy; the servant that came to fetch them didn't speak, and Long Tao certainly didn't speak, leaving only Dai Xiu and me to chat on occasion.
"Cherry pie? That's your favorite?" I asked while the girl beamed.
"Yes! I only had it twice, but... I can't forget about it, Master! When I get my first stipend and when I am allowed to leave the Sect, I swore the first thing I would do is buy a cherry pie!" She seemed more determined about this than she did cultivation, if I'm being honest. Well, not fully, but it's also kind of scary how close it got.
One notable thing is that she knew just how many Spirit Stones I had... yet she still said she'd used her own stipend. Maybe I'm worrying too much about her? I mean, it's cherry pie, in the end--how many Spirit Stones could it possibly be? A hundred?
... damn. Money really does change you. Khm.
"I really like cherry pie too," I said. "I actually tried making it once before."
"Eh? Really?! Master knows how to make it?!" she asked, suddenly seeming electrified.
"No, no, I said I tried making it," correcting her, my mind swiveled back to the distant memory of me being a bit... drunk, to be honest, and trying to follow an online video on how to make a cherry pie. All was going well until I put it in the oven, set the alarm to check on it every 10 minutes, and... fell asleep.
Woke up to the raunchy scent of the burnt crust, and oh boy, was it ever raunchy.
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It kind of soured me on making it ever again. Then again, I tried doing a whole lot of things while drunk that I never did sober.
Wow. That sounds kind of... depressing.
"Maybe I should try it again soon?" Her expression truly was like a world wonder. From excited to disappointed and back to jubilant all in the span of a literal 5 seconds. There were some people who wore their hearts on their sleeves, and they'd all feel she was too open with her emotions. "You really that excited to try Master's cherry pie?" I asked with a chuckle.
"Hm!" she nodded. "Master is amazing, so your cherry pie must be the best in the world!"
"..." I paused because I noticed Long Tao's shoulders briefly bounce up and down. At least, thank God, he stifled a laugh; it's one thing when he's his disrespectful self back on the Peak when it's just us, but there's a third party here (Sect Master's servant, no less). It'd do neither of us any good if the word got out that he openly laughs at me and I just brush it off.
So, thank you, old monster, for the bare minimum of respect.
They sort of stood on the opposite ends of things, did they not? There was Long Tao, who looked at me like I'm some sort of a fancy prop, and there was Dai Xiu... who seemed wholeheartedly convinced I make the best cherry pie in the world based entirely on my offhanded comment that I tried making one back in the day.
"I'll see about it one of these days, then," I said. "If you like the pie so much."
"Yaay!"
Haah.
Was this the power of kids? Was this why people had kids? Ultimately, I think everyone's at least kind of aware that kids are... a lot. You know? Loud, filthy, loud, annoying, loud, chew up 20 years of your life... and yet, despite knowing all that, so, oh, so many people still have them.
Is this it? This warm feeling in my chest because I managed to make her smile so happily?
Oh boy.
No! This is just child propaganda, and I'm not going to fall for it!
Khm.
As I mentioned before, the Sect's prime mountain peak was all the way back in the rear; it was actually a marriage of two different mountain peaks stacked on top of each other, in a way. Whether it was natural or artificial, however, Lu Qi never learned, or bothered learning, at least.
Nonetheless, there was the far-back Ancestral Peak where the tombs of all past Sect Masters and important figures were located, alongside the retired so-called 'Prime Elders', the last bastion of defense of the sect. They were all old, haggard figures barely holding on through some secret means; as for how many of them there were or even how strong they were, again, Lu Qi wasn't exactly in the position to know.
In front of the Ancestral Peak was the simply named Master Peak, where, as the name implies, the Sect Master resided alongside his servants and disciples.
Unlike my haggard, desolate mountain in want of everything, this one was... lush. Oh my God, was it lush.
Just standing at the bottom, in front of the gated entrance (an arch woven out of tree branches, like nature itself made it), felt like I was breathing in some soul coolants, if that makes any sense.
Qi was far richer, and the greenery... oh, Mother Nature.
Trees sprung up everywhere, tall and thick-trunked, with wide canopies offering frequent shade. There was a strange mix of green and pink leaves, and there wasn't even a pattern to where they appeared--they just mixed and mingled, as though most natural.
Even blades of grass stranded by the roadside were tall, lush, and riveting, their glint sharp and focused. Furthermore, unlike my dirt-paved road to the Peak, this one had freakin' stairs--marble-made, hand-carved stairs!
On the way up, we saw many a statue lining the side of the road, most depicting either previous Sect Masters or the sect's most important historical figures, and some even depicting those mythological beasts like dragons and phoenixes.
One thing, if you could pinpoint anything, that was similar to my mountain was that we barely encountered anyone on our way up--two kids, in fact, one of whom was a servant and the other who was a disciple. The servant exchanged greetings with the servant escorting us, the disciple pretended we were ghosts and she couldn't see us, even after Dai Xiu bowed and greeted, and I... I mostly just seethed in envy, if I'm being honest.
I was rich? Pshaw.
No. This, yeah, this was being freakin' rich.
Antechamber (II)
So, remember how I was envious about the climb? And the richness of the mountain slope?
Yeah. I am apparently quite preemptive about things, as I should have saved all my seething, all my jealousy, and all my bitterness for this very moment.
Because, by God, I can't put into words just how beautiful this place is.
Six distinct pavilions, decked out with ornate decorations, crowding around a central plaza with a beautiful, statuesque fountain spewing Spirit Water directly from the source; the unrelenting scent of herbs and flowers nestled behind the pavilions in individual gardens; the perfectly paved ground that was pleasant to walk on; the critters--oh God, so many birds, rabbits, even deer just existing everywhere you looked...
And then the crown jewel, the Hall of Masters as it was called--a six-story pagoda hovering just a few feet from the ground, gently wobbling up and down like a hum in meditation.
At its feet was a mist-veiled courtyard, a gentle haze stirring the world around it. Upward it went, its flying eaves and sweeping roofs layered in perfect symmetry. Each upward tier was further recessed, like an immortal ascending, straining skyward as though drawn to the world beyond the skies.
The ridges of the roofs were further decorated with stylized ornamentation of various beasts and animals--fish, tigers, tortoises...
At the second-to-last tier were a pair of twin balconied watch platforms jutting out, held up by convoluted bracket complexes. Lantern braziers hung loosely, unlit in midday, untethered to anything--they looked like immortal spirits detached from the pagoda itself, standing watchful over its structure.
A mountain further stretched behind it, curving out crescent-like as though hugging it and hiding yet another peak behind it.
Yeah.
Awe, desire, greed, envy, jealousy... it was like a firework of emotions exploding from within me. Compared to this, I lived in a literal pigsty.
Then again, compared to this, most Elders likely did.
There was a bit more 'person presence' at the peak, though not by much.
"This way," the servant escorted us.
Dai Xiu was far worse off than me; there were stars in her eyes, and she looked dazed by the mere sight of everything. Long Tao, on the other hand, literally looked like he couldn't care less.
In fact, I had a sense he was holding back a lazy yawn, his eyes mostly focused on the passing disciples as though he were checking out his competition--no, not competition, but rather prey.
Makes sense.
That old monster has probably seen palaces beyond this ken, so far beyond, in fact, that this place would take the role of the pigsty.
Though I did say that most of the magic of this world lay in its nature, and though I still believe that wholeheartedly, there was now at least one structure to briefly make me doubt it.
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The architecture itself wasn't particularly magical, mind you--it was very much your standard-fare Eastern-style pagoda, not unlike many to be found back on Earth. But the few fantastical elements and the juxtaposition with the world around it made it seem larger than life.
