Kai was back in his pavilion, a small pouch resting in his palm. He opened it to look at the 33 Low-Grade Qi Gathering pills he'd just finished making.
It had been a full day since his meeting with the Sect Master. Instead of immediately jumping into cultivation, Kai had dedicated his time to crafting pills.
Finally, I can focus on my own cultivation. The guild can handle the sales.
He leaned back, calling up his status window:
Name: Kai Thorn
XP: 3900/4000
Level: 8
Qi: 300/300
Strength: 60
Agility: 63
Durability: 67
Intelligence: 30
Wisdom: 29
Titles:
* Novice Instructor
* Once in a Hundred years Talent
* Legacy Disciple
* Alchemy Prodigy
* Novice Alchemist
Elemental Affinities:
* Lightning: 35%
* Chaos: 10%
Skills:
Qi Condensation (Level 4)
Basic Cultivation Technique (Level 3)
Unarmed Combat (Level 2)
Deception (Level 4)
Iron Skin (Level 3)
Swift Wind Step (Level 4)
Flame Palm Strike (Level 3)
Mental Fortitude (Passive)
Spirit Beast Communication (Level 1)
Qi Concealment (Level 1)
Qi Detection (Level 1)
Iron Rebound (Level 1)
Rock Hard (Level 1)
Lightning Step (Level 1)
Static Charge (Level 1)
Crown of Lightning (Level 5) (Passive)
Sky's Favor (Level 5) (Passive)
Storm Eye (Level 1)
Thunder Voice (Level 1)
Heart of Thunder (Level 1)
Essence Extraction (Level 4)
Elemental Fusion (Level 4)
Qi Infusion (Level 4)
Stability Control (Level 4)
Spiritual Resonance (Level 5)
Elemental Resistance:
* Lightning (Level 6) (Passive)
Quests:
* Active: None
I’m so close to breaking through to the 9th Stage of Qi Refining.
I’ve got 2 options. I could open the next 3 meridians using the Heavenly Thunderstorm cultivation method, or I could enter the final stage of Qi Refining through the help of the system and then later reopen the last meridian using the Heavenly Thunderstorm cultivation method.
I would have gone with the former method if time wasn’t an issue, but I don’t know how soon the problem Shen Yu was warning me about will arrive, it’s probably best if I breakthrough now…
But, how should I get that last 100 XP?
Kai scratched his chin, considering his options. Without any active quests from the system, he had limited choices for gaining XP: killing humans or beasts, teaching skills to his followers, or upgrading his own skills through practice.
Kai frowned as he thought about killing humans. I'm not about to become some murderhobo protagonist, offing people just to level up. He shook his head. Maybe if I knew someone who really deserved it, but even then, I can’t kill sect members, so I'd have to leave the sect to find someone that met the requirement. And with only two lives left, I'd rather not risk it.
His mind wandered to teaching skills. Can't teach sect techniques even to other disciples, that's taboo. He then pictured Chen Wei learning Swift Wind Step. Nah, I don't want all my followers using the same moves as me. Defeats the purpose of having a group. And I don’t even know what his affinity is, I should probably find out.
That left upgrading his own skills. Best way to do that is through combat. Plus, I could use the battle practice. Kai nodded to himself. Hunting beasts it is. I can do that without leaving the sect territory.
Man, it's been a while since I've seen some action, he thought as he stood up and rolled his shoulders.
"Chen Wei!"
A moment later, the door slid open, and Chen Wei stepped inside. The young man bowed slightly. "Yes, Senior Brother?"
Kai grabbed three pills from his desk and held them out to Chen Wei. "Here," he said. "One each for you, Liu Wei, and Zhi-Zhi."
Chen Wei's eyes widened as he accepted the pills. "Thank you!"
Kai nodded, then picked up the pouch of remaining pills. He tossed it to Chen Wei, who caught it with both hands. "That's the next batch for sale. Xie Li will bring her batch over soon. Once we get the profits, I'll look into hiring another alchemist."
"Understood," Chen Wei said, carefully tucking the pouch into his robes. "Is there anything else you need?"
"Actually, yeah, what's your elemental affinity?"
Chen Wei blinked, surprised by the question. "Oh, it's Water, Senior Brother. Why do you ask?"
Kai nodded, more to himself than to Chen Wei. Yeah, teaching him a wind technique would be a waste of his and my own time. Better to stick with what suits him naturally.
"Just curious," Kai said aloud. "It's good to know these things about my team members. Anyways, I’m thinking of getting some battle practice in, what territories and mini-realms does the sect have where I could hunt some beasts?"
"Well, there are several options suitable for disciples in the Qi Refining realm. Let me think..."
Kai leaned against the wall, crossing his arms as he waited for Chen Wei to gather his thoughts.
"Alright," Chen Wei said after a moment. "There are five main mini-realms that would be suitable for a Qi Refining disciple like yourself. I'll break them down by difficulty."
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Kai nodded, gesturing for him to continue.
“First, there's the Green Forest Realm. It's perfect for lower Qi Refining stages, mostly filled with plant-based spirits and small woodland creatures.
“Then there's the Stone Cavern Realm. It's a bit tougher, good for mid-level Qi Refining cultivators. Lots of rock elementals and cave-dwelling beasts."
Kai nodded, encouraging him to go on.
"The third is the Rainy River Realm. Also mid-level, but with water-based creatures. I hear the terrain can be tricky."
Might be fun, but not what I'm looking for right now.
"Fourth is the Windy Plateau Realm. It's on the higher end, good for stages 6 through 8. Lots of flying beasts and air elementals."
Getting warmer, Kai thought. But I would rather go against a lightning beast, I could test out my lightning resistance.
