A wry smile curved Adam’s lips as he scratched his head inside the cultivation chamber.
Xie Lian grinned at him by the doorway. "I can’t wait to see you breakthrough. The palace formations cruelly need some refreshing, and I somehow believe you’ll be the first to reach the required realm to fix them."
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Right. Definitely not because you’re impatient to enjoy their effects, see me build the bastion, or witness firsthand how strong I’ll become."
She twirled a lock of purple hair in front of her broadening grin. "Touché. Anyway, you know them best." She slid the door close, waving her slender finger and chirping. "See you later, and good luck with your cultivation."
As the door closed, the outside sounds vanished. No more footsteps, water dripping from the bamboo bridges into the gardens’ ponds, or wind ruffling chiselled bushes. Only calm.
Amidst the deafening silence, he almost sank into his dark purple and gold cushion, the softness addictive. A relaxing wave instantly washed away his intruding thoughts, and qi rushed toward him.
That was why Xie Lian wanted him to restore the formations sooner. Even if those in the cultivation rooms functioned at minimum capacity, they were of tremendous help. So, how much more qi would they gather after he did?
’Enough for void refinement realm experts to break through.’ He chuckled, then focused on his dantian.
It was still a barren void, yet a cluster of stars pulsed in the distance as if defying the ever-present darkness to swallow it. ’Time to get you a few friends.’
Just like yesterday, he folded a long wisp of qi until the energy brightened. After a million times and several repeats, a new cluster dispelled the darkness by the first one.
As part of the Vermillion Bird’s seven mansions, they each had significance and brought benefits. For example, the one he had formed before Misha fetched him for yesterday’s party was the chariot, which symbolised the journey of cultivation. Its effects helped with focus—nothing major but it sounded right to start with it.
Today, he formed the ghost because... ’Well, I’ve been one for fifteen years?’ He chuckled. ’More seriously, it helps to dissipate illusions and improves understanding of the ethereal realm—things I’ll need from the nascent soul realm.’ His eyes sparkled. ’The most important reason is its ability to ward off inner demons. Shoo, bastards. I don’t need you.’
Though he would eventually condense them all, he’d be a fool not to optimise benefits from the start, especially from those nice passives. After all, building the wings could help him fly later, but how would it help him more than the willow, which would increase his flexibility?
But the following day, he ignored the willow to condense the star. As soon as it hovered in the void, he felt his connection with the first two strengthen and their effects increase. ’That’s the beauty of this technique. Every step builds on the previous one.’
With a grin, he formed the willow, then the well, which deepened his foundation. But everything didn’t go as smoothly as expected. The million folds increased with each cluster. The stars forming the well had required four hundred thousand more, and the extended net following added another two hundred thousand. Still, he persevered and formed the wings on the sixth day.
Now, seven bright clusters burned in the trembling void. He clutched his abdomen, a brow raised as he felt the tremors reach his palm. ’Quite a violent breakthrough.’
Though it was his first, he doubted others witnessed a supernova burst from the depth of their dantian. Surely, they would faint on the spot—first from the agony, then from the horror if they had a chance to wake up in one piece. But him? The pain was nothing. But why would he endure it, anyway?
He snapped an eyelid shut and gripped his stomach. His muscles tensed, each fiber more resilient than wires crafted from magical minerals. Instantly, the pain receded, unable to pass through the unshakable walls of flesh confining it. Free from it, he dived into his dantian again.
The supernova still painted the void a blinding white yet failed to destroy his stars. The gaseous wisps of qi endured, too. No. They were changing.
He watched them devour the light like starved beasts, each second making them thicker.
Once bloated, they turned scalding white as the supernova refined them further. They lost their sizes, turning no bigger than grains of sand. Yet, he could feel the power pulsing inside. Not only had the quality leapt to the next level, but the space freed up smashed the 999 limit on his qi capacity.
Not even a second later, the vortices in his cells roared into action—drawing qi much faster than yesterday—and a notification appeared before his eyes. However, he ignored it. After all, he knew it was his promotion assessment. And honestly? He didn’t need those boosts anymore.
Between his pills, potions, and vortices constantly strengthening him, the stat points became breadcrumbs. The thought amused him slightly, though.
’Gone is the time I relied on them to improve because I was a ghost.’ He chuckled and summoned his cultivator interface since the mage hadn’t changed. 1
Race: Celestial Human
Affinity: Mana (Perfect), Heaven (Perfect)
Talent: EX Grade: I know you can be the best, EX Grade: Ultimate vessel
Job: Tier seven alchemist, Tier seven enchanter, Tier two formation master
Realm: Foundation building
Vitality: 1.274->1.276
Strength: 1.274->1.276
Agility: 1.274->1.276
Free attribute points: 0
Items: The Verdant Tome of Gaia, Chronoscar, Luminous Wildblade, Blade of Adaptation, Adam’s Macuahuitl.
Passive: Mana Control T6, Qi control T6, Enhanced Intuition T5, weapon mastery T7, Nova’s lucky blessing T4, Golden body lvl Max, Poison immunity lvl Max, Void Vortex Body lvl Max.
He grinned. The limit was truly gone. And now all he needed was to reach the next one and leap to the next realm. ’Shouldn’t take too long. Two weeks? Let’s double it to remain conservative.’
Eager to continue, he browsed which mansion he should choose next.
Before he could, a strange feeling, like an itch between his shoulder blades, stole his attention.
’What’s happening?’ A deep furrow creased his brows. He wasn’t doing anything, so where did it come from?