Unfortunately, that wasn't where we were headed.
Instead, the servant took us to the right and into one of the two-story pavilions. It was charming in its own way but more resembled stables next to the castle in front of it.
The interior was quite... ordinary. Halls tearing out into simple chambers, wallpapers separating them. We were led further and further in, and then even downstairs two levels, until the temperature dropped considerably.
Torches lit up the view, the descent slow and steep, until we broke out into a rather robustly built tunnel lined with supporting wooden beams holding up its nearly seven-foot-tall ceiling.
It was just about ten seconds of casual pace later that the tunnel opened up into a vast chamber--round, tall, and domed. Instead of torches, what illuminated it were rocks embedded in the walls, almost seeming like LED lights strategically hidden in the building's facade.
What drew the eyes, however, was a churn of Qi centralized to the entire chamber. A small moat of water grafted an isolated island of sorts, and atop that island was a... well, it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what it was.
It wasn't a... structure, I don't think. Stretched swirls of manifested Qi rounded it like howling winds, forging a haze that forbade the peek of the eye. There were vine-like tendrils protruding from the ground, dancing around it like men at worship, dyed in perfect azure.
And it forged a chill in the air that actually forced me to use Qi to dispel it.
Unlike me, however, who had this instinctual fear toward the place as though it would swallow me if I entered, the pair of my disciples seemed almost bewitched. Even Long Tao took a moment to collect himself, a frown quickly emerging as though he couldn't believe it.
"You're here," the voice of Elder Qin brought us all back to reality. The man emerged from the shadows, appearing like a ghost with a smile.
"Elder Qin," I greeted.
"Elder Lu. You looked particularly flushed," tsk. This old guy really had a way with the tongue (plus, that self-assured smirk was kind of annoying...).
"Encumbered indeed, Elder Qin," I fired back, though I only got laughter in return.
"Ho ho, witty, witty," the old man replied, stroking his chin. I never really understood that, but if I'm to fit into this world... it seems like I'm going to have to learn how to stroke my chin to make it seem as if in deep thought. "Sect Master is unfortunately otherwise occupied, so he asked me to be here. How is the girl doing?"
"I don't know about the 'girl' part," I shrugged.
"Hm," Elder Qin nodded. "That girl always gave me the creeps."
"..."
"What kind of a child never cries or laughs? Ghost kind, I say. He was asking me to handle her before you showed up."
"..."
I hate this guy.
No, really; this guy's personality is all over the place.
"Ho ho, don't look so mad; you are vastly more qualified to take care of children than me."
"... why? Is your hobby murdering kids? Because that's the only way I am even remotely more qualified."
"That there yonder is Antechamber," he paused for a moment, his eyes shifty, and finally just... moved on. Tsk. "Within it is something... else. Something that stirs and unwinds. Your disciples can enter one by one; however, due to their limited cultivation, they can only spend three seconds in there."
"You promised ten." I reminded.
"In total, yes. For now, however, no," it didn't seem as if he was trying to stiff me, but that it was a genuine point of concern.
"Long Tao, go first," I said; the old monster could probably figure out a way to stay in there forever, so if it's super beneficial and it doesn't suck up any resources...
"... yes, Master," the old thing must have read my mind because he looked at me oddly for a moment before walking over the singular bridge over the moat of water.
"Have you been in, Elder Qin?" I asked.
"Once," he nodded. "When I was sixteen, I believe. I'd just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, and, being the youngest in the sect's history to do it, the Sect Master at the time rewarded me."
"What was it like?"
"... it's different for everyone," his voice turned low and resonant for a moment as he reminisced. "It has this magical way of draining your sins and forcing you to face them. That is why practically nobody over the age of twenty is allowed unless they have a perfect grasp on their heart."
... hmm.
Wait a second.
Sins?
That old monster has likely sinned as much as the entire rest of the sect combined, even those demonic bastards! Oi, you won't die, Long Tao?! Please tell me that you won't die!
Antechamber (III)
Winds whipped against his clothes as soon as he stepped on the insular island. Long Tao craned his neck and looked at the vast majesty of churning Qi, a bit stunned. He'd seen many things in his life before, so he knew perfectly what the thing in front of him his--it was actually kind of funny, in a way.
This was an array... that he set up.
He'd completely even forgotten about it as he set it up after he broke through to the Sovereign Realm. At the time, he was helped by a small demonic pup that he'd met in a forest and set up the array in order to nurture the thing into eventually becoming sentient.
However, after he Ascended, he completely forgot about the place as well as the pup, continuing on with his life.
And now... now he stood beneath his creation, wondering just how indulgent the machinations of fate were for him to end up here. He named the array 'Thousand Wills Array' as it had neither offensive nor defensive function--its sole purpose was to use one's 'fallen' nature and convert it into pure energy.
The idea that he had was to turn the demonic pup's demonic nature into its opposite, thus propelling the little thing into potentially becoming a Divine Beast. No, that was merely the potential of the array--the pup itself could, at most, become a mimicry of one if it got lucky.
It was no wonder that they mentioned time spent inside was calculated in the seconds, as they likely didn't even understand that it was an array and instead considered it a natural wonder. There was also a good chance that they thought it was best used as a whetstone for one's will, as the first thing the array did was pulse out the demonic parts of oneself.
'Demonic', however, was used rather loosely there, as there was no objective measurement; it was merely a mirror of self-reflection. Whatever the person themselves considered to be their demonic acts, those things would be displayed.
This, however, was a byproduct of the array, an accidental thing that he never intended. Again, the entire thing was built specifically for demonic creatures; in their case, the first thing Array did was pull that demonic nature from them and then slowly help them refine it and purify it.
He glanced back at the partly worried face of his master and sighed; this here thing was as useful to him as was a random pebble in the street. And, in fact, it was even less useful to Dai Xiu. She probably wouldn't even feel anything if she stepped in aside from a slightly more pure Qi.
Ultimately, this was just the case of a small corner of the world worshiping something they did not understand. In fact, if they understood the true function of this place, they would have likely destroyed it by now, as anything meant to accelerate demonic things was seen as a taboo deserving of death, as back then, so today.
He stepped inside regardless; winds whipped further, and he found himself trapped in a dark place. Motes of Qi began to surge from his surroundings, aglow in gold and silver, soon turning into misshapen faces thieved directly from his memories.
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His sins.
There were many.
Before long, literal tens of thousands of motes were swarming around him like stars against the night sky, but he didn't really pay them any heed. Because, the very next moment... all but three were gone.
Long Tao believed, within the depths of his heart, that he only ever committed three acts in his life that could be considered 'demonic'. Looking at two faces and a misshapen palace, his expression mellowed out and he sighed; chances were that there was likely nobody alive in any of the realms that remembered any of the three... nobody besides him, that was.
But sins of the heart were as such--transcendental.
His cultivation loosened momentarily as he got a flash of inspiration--he could break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm here.
First, however, he had to rearrange the array a little bit; there was a slight temporal component that could be activated, slowing the time here so that about an hour equated to about a second. He'd already been here for two, and time was running out.
The issue was that activating it would damage the core of the array, and if done one too many times, it would completely destroy it. It was unlikely that it was activated before, however, as he mostly did it as a challenge.
It took him less than half a second to rearrange it, as the bond between the array and its Master was one of soul--he linked with it as soon as he entered, and it recognized him immediately.
Sitting down cross-legged, he calmed himself further and slowly began the arduous process of breaking through. He'd already made all the preparations a long time ago and was confident he'd be able to break through in about an hour, maybe an hour and a half at worst.
The first step to the journey... he was finally taking it.