"And finally," Chen Wei said, "there's the Storm Peak Realm. It's the toughest, meant for stages 7 through 9. Mostly lightning-based creatures there."
Kai's eyes lit up. "Storm Peak, huh? That sounds perfect."
Chen Wei nodded. "It's a popular choice for lightning cultivators. The beasts there are quite fierce, though."
"Even better," Kai grinned. "Where do I sign up?"
"You'll need to go to the Realm Management Hall," Chen Wei explained. "It's near the center of the sect. You can't miss it – big building with a glowing blue dome."
"Got it," Kai said. "Anything else I should know?"
Chen Wei hesitated. "Well... entry to a mini-realm usually costs 100 spirit stones."
Not cheap, especially if disciples aren’t able to earn more than that with the carcasses of beasts they kill. I wonder how these Outer Disciples even survive when everything costs so much here.
"Alright, thanks for the info, Chen Wei. I'll head there now."
As Kai walked out of his pavilion, Chen Wei called after him, "Good luck, Senior Brother! Be careful in there!"
“Thanks,” Kai waved without looking back.
***
The walk to the Realm Management Hall took about thirty minutes. Kai found himself wishing he could just fly there on a sword like some of the other cultivators he had seen.
I really need to learn how to fly on a sword. I heard cultivators at stage 7 Qi Refining Realm and above could all do it, all it takes is qi manipulation practice. Maybe this hunting trip could be a good time to add that skill to my list.
Kill two birds with one stone – or maybe kill some beasts while balancing on a flying sword.
As he approached his destination, Kai couldn't help but smile. True to Chen Wei's word, the building was hard to miss. Its blue dome pulsed with a soft light, like a beacon in the heart of the sect.
He noticed other disciples coming and going from there. Some looked excited, others nervous. A few sported minor injuries – scratches, bruises, and the occasional singed eyebrow.
Looks like I'm in for a good time.
He pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside. The interior was cooler than outside, with a faint smell of ozone in the air. Five large stone arches lined the far wall, each one dark and inactive.
As Kai looked around, he noticed a young brown-haired woman seated at a desk near the entrance. She looked up as he neared, offering a polite smile.
"Welcome, Senior Brother," she greeted him. "How may I assist you today?"
Kai nodded in return. "I'm interested in accessing the Storm Peak Realm."
The disciple's eyes widened slightly. "Ah, Storm Peak. An excellent choice for lightning cultivation. Are you sure you don’t want to try one of the safer realms first?"
"I think I’ll give this one a try,” Kai smiled.
She nodded, reaching into a drawer. "Very well. The entry fee is 100 spirit stones."
Kai produced the required payment, placing the stones on the desk. The disciple quickly counted them, then handed him a small, round token in exchange.
"This token will grant you access to Storm Peak," she explained. "It also serves as your way back. Simply channel your qi into it when you wish to return, and it will teleport you out of the realm immediately."
Kai turned the token over in his hand. "Interesting. What happens if I lose it?"
The disciple's expression grew serious. "Do not lose that token, Senior Brother. Without it, you'd have no way to return except by using a communication talisman to call for help or finding another disciple within the realm. Most disciples tend to avoid that realm, as for the ones who do, they don’t seem the type to offer any help…"
Kai nodded, storing the token securely into his inventory. "Understood. Can you tell me more about what I can expect inside?"
"Storm Peak is... intense,” the disciple replied. “The moment you enter, you'll feel the charge in the air. Lightning strikes are common, and the beasts there have adapted to harness that power."
"What kind of beasts are we talking about?" Kai asked, his curiosity piqued.
She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, there are the Storm Wolves – they love to hunt in packs, they could probably take down a Foundation Establishment cultivator with their teamwork. Another common type are Lightning Serpents, they are solitary but deadly. Oh, and watch out for the Thunder Birds. They may look small, but they pack quite a punch, and most disciples really struggle to outrun them."
"Anything else?"
"Well, there are rumors of a lightning dragon in the highest peaks, but no one's ever confirmed it. Probably just stories to scare the newbies."
A lightning dragon at Qi Refining Realm? Now that would be worth some serious XP.
"Any particular areas I should be aware of?"
The disciple nodded. "The realm is divided into three main zones. The outer ring is the safest, with weaker beasts and less frequent storms. As you move inward, both the creatures and the weather become more dangerous. At the center is the Eye of the Storm – I wouldn't recommend going there unless you're very confident in your abilities."
"Good to know," Kai said. "Anything else I should be prepared for?"
She thought for a moment. "The lightning there isn't just dangerous – it can also be beneficial. Some cultivators have reported breakthroughs after absorbing the natural energy of the realm. Just be careful not to overdo it."
Kai nodded. "Thanks for the tips. How long can I stay in the realm?"
"Standard time limit is three days. After that, the token will automatically bring you back. You can leave earlier if you want, of course."
"Got it," Kai said. He glanced at the dark portal. "So, how do I activate this thing?"
The disciple pointed to a small pedestal in front of the arch. "Place your token there. It'll open the portal. Step through, and you'll be in Storm Peak. Ready when you are."
Kai took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. He walked up to the pedestal, the token back in his hand. He placed it on the pedestal. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, suddenly the arch came to life. The empty space within filled with swirling, purplish energy.
Kai could hear the faint rumble of thunder from the other side. The hair on his arms stood up from the static electricity emanating from the portal.
He turned back to the disciple. "Guess I’ll see you in three days.”
The disciple gave him a smile. "Good luck in there. Try not to die."
"I don’t plan to,” Kai grinned.
With one last deep breath, he stepped forward into the portal. There was a moment of disorientation, a feeling of being stretched and compressed at the same time. Then, with a flash of light and the crack of thunder, Kai found himself standing on rocky ground.