**
It's been three seconds.
Why isn't he coming out?
Oi, old man, did you forget how to count?! Why do you look so relaxed?
"Ho ho, your disciple is quite marvelous, Elder Lu," instead of panicking and near-shitting his pants like me, Elder Qin seemed more... curious and agitated, but in a good way.
"H-huh?"
"Ordinarily, when somebody becomes incapable of enduring, the veined tendrils turn aglow with red; they are a representation of one's mental state. Your disciple... they merely glittered for a moment with red and returned to normal. He has the heart of a lion."
"..." No, he has the heart of an ancient monster who probably does not give a rat's ass about his 'sins'. Yeah.
Why was I panicking again?
I don't know. I'm becoming more and more of a worrywart, just like my mother was--oh God, no! Nope, no, no--of all the people to turn into, it will not be my freakin' mother!
"It looks like he'll be able to endure all those ten seconds in one go. Say, Elder Lu," the old man spoke, and from the tone of his voice, I immediately recognized where he was going. "Would you be willing--"
"No."
"I didn't finish."
"Nor do you need to."
"But for the sake--"
"I only know this one language, Elder Qin, so I can only offer the same word yet again: No."
"... tsk."
"..." I glanced over at the literal pouting expression of a dude who was centuries old.
... was this sort of like those vampire stories where there were a bunch of centuries-old monsters, but they all behaved the age they looked? Or, in this case, subtract about four decades from the age they look.
"Do you play chess, Elder Lu?"
"... why?" I had a really, really bad feeling about this.
"I've been looking for a chess partner recently."
"No. I've never played chess in my entire life, not even once."
"No worries--it's easy. I'll teach you."
"I don't want to."
"It'll be fun."
"I disagree."
"No, no, you'll see," yeah. There was no way he wasn't coming daily to 'play chess' with me. Fine. You know what? Fine!
As a matter of fact, I did play chess! I even almost got to IM rank when I was just nineteen! Granted, I hadn't touched it in almost fifteen years of my life, but I'll be damned if I don't wipe the floor with this guy every time we play. I'll destroy you, old bag of bones, greedy for something that I'd sooner die than give up!
Antechamber (IV)
Long Tao left after about six seconds, give or take, his tiny frame appearing as I exhaled in relief.
He crossed over the bridge, seeming as apathetic as ever--
Son of a bitch, he broke through!
This guy actually broke through!
I made it a habit to use Creator's Eyes on him at least once a day (as it does not cost a 'charge' when I use it on my disciples), and, yup, right there where it used to say 'Twelfth Stage of Qi Condensation', it now said 'First Stage of Foundation Establishment (Perfect)'.
Just as I read that, the other side of my view got absolutely blasted by a whole heap of notifications, startling me for a moment. However, now's not the time! I still got one kid to send in there, and, at the very least, it was clear that Elder Qin didn't realize Long Tao broke through.
"How was it, kid?" Elder Qin asked Long Tao, who seemed to be in thought for a moment before replying.
"Quite beneficial."
"Ho ho, of course," Elder Qin nodded, mindfully stroking his beard... yet again. "Alright, your sins are your own. Girl, it's your turn."
Dai Xiu nodded and nervously walked past Long Tao, pausing for a moment as though expecting a word of advice; the latter, though, just shrugged, like it had nothing to do with him, disappointing the girl and peeving me.
Come on, man! Give her something!
I eyed him as he approached me and stopped by my side, and he merely smiled before his attention was dragged elsewhere. Where? Only the God knows.
--hmm. Wait. Didn't Elder Qin promise he'd provide all the breakthrough pills necessary when we made the bet? Yeah... but how the hell can I take him up on that offer?! By the time these two should logically be breaking through to the Foundation Realm, who the hell knows what their actual realm will be?!
Won't I get stiffed?! It's one of the major parts of the bet! Maybe I should just let him in on the secret--nah, nope. I don't trust him. I don't trust him at all. Look, he seems like a nice, old, grandfatherly sort of a man, but his personality is so... ugh, normal? And he's nothing like the rumors or even the memories original Lu Qi has of him.
Maybe he's possessed too by some demons? But he can hide them even from the system?
Haah.
"What are you thinking about so deeply, Elder Lu?" he asked, drawing me out.
"... just the future," I replied semi-honestly.
"Hm. You have a lot of work ahead of you."
"Any advice?"
"... when I was young," he said, looking over at me. "I was... well, 'ambitious' is a nice word for it. Any time a hidden realm was found, or we skirmished with the Fire Sun Sect, or even if some strong demonic beast was spotted, I was the first in line to leave this place. I'd died, actually, four times in my life, brought back at the last second. All my early days, I felt... anger, and it pushed me onward to greater and greater risks. It's fine to foster ambition in your disciples," he sighed. "But my Master at the time... she never equaled it from the other end.
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"As you should push it, you should also anchor it. Your disciples are talented, and they are strong, but... they did not do a smart thing, winning so effortlessly." tsk. Tell me about it. "Their actions, whatever spirit was in them, will be construed in one way only: a hunger. Older kids will pay attention to them and probably come to challenge them often under the guise of 'guiding the younger generation'. Really, though, it's pettiness bordering jealousy. Under no circumstances, however, no matter what happens, are you to interfere."
"I wouldn't," or, rather... why the hell would I? If there's something that stumps Long Tao, then there's pretty much nothing I can do about it, can I?
"We all say that," he said, smiling bitterly. "But then you watch a kid you've grown fond of have his limbs broken, and something in you just... snaps. It's a hard distinction to draw, but you always have to remember: you are their Master... not their parent. Your job isn't to protect them from the world, merely give them tools to protect themselves."
There is strange... sincerity in his words, so much so that I can't even muster a quip--not even in my mind, let alone out loud. He is genuinely giving me advice, and one that seems based on something he went through.
"... thank you," I squeezed the words just in time for Dai Xiu to emerge.
Unlike Long Tao, who stayed six seconds, she stayed just three. However, the vines or whatever didn't activate as Elder Qin said they would, nor did she look particularly disturbed or disheveled. She just looked... kind of confused? Maybe a bit disappointed?
She hurried over the bridge and toward me, stopping and bowing, her eyes teary.
"I'm sorry, Master!" she said. "Your Disciple is a failure! I... I couldn't feel anything... because my talents are..." Her voice had cracked, and she was an inch away from weeping.
"You're a body cultivator, Xiu," I quickly said. "This place simply wasn't designed for you." Elder Qin eyed me strangely as I tried to sort of bullshit my way through this.
"R-really?" She asked for reaffirmation, but it was mostly for a show; she'd already recovered, as she trusted every word I said as though it was a law...
"Really," I sighed inwardly but smiled, wondering whether I'd have the energy to play this role for the rest of my life... and the answer is, Hell no! I'm gonna have to figure out a way to get this girl in shape--oh my God, she's just twelve, you moron! Just let her be a kid, Jesus!
"I--I promise I will work twice as hard from now on to never disappoint you!"
"Khm, yes, well, it's alright. Elder Qin, I should take my disciples back."
"Hm, of course."
"... uhm," I fiddled in place for a moment, feeling a bit awkward. "A-about the, uhm, the 40% Spiritual Qi you promised..."
"..." I saw his eyebrows wince and his steps stumble; I knew it! Just my ass! The guy probably hoped I forgot about it! "You are rather shameless, Elder Lu."
"Uh..."
"Did you think I forgot?"
"Very much so, yes--I mean, of course not, Elder Qin. You are upright and just; you must have been busy, and I felt compelled to merely remind you as a man of your status must have many things on his mind and--"
"--yes, yes, please... just stop. I've already diverted it this morning after you left. Haah," the old man sighed helplessly as I felt a churn of guilt manifest in me.
... no, wait. What if he's lying? What if he just said that and will now rush over to actually do it and--
"--Elder Lu, you call me a just man," Elder Qin said, smiling strangely. "So, how should I punish you for questioning and suspecting your Elder superior?"
"... uhm. A stern warning not to do it again?"
"..."
"..."
"Just go away."
"It was a pleasure, Elder Qin." I quickly grabbed my disciples and hurried out; look, it's in my nature to doubt things, you know? And if I'm wrong, I'm wrong--I'm more than happy to accept that. But if I'm right? Heh. Well, there's not much I can do even if I'm right, honestly.
In fact, what the hell was I even thinking? So what if Elder Qin decided to renege on the bet? I'm betting there's not a soul in the sect that wouldn't back him up. Haah, you old fool, just take whatever you are given and otherwise pretend the things undelivered were never promised...
Windfall (I)
Ah, home sweet home!
It still looks like someone sneezed it out of a pus-filled, putrid nostril, but it's the only one I've got. It was well past the evening by the time we returned, as I actually took the pair on a bit of a stroll and even to the sect's restaurant, where we somehow managed to spend 100 low-quality Spirit Stones.
In fairness, half of that was spent packing two meals for Hua and Light. Me? Heh. I don't count the stones I spend on me. Never.
Khm.
Anyway, on our way back, there were quite a lot of stares still, but they were rather... different. Not toward me, no--there was still a lot of loathing, hatred, and such other feelings--but toward my disciples. They weren't invisible any longer, and they will likely never be invisible again.
As soon as we got to the peak, I vaguely said that I was tired and would like to rest for a little bit before I sprinted toward my room like there was a ghost chasing me.
Why?
Well.
This abomination of the window was constantly hovering at my periphery. I needed to read through it immediately, or I'd go mad.
I closed the door to my bedroom, sat on the bed, took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a moment, and opened them to focus on the window itself. Alright. Let's see what my Bus 1 has given me.
[--congratulations, Host. One of your Disciples has achieved a major breakthrough]
[Long Tao has broken through to the First Stage of Foundation Establishment]
[... anomalous breakthrough noted]
[...]
[As the Disciple hasn't achieved the breakthrough using a Host-Created method, rewards will be lowered]
[Time Taken to reach the Foundation Establishment: 176 days]
[Speed: Slow (World Correction--> Impossible)]
[Foundation: Immortal Perfection]
[Immortal Perfection: your Disciple, Long Tao, ensconced the Seed of Dao within a Spirit Palace arrayed with 13 layers of walls, achieving Immortal Perfection]
[--Long Tao's talent has been updated: Jade(+) -> ???(+)]
[Due to the nature of the Sword Embryo talent, the Spirit Palace has been molded into an Immortal Sword]
[Long Tao can only learn Sword-based arts from hereon]
[...]
[Rewards]
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
[Reward 1: 500 Creation Points -> Deducted to 200 because the host's method was not used]
[Reward 2: You may spend up to 1,000 Creation Points (--> deducted to 500 because the host's method was not used) creating an art with Sword Embryo & Sword Heart trait restrictions; it cannot be a Cultivation Method and can only be used once. Expires in 360 days]
[Reward 3: Body Purification +20% (--> deducted to 10%)-> 14%]
[Reward 4: Custom System Function unlocked, 'Art Discerner'; you may spend Creation Points to discern specific weaknesses in the Arts of both your & your disciples' opponents]
[Reward 5: Host Talent upgraded: Mortal (Abysmal) -> Mortal (Ordinary)]
[Reward 6: an additional use of Creator's Eyes per day; 4/4 remaining]
[Reward 7: Additional Art Type Unlocked: Growth (You can invest Creation Points once a year to upgrade the tier of the Art. Does not apply retroactively. Limited up to Heaven-grade Arts)]
[...]
[Bonus Reward: 'Tortoise Mirror' (Epic)]
[Tortoise Mirror: a shard of an ancient artifact said to have been made from the shell of the Primordial Tortoise Spirit. Has 4 --> Deducted to 2 --> remaining uses; can block an attack of any realm below ??? and reflect 200% of the damage back onto the attacker. After 2 uses, it will disintegrate]
[...]
[Keep raising your Disciples, Host, and unlock more things! Good luck!]
... hooooooh.
Wow. Oh my God. So many rewards.
For starters, I first want to bitch and moan a little bit, if you'll allow me. System: Okay, fine, I get that you have to deduct some rewards because Long Tao used his own legendary or mythical or whatever method, but did you have to be so brutal with it?! Good God, so many things up in flames!
Haah, whatever, I'll make it up with Dai Xiu. She'll be my proper golden egg.
Anyway, now that the bitching and moaning were out of the way, where were soundproof arrays when you needed them? Because I want to squeal like I'm back in high school, and instead of rejecting me in the most brutal fashion imaginable, Hannah said yes to me asking her out on a date. No, this is even better.
Okay, okay. So, first things first--cloaking art. I can finally actually make it. A free 500 points art as long as pretty much only Long Tao can use it... yeah, why not? It's clear that the big, juicy rewards were in the major breakthroughs, and Long Tao, well, he can be my herald. He can keep shooting through the realms like they're paper, and I can just keep reaping rewards... or, well, approximately half of those rewards.
God, so depressing...
Khm.
One big thing (well, maybe the biggest thing): the Tortoise Mirror. It appeared in my lap as soon as I read the reward.
It was a palm-sized mirror with a cracked, jade-colored frame. I couldn't actually see my reflection in it; rather, it was a swirling mist, blocking whatever resided therein in haze. Somewhat rough and cool to the touch, I held it as I would a kid and hid it in my robes. Give it to my disciples?
Yeah, right.
I finally have a way to protect myself! And seeing as it will block an attack under the '???' realm, it actually means someone has to be stronger than a Demigod to potentially harm me! Isn't that insane?!
Well, maybe. I don't really know; maybe just past this dilapidated corner of the world, there's an oasis where everyone's a Demigod. No, no, can't be thinking that. Slow and steady, slow and steady. For now, it's precisely what I needed. My precious.
Setting that aside, I was hit by another bout of depression, actually.
Growth-type Arts... you mean to tell me I didn't already have this unlocked?! Honestly, I was always under the impression that I'd be able to just occasionally spend Creation Points to upgrade the arts once my dear disciples outgrew them. There was even a limitation, so it's kind of like, you know, Growth-type Arts is a Growth-type Reward.
...
Alright.
I completely even skipped over my upgraded talent!
I went from trash to... well, I'm still trash, but at least I'm ordinary trash now! Hurray for me!
Besides, the real bulk of it was actually in purification; once again, I found myself breathing with more ease, and trying to use Qi felt less like trying to fish out a plastic bottle from those twining weeds and vines that would wrap around everything and more like trying to pick up a perfectly smooth marble while both it and my hands were covered in butter.
Why were they covered in butter? ... it could happen.
There's really nothing quite like the dopamine hit of seeing so many rewards be given to you, even if, ultimately, they aren't that mind-blowing. Or, well, they are, and I'm just not nearly educated enough to understand the value.
... if I were a betting man, I'd definitely bet on the latter. Too bad there's nobody in the sect left who'd be willing to gamble with me... I robbed them all...
Windfall (II)
Hmm.
Allow me a moment to catch you up and explain why there is currently a boy bending halfway to the ground in front of me, arms like arrows pinned to his sides, wind gently billowing his robes.
You see, about ten-ish minutes ago, while I was busy daydreaming about making a pizza, I was rudely interrupted by a status window. For a legitimate moment I became wholly terrified that Dai Xiu broke through to the Foundation Establishment or, God forbid, that other monster broke through to the Spirit Manifestation Realm.
Look, even if he could already kick my ass by now, I still have at least that to lord over him. If I lose even that, what else have I got? My sense of humor?
Anyway, my fears were dashed quickly as I realized it was neither of them--rather, it was a kid I 'helped' quite a while back. In fact, I'd completely forgotten about him, as I thought he'd forgotten about me.
It was that youth, Xi Zhao, that I 'helped' initially and got the boost of Creation Points to finally finish Dai Xiu's cultivation method. Honestly, I'd thought he would fade into obscurity as the system wasn't exactly 'high' on him... but, apparently not.
Honestly, I was only ever reminded of him during the monthly quest refresh; I always skipped the disciple recruitment and Dai Xiu's quest, occasionally completing the last of the three. However, rewards were often quite low, in the range of 5 to 10 Creation Points, netting me 35 in total.
So, yeah, the notifications.
[--a cultivator you had helped once had achieved a tremendous feat]
[...]
[Xi Zhao, due to your guidance, had managed to undergo Nirvanic Enlightenment, reshaping his Mind, Heart, and Body, severing the karmic ties of his soul]
[New Trait Awakened: Temporal Sword (Epic)]
[New Physique Awakened: Temporal Edge (Jade)]
[Talent Awakened: Peak-Mortal -> Peak-Sky]
[...]
[Temporal Edge Sword -- an extremely unique form of awakened Sword Qi. Upon awakening, Xi Zhao brushed faintly against the remnant Law of Time, attaining the special form. Can stagger and accelerate attacks unexpectedly, striving for unpredictable chaos in the form of order]
[...]
[Due to your assistance in enlightenment, you have been rewarded]
[...]
[Reward 1: 100 Creation Points]
[Reward 2: You can freely imbue 'Low Temporal Resonance' to any Art or Method you create once]
And there I was, somewhat shellshocked at the sudden revelation, when a figure appeared racing in the horizon and coming to an almost comedic stop in front of me, already in a bow.
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"Master Elder Lu Qi, this Xi Zhao beseeches you to take him in as a disciple! I shall kowtow and grovel for three years if necessary!"
He didn't say it as much as he belted it out, prompting all my current houseguests to emerge from their holdings. I briefly glanced at their expressions, and you can probably imagine what they were: that monster Hua looked like he didn't care, Long Tao appeared a bit bemused, Dai Xiu was curious, and Light... well, Light seemed to care even less than Hua.
"Khm, let's, let's first go inside. Xiu, make us some tea."
"Yes, Master!" both she and the boy shouted at the same time, their comedic timing on point.
Once inside, though he did sit down, he was still rather restless, fidgeting around.
I didn't really take a note of his appearance when I first saw him--I don't yet have that habit--so I barely even recognized him. Or it could be that his transformation actually, well, transformed him.
Anyway, he was relatively tall for his age, perhaps five-five or so, with short, roughly cut hair and a pair of brown eyes. He was neither cute nor handsome, but he wasn't ugly or painful to look at either; honestly, he was like one of those guys that you went to high school with that you'd completely forgotten, but then someone shows you a class photo and you go, 'Oh yeah, I remember that guy! He once ate an entire tube of paint!'
"Here, Master," Dai Xiu brought two cups of tea relatively quickly, sitting to the side; none of my disciples or guests left, as curious as I.
"So."
"Yes, Elder?"
"Who are you?"
"Uhm," okay, yes, that's mean--but I have so few chances to act like an aloof Elder that I have to grab the few that I get as quickly as I can... "Of course, you wouldn't remember. But a few months back you descended the mountain and came to the open Training Hall. There, you saw me mindlessly practicing a broken Art and gracefully offered me the correct version," hm. Yes. That's certainly a more noble way of saying, 'I was desperate for Creation Points, so I went down the mountain to see if I could cheat some desperate kid into believing me'.
"Ah. Yes. You recognized me?"
"... uh."
"Never mind that. We now know who you are. Second question: Why are you here?"
"To take you in as a Master!"
"Don't you already have a Master?"
"Yes. Elder Zhang is my official Master."
"So...?"
"... would you allow me to demonstrate my sword, Elder?"
"... sure."
I'm actually kind of curious, too. Sure, I know that he awakened 'Temporal' whatever, and, in theory, I can hazard a guess as to how it plays out. But you always hear and read and conceptualize these notions of time and trying to influence it, so you become curious.
Everyone slowly left, and Xi Zhao made some distance, taking a deep breath and clutching the handle of the sword still in its scabbard.
For a moment, the world seemed to grow quiet and still; the wind stopped, and the world around him grew... hazy.
The boy drew the sword and attacked in a single motion, yet it was strange. Almost like there was 'lag' to his actions, as his sword appeared both back and forward at once, dancing between two positions before settling into one.
I also made sure to pay attention to Long Tao, positioning myself just so both of them were in my view; and, oh boy, the bemused expression was gone, and in its stead was a fire.
"I have embarrassed myself," Xi Zhao said, chuckling and rubbing the back of his head.
Dai Xiu, and even Light, mostly seemed awed by the strange attack.
Long Tao and Hua, on the other hand, seemed almost bewitched by what they'd seen.
"Take him in, Master," Long Tao said. "He'll make a fine training dummy--I mean sparring partner."
"..." I eyed him warily for a moment, but, like, was I going to reject a Sky-level talent? Outside of this peak, and possibly a few other hidden monsters, he was now likely the most talented kid in the entire Sect...
"What is your name?"
"Xi Zhao, Elder!"
"Welcome to the Lonesome Peak, Xi Zhao," I said, smiling faintly. "Henceforth you shall be my third Disciple."
"Yes, Master!" Ah, there it was, the ever-renowned kowtowing.
I swear to God, the moment I get enough say, I'm ending this dumb practice of slamming your head into dirt and ending it for good.
... and to think, just six months ago, there was one monster and me.
Now it was five monsters... and one completely average guy.
It sort of feels like being a guy with a bachelor's degree in, I don't know, history of art, attending the party mostly populated by world-renowned PhD researchers who desperately try to include you in a conversation, but the words they're saying keep bouncing around your skull like marbles, and you just feel dumber for it...
Oh well. Eventually, I'll become a monster too, I suppose. So long as they help me. The more, the merrier, thus I say.
Declaration of War (I)
Alarm bells rang at the crack of around 4 P.M.
It was my first time hearing them, but Lu Qi's memories did have a few instances of them ringing. They were remarkably loud, almost as loud as those city-wide sirens that would warn of impending doom or such things, and they lasted a whole ten minutes.
Me?
Well, I just stayed in place, wondering what kind of cloaking art I should make for Long Tao and what other arts I could make with the now 350 Creation Points that I had.
I was rich!
Rich with Spirit Stones, rich with Creation Points, rich with--
"ELDER LU, GET OVER TO THE ELDER HALL RIGHT THIS INSTANCE!"
Wow, how embarrassing, to have your name called out by Elder Qin for the entire sect to hear--
Wait a goddamn second, I'M Elder Lu!
As though there was a colony of fire ants crawling up my ass, I immediately started running, all the while posing a very particular question: why the hell was I being summoned?!
This guy hasn't attended the meeting of Elders not once, and now I'm being forced to?! Too unfair!
Khm.
Anyway, I had to endure, ah, what the hell, let's call them strange for the sake of my sanity, looks all the way down the mountain and then all the way up the other one where the meeting was held.
It took me about fifteen minutes, full sprint, and even using Qi (which I didn't use often, to be honest, as I am still quite unadjusted to it; it's like, imagine if you grew three extra arms and legs and even a few eyeballs and a few other residual organs overnight, it'd take you some time to figure out what the hell is happening, right?!), and by the time I got to the hall... I was sweating not bullets but missiles.
"I--I'm here," I heaved out, trying to catch my breath as I walked into the Elder Hall. A square room with a few dozen prayer mats lined on opposite ends of each other and the central one at the far front where the Sect Master resided.
There was one empty seat currently--the one furthest away from the Sect Master, so I headed over, ignoring... ah, what the hell, strange looks being shot at me.
"A-apologies for being late..." I was still heaving, feeling as though my lungs were on fire. Honestly, the shape of this body is just... wow. Just... wow.
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"Did you not hear the bell ring, Elder Lu?" one of the elders asked as the others laughed.
"No, I grew deaf counting my newfound wealth out loud," bite me, old farts. My little quip shut them up, and before they could quip further, Sect Master interjected and stopped it.
"The reason I called for an emergency meeting," though I feared the man, I also liked him a bit; unlike all other old farts, he dispensed with the speeches and long-winded word vomit and just got straight to the point. "Is because another one of our Core Disciples was felled, Qu Haitan." A hubbub broke out immediately, and even I couldn't help but frown.
While the previous news of the... uh, some-or-another Core Disciple dying was quite shocking, she... I think... was still relatively new and mostly had potential. Qu Haitan, though? From my memories, he had already broken through the Spirit Manifestation Realm almost a decade prior, and most assumed he'd reach the Revolving Core Realm before age 150, in line with more talented Elders of the Sect.
Losing him was... destructive, honestly, in every meaning of that word.
"Was it the Fire Sun Sect again?" one of the Elders asked.
"They deny it," Spirit Sage said. "But have left behind enough evidence that points to them."
"... they are taunting us!"
"Do they think there is nobody under the heaven that can stand up to them?!"
"We should declare a war, Sect Master! We have to uphold the dignity of the Sect!"
Chatter immediately broke out, though I remained small and silent. I had no business actually chiming in; I'd only been here for six months, and the level of attachment I had to the place wasn't exactly great.
"Quiet," Elder Qin spoke up, causing the back-and-forth to stop. "We have to consider deeply if we want to declare a war. We are not yet at the point of extermination, so it would have to be Generation War. While our Elder Generation is probably stronger than theirs, what about our disciples? Qu Haitan was one of the strongest Core Disciples, and with him gone, I am doubtful that we can win. As much faith as I have in our disciples, they are, generally, fifteen to twenty years younger than theirs.
"Same thing with the Youngest Generation. Our new batch has just started cultivating, with very few being under thirty and at the Foundation Establishment Realm. We practically stand no chance."
"..." It was like somebody poured cold water over them, bringing them to reality.
I also grew a bit curious; there were two kinds of wars (at least broadly) when it came to Sect Warfare--there was the extermination war, which was, well, just war. Two sects go all out to destroy each other by any means necessary. No bars held, no moral quandaries, go and destroy everything kind of war.
Then there was the Generation War, as they called it--which was a tournament of sorts. A third party, usually of a higher rank, would oversee the three competitions of three distinct generations of the sect's cultivators, and whichever sect scored two out of three victories would be a default winner of the war.
Usually it meant receiving a whole bunch of resources, promises, and other knickknacks from the loser, but at least it preserved the sect from annihilation, which was why it was a 'favored' way to wage the war.
"Even so," one Elder finally spoke up; he was the one nearest Elder Qin, meaning he probably had just about as much authority. Strangely, however... I didn't recognize him. "The war must be waged. This is twice now that they went against our core, Elder Qin. How many more kids do we need to lose to justify paying back the debt?"
"Hm, I agree."
"I concur." Quite a few voiced their agreements, but just as many were still on the fence.
Going to war, after all, was a massive thing, whether we won or lost... and especially if we lost. The balance between the two sects was already quite delicate and teetering on the edge of collapse, and if one sect got absurdly stronger in a short span of time, war for annihilation wouldn't really be that far off.
"To war we will go," Spirit Sage eventually voiced. "Open the vault immediately and start accelerating the cultivation of the Middle Generation as much as possible. If even one or two manage a major breakthrough, our chances will increase slightly. Dismissed."
Declaration of War (II)
The wind turned oddly cold as I stepped out of the hall and into the open.
The thin branches of the nearby trees bent and swayed, lulled by the invisible force. And I... I felt a bit choked.
Naturally, I wasn't going to participate in the war--even if most of these guys here would want to see me humiliated, it wasn't to the point they'd threaten the sect's security for it.
At the same time, I wasn't actually nearly as worried as most of them; if it was true that our Elder Generation could achieve a victory, then we will win.
It'll probably be a wait of six months to a year before the 'war' kicks off, and, by then, there's a good chance that Dai Xiu would have broken through, too. And even if she doesn't, Long Tao can probably win by himself if need be.
That is... if he feels like it.
"Are you worried?" Elder Qin suddenly stopped by my side and asked, his expression somewhat sallow.
"... are you?" I asked back.
"Always."
"Heavy burden to bear."
"... let's go play some chess."
I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes, nodding instead. The two of us descended and ascended in silence, observing the nature in all its glory. Oddly, the seasons haven't actually changed all that much in the past six months that I've been here; the days have grown a bit cooler, but there were still occasional ones that would shoot up into triple digits, seemingly intent on burning the world.
Elder Qin whipped out a full chess set as we sat down in the central room of the house, arranging the figures. They were made out of rather smooth wood and were clearly hand-carved.
"It was a gift," he elaborated.
"It's beautiful."
"I learned to play chess when I was eleven," he said as I started positioning the figures, too. "My grandfather came to live with us and found it absolutely unacceptable that his only grandchild could not play chess. Thus, every morning at the crack of dawn, he'd wake me up, drag me out, and teach me how to play. He was awful; within a week, I was beating him consistently, yet he insisted on playing every day. It was like that all the way until my Master discovered me and brought me here."
The figures were set, and he grew quiet.
"Chances are," he said, making the first move, dragging the corner pawn two spaces up. "That we will not win."
"..."
"I fully believe that if our disciples had as much time as theirs, we'd emerge victorious. But, for cultivators, even just two or three extra years can be a difference of life and death."
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"Why didn't you try harder to convince them?" I asked, pushing the king's pawn two spaces up.
"... it wouldn't have mattered," he said. "The Fire Sun sect would have continued attacking our disciples until we declared a war. It was the difference between declaring it now and declaring it after we've lost a few more kids."
"How certain are you that the Elder Generation will win?" I asked. The two of us played completely different games; I played your extremely standard king's pawn opening into an Italian Game, while he... well, God knows what he was doing, randomly pushing pawns and doing nothing else.
"We will win," he said with confidence, smiling. "Why? Do you want to join us?"
"Only in the feast to celebrate the victory."
"Ha ha ha."
"... if the Middle Generation loses, do you plan on surrendering?" I asked, looking at the board. I was about four moves away from mating him and wondering whether I should just also start doing random crap.
"Probably," he said. "While we can't exactly afford to lose resources, so long as we have the younger generation, we can always make a comeback... in due time."
"..." I stayed silent for a moment before moving my queen diagonally and checkmating him. "Don't."
"Hm?" He looked up from the board, meeting my eyes.
"Don't surrender," I said.
"..." It was his turn to stay silent, deeply scrutinizing my gaze. I don't think the look in my eyes was particularly interesting, but hey, what do I know? "You're serious."
"I am."
"... this isn't just a fun little bet between Elders," he said. "It concerns the very future of our home."
"I know."
"... give me a reason, at least." he said.
"I've won, by the way." I pointed out, prompting him to look forward in shock and stop breathing for a few seconds as he realized.
"Ha ha," he laughed, strangely, shaking his head. "This must be how my grandfather felt after I defeated him."
"Xi Zhou," I called out, and the boy appeared immediately.
"Yes, Master?"
"Can you do your demonstration to Elder Qin as well?"
"Uh, of course, Master!"
The old man followed us outside, appearing a mix of confused and interested. We stopped by the entrance while Xi Zhou walked a few paces onwards, stopping and facing sideways.
He grabbed the hilt of the sword gently, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then drew it.
As before, time seemed to come unwound within the trace of the blade, like splitting streams of its laws trying to reconcile. I watched as the old man's expression turned haggard and shocked, his breathing quickening.
"I've embarrassed myself, Master!" Xi Zhou bowed toward us after he finished, and I dismissed him before turning toward Elder Qin.
"He's the weakest kid on the entire Peak," I said. "But I beg you, don't probe any further."
"... can you raise him to the Peak Qi Condensation Realm within a year?" Elder Qin asked after a momentary silence.
"Uh," could I? I mean, probably? But why is he asking that? Whatever, isn't this an opportunity? "I, I mean, resources are, you know..."
"... haah. Fine, fine, I'll cover his expenses." Goddamn, I really did find myself a sugar daddy!... okay, that's the first and last time I will ever think that. "So that means that you can?"
"Khm, yes, probably."
"... do you--no, never mind," the look in his eyes... I get it. Even he couldn't deny anymore that something significant happened to 'Lu Qi'. However, he didn't seem to want to probe, whether that was because he trusted me or because he didn't want to know the truth... I don't know. "I'll trust you, perhaps against better judgment. This place is my home; it has been for over two hundred years. I've raised a dozen generations of kids, watched them all grow up and realize themselves, and I will stay here until my dying breath. If the sect falls, so will I. If we lose--"
"--we won't lose."
"If we lose," he interrupted sternly. "You should take the kids and go. With enough time, all of them can easily become Demigods, at least, and if you have it in your hearts, you can come back and avenge us then."
Why?
... there was no answer I could come up with that I could rationalize. Why was he being so considerate? So nice?
"We won't lose," I reiterated. "You'll just, uh, you'll have to cover my ass when that day comes. They'll probably think I sold my disciples to the devil or something."
"You overestimate and underestimate them," Elder Qin chuckled for a moment, ready to leave. "They love this place as much as I do, Elder Lu. If you help save it? Well, I don't want to ruin a surprise. I'll come by once or twice a week for that chess game; it seems I have much to learn."
Tethers of Neverwhere (I)
--so, that cloaking art.
As soon as Elder Qin left, I retired into my bedroom yet again, setting shop atop the demonstrably uncomfortable bed (I swear, I will have to revolutionize the industry of comfort in this world, even if it be the last thing I do).
Once again I found myself somewhat overwhelmed with the massive screen of choices, all floating over there mindlessly. I'd wondered more than once about the nature of the System--not necessarily who created it or even who gave it to me, but just how it operates, the under-the-hood machinations, if you will.
All those wonderings, though, lead nowhere, of course, so I just stopped wondering and instead tried pondering, which led to pretty much the same results.
I had two options in regard to the cloaking art: spend my Long Tao freebie on creating one that pretty much only he would be able to use, or somehow try to wrangle one that costs at maximum 100 points.
I'd already tried the latter just as an experiment before, and the cheapest I could get it was at around 200 Creation Points, and even then it couldn't even hide from those at the Revolving Core Realm.
Furthermore, I actually did need him to get out there and bring stuff back. Though I sounded confident and such in winning, was I going to leave it up to Elder Qin sending resources for one disciple? Hah!
I'm a guy who, before a hiking trip with my college girlfriend, actually checked out the route online!
... Okay, that's actually pretty normal and doesn't make me sound like much of a prepper, but this is a different world with different rules, and I'm now a different man (literally). And, anyway, endearing myself to someone who will eventually leave this place in the dust—hey, that's pretty smart, isn't it?
So, I started fiddling around, knowing I could spend up to a full 500 points.
After creating Dai Xiu's method, I played around with restrictions a little bit and quickly realized I could only really apply those that would shave up to 20ish Creation Points and were for the most part basic--can only cultivate at night, cannot move during cultivation, and so on and so forth. Any of the more complex ones, and especially ones restricting the art to a specific physique or bloodline... and the system didn't let me.
... THEN WHY EVEN SHOW ME THEY EXIST?!
Khm.
So, anyway, I quickly inputted the basics that I was already familiar with: Special Art with 'Elegant' internal logic, a mix of Standard Qi and Mental Power, Major Infusion of 'Illusion' Concept, Moderate Infusion of 'Sound' Concept, and Minor Infusion of 'Light' Concept.
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That, altogether, got me to 290 Creation Points.
The most expensive one was the 'Major Infusion of Illusion' at a staggering 120 Points. But that wasn't even the peak--I could spend further points to strengthen it but decided against it, as even the current setup was enough to hide from anyone under the Void Transformation Realm, and possibly even them.
Anyway, that wasn't everything--I still had 210 Points to spend, and by God, I'm going to spend every last one of them. I'm not vengeful, but I am quite petty.
I temporarily skipped past the Specific Characteristics and to the Unique Properties; there it was, 'Growth', costing... 500 Creation Points.
Oh.
Just...
Just bite me!
Khm, anyway, that wasn't what I actually wanted. I moved back up to 'Conceptual Imbuement' and trudged through a few hundred of them, ranging in cost from a measly 50 to a less-so-measly 5,000,000.
Yes.
There was a conceptual imbuement called 'Elemental Novice' that cost 5,000,000. Elemental Novice. Novice.
Oh.
Just... just bite me.
Anyway, I found a few that would actually work well with my current setup, but I could only afford one of them: Breathless Qi Imbuement. It cost 200 Creation Points, and it was probably best utilized for assassination arts and such, as it made them almost imperceptible due to the way it cloaked the released Qi, but with its addition, I'm fairly certain Long Tao would now be invisible to, well, everyone.
With the leftover 10 points, I went back up a bit and checked the Specific Characteristics, but the only one even remotely 'useful' that cost 10 points was Unscryable, which really just meant that if Long Tao was ever captured and somebody performed some Soul Arts on him, they wouldn't be able to learn the art from it.
It was... well, kind of pointless, but I promised I wouldn't waste a single point, and so I created it, applied my freebie restrictions, and prompted the ever-familiar window to appear.
[CURRENT CREATION POINTS: 500/100 (Reward 2 Applied, ALLOWED)]
[NAME: (Please name the art; otherwise, the system will auto-generate a name upon Art Creation)]
[Description: a uniquely restrictive cloaking art designed for the bearers of the sword. Its innate construction allows one to hide even from low-seed Dao, becoming one with the world around them. Can easily move through Arrays and Formations of sub-Void level, cannot be discerned by Divine Sense, and only special constitutions or arts of higher grade have a chance to notice the user. Due to its nature, however, it consumes an inordinate amount of Qi]
[TYPE: Special Art (+25 CP)]
[NUMBER OF FORMS: N/A]
[LOGIC: Elegant (+30 CP)]
[ENERGY: Standard Qi + Mental Power (10+15 = 25)]
[Major Infusion of Illusion Concept (+120 CP); Moderate Infusion of Sound Concept (+60 CP), Minor Infusion of Light Concept (+30 CP) = 210]
[CHARACTERISTICS: Unscryable (+10 CP)]
[UNIQUE PROPERTIES: Minor Concept of Breathless Qi Imbuement (+200 CP)]
[CUSTOM RESTRICTIONS APPLIED: Sword Heart & Sword Embryo Traits of at least 'Epic' ranks]
[-----------]
[CALCULATED COST: 25+30+25+120+60+30+10+200 = 500 CP]
[PROJECTED RANK: low-Heaven Tier]
[PROJECTED DIFFICULTY: ???]
[CONFIRM CREATION: 500 CP (0 CP)]
[CANCEL]
Hoooh.
Just reading it is honestly jostling my adrenaline a bit. How many years would I have had to wait until being able to create something like this naturally? Well, probably not that many, maybe three or four, but still--that's practically the length of high school! Does it say something about me that I measure a passage of time in terms of the years spent in high school? God, I hope not...
Khm, anyway, it was just at the moment I pressed the 'CONFIRM CREATION' button that I realized I'd done it again: I forgot to name the damn thing!
Look, I don't mind the system coming up with appropriate names, but I also want to stir my creative juices, you know? I actually had a perfect name already set up: Hide From Gods Art. So powerful, right?! Anyone would want to learn it!... except that maybe like 6 people in total in existence could.
Would have been a nice joke.
But nooooo, I got too excited again...
Tethers of Neverwhere (II)
[Congratulations, Host, on creating 'Tethers of Neverwhere' Special Art]
... Wait, that's actually kind of... cool?
[...]
[Tethers of Neverwhere]
[Type: Special Art]
[Rank: low-Heaven Tier]
[Host Comprehension: None (Fails to meet minimum requirements)]
[...]
[Masters of sword ordinarily shine as bright as a collapsing star, shadows only ever cut with the edge of their blade. It is nigh impossible for the child of Dao of Sword to hide from anything, much less the origin they are chasing, but the art allows one to temporarily become mundane. It becomes impossible for anyone under the Void Transformation Realm to take notice, and even those above can only do so through special physiques, artifacts, arts, or exceptionally gifted Divine Sense. Ordinary sub-Void formations and arrays become merely vistas to visit and not much else. Can be used to sneak through ancient machinations of the hidden realm and even cheat one's way into places they would not be allowed to enter. It, however, comes at a great cost, as it consumes inordinate amounts of Qi; those of ordinary talent and means are perhaps better off never learning it]
[...]
[Creation Points Value: 500(0) / 100]
[Comprehension Difficulty: ???]
[...]
[Creation Bonus: New 'Minor' Trait unlocked, +1% to Body Purification]
[Host Body Purification Progress: 15%]
[Minor Trait Unlocked: Indescribable (Common)]
[Indescribable: others become more doubtful of their assessment of you]
[...]
Sheesh, that's... bulky.
I actually wasn't expecting any reward 'cause, you know, I didn't exactly earn the points I spent, so getting anything in return was nice. Of course, both rewards were more like giving a 12-year-old socks or a sweater for Christmas--in some ways, it'd have been better to get them nothing, right?
I'm not speaking from personal experience. My grandma did not buy me sweatpants for Christmas three years in a row. No sir.
Anyway, truth be told, I'm a bit... scared. Why? Because of those question marks littering the 'Comprehension Difficulty' label. I mean, I have more faith in Long Tao than most other things, but, ultimately, he's still just starting out. What if it's not so much in comprehension, but what his body allows him to comprehend? I'd notice, for instance, that his comprehension of both previous arts--Heart-Stitching Art as well as Spirit Stone Augmentation one--hasn't moved an inch in months.
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Haah, whatever. If I don't have faith in him, then this whole thing may as well collapse.
I quickly transcribed the entire method onto paper and rolled it into my robes; unlike with Dai Xiu, with whom I decided to take a slow, staggered approach as she grew stronger, for Long Tao... well, just let him be. Give him stuff and see what happens.
Hopefully, the result of me 'wasting' a freebie on a cloaking art will be him delivering me some rare herbs and spices. That's right, spices. You thought I was gonna say rare cultivation methods and resources? Yeah, right.
Give me spices! Give me chili, give me salt, give me cumin, give me pepper--give me goddamn anything so I don't have to eat another pound of water-cooked, plain rice ever again! I'm seeing white grains mocking me in my dreams, man! I can't, not anymore. I'm a man of modern comforts, and though I can live with most of them being majorly denied... food, oh, how I miss the sensation of my lips and tongue burning, and me swearing I'd never eat anything as spicy ever again all whilst all holes on my face start leaking liquid...
...only to do it literally the next day.
Khm.
I descended and noted that nobody was together. Dai Xiu was currently cultivating, Long Tao was... I dunno, he seems to be daydreaming. Light was also doing something in silence in the other corner; poor Xi Zhao sat stiff and awkward between all of them, uncertain as to what the hell was happening, and Hua... well, he was probably off measuring or building. Now that we had yet another permanent guest, lodging was actually becoming a bit tight, as both Light and Xi Zhao would have to sleep here for the time being.
"Long Tao, come with me," I called him out, rousing him from whatever fantasy he was living. He seemed a bit annoyed as he stood up, but at least he followed me without an outward protest.
Look, this was pointless, okay? Others will follow and hide and spy, and they will learn that I gave him some art to study. But I at least have to pretend...
"I was dreaming of being massaged by a beautiful jade beauty, Master."
"You're fourteen," I said. "The only beauty you should be dreaming about is the beauty of a good night's sleep."
"..."
"Anyway, here," I said, taking out the tome and handing it out unceremoniously. "Don't share it, don't leak it, don't question it. I have no answers."
"What do you mean...?" he quizzed as he took the tome and opened it, reading through it slowly. He closed it right after the first page, his eyes shifty and strange and bemused and a million other things as he examined me. "Hm."
"..."
"Interesting."
"It's not."
"Of course," he nodded. "Just pure coincidence."
"All things in life are."
"... may I share one such coincidence, too?" he asked.
"Will I get migraines because of it?"
"Let's find out. The Antechamber."
"... what about it?"
"It was, uh, what's the word... familiar."
"..." Wait a second. What kind of familiar? The 'I saw it once in my previous life' or 'I fathered seventeen children in it in my past life'?
"My father taught me about it."
"This father of yours must have been a legendary immortal... to know so many things."
"Just an average farmer."
"Aha."
"The original purpose of the Antechamber was to purify the other Qi and accelerate the cultivation of such... creatures. Perhaps, among us dwells a guest who would majorly benefit from, uhm, experiencing the beauty of such a place." Why do I feel like one of those guys from spy thrillers set in the Cold War era that constantly speak in riddles for no goddamned reason?
I mean, it wasn't really a riddle--he's just saying that the Antechamber was built (and from the looks of things, by him) to grow Demonic Qi-based... things? And Light, being a freakin' inheritor of all things, would feel like she was in heaven while in there.
"Hm. The world is vast and full of coincidences." I played along; it was actually kind of fun, you know? Did make me feel a little bit like a spy... "Speaking of such, should you ever find yourself... elsewhere, I ask that you look out for some things."
"Only in limited amounts, I hope; carrying back anything of true value could not be hidden."
"Hm? What? No, I don't want artifacts or methods or special flowers or whatever. Spices."
"... e-eh?"
"Chili, cumin, pepper, salt, anything that can make that raw nothing that we call food actually edible! Please! If you see me as a human being at all, please!"
There was silence between us, and all that respect that seemed to momentarily appear in his eyes... yeah, well, it was gone. He just sighed, stuffed the tome into his robes, turned around, and... left.
Wow.
That... hurt.