A rush of pure life essence unlike any other Slifer had ever felt surged through him, leaving him gasping, "G-greater Immortal?" The intensity of the energy sent him into a state of euphoria so potent that focusing on anything else became a Herculean task.

But survival instincts kicked in, forcing his eyes wide open as he scanned his surroundings fearfully. A Greater Immortal... here? The thought was as terrifying as it was perplexing. Aren't they supposed to be in the Higher Realms, not meddling in the affairs of ants like me?

He half-expected the offended Immortal to materialize from the ether, delivering a slap potent enough to end his existence for the audacity of stealing even a sliver of their precious life essence.

Slifer knew all too well that none of his cards could save him from a Greater Immortal's wrath, Deadly Strike Card against a Greater Immortal? Might as well throw pebbles at a mountain.

Fight or flight? Both seem equally futile before such a being, he pondered grimly.

But as moments ticked by and no divine retribution descended upon him, Slifer's tense muscles began to relax. That's odd... he mused, his thoughts drifting back to Hughie. Could there be a connection?

Shaking his head, he decided to find out how much lifespan he gained.

Status!

Name: Slifer Race: Human Alignment: Demonic Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment Lifespan Remaining: 10 Years Karmic Credits: 5700 Skills: Insight (Basic) Items: Reversal Card, Peak Slifer Card, Whimsical Wind Card Abilities: Mirror Mastery: Level 1 Techniques: Sunrise Slash: Level 2, Stellar Nova Strike: Level 1 Weapon Mastery: Sword: 5%

0.000001% gave me a whole decade? Good heavens, what kind of monstrous longevity do these Greater Immortals have? Slifer mused, his eyes widening in disbelief. Man, if only that Greater Immortal had been feeling a tad more generous. A tiny bit more and I could've seen the next ice age!

His train of thought was cut short by a sharp pain that pierced through his chest. He quickly extended his spiritual sense inward, examining his body. There, he saw the chaotic swirl of Pseudo Origin Realm energy battering against the Qi Condensation Seal, which now showed alarming signs of fracturing.

Dammit, is this the backlash of clashing with Hughie's luck? He wondered, his thoughts punctuated by pain.

A barrage of System notifications popped up, but Slifer dismissed them with a flick of his mind. Doubled over in agony, he hurriedly opened the System Shop, seeking something—anything—that could stabilize the situation.

The following cards appeared before his eyes:

Qi Purge Seal: When activated, this seal creates a temporary pathway for the excess qi to flow out of the body. Cost: 500 Karmic Credits Qi Storm Dispersion Array: When activated, this array disperses the excess qi in the form of controlled energy storms. Cost: 700 Karmic Credits Qi Conversion Meditation: Convert the unstable qi into pure spiritual energy, accelerating cultivation progress. Cost: 1,000 Karmic Credits Qi Armor Manifestation: Gain the ability to manifest a protective qi armor around the body to enhance defense, strength and agility. Cost: 1,500 Karmic Credits

"Purging the Pseudo-Origin Realm Qi would be a waste," Slifer muttered under his breath. With risk comes reward, after all. The options to absorb the qi were tempting, promising an immediate breakthrough, but he knew it was an unnecessary shortcut with his Heaven Rank cultivation method and pills. If only it promised a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm...

Without any hesitation, he purchased the Qi Armor Manifestation. Without any Critical Block cards left, a reliable defense was paramount.

Stellar Nova Strike probably isn’t enough, he mused.

Activating the card, he felt the rampaging qi within him quell, transforming into a smoke-like Qi Armor. It enveloped him, creating a defensive shell at the Peak Nascent Soul level. The minute traces of Origin Realm energy, overwhelmed by the conversion, was lost in the process.

With his body only at the Body Tempering realm, the armor’s effect was clearly evident, he could already feel it enhancing his physical abilities. "With this, Core Formation cultivators shouldn't pose much of a threat," he muttered, a smirk forming on his lips. But as he moved, the armor fractured, fissures spreading across its smoky form until it dissipated into nothingness.

Slifer sighed, a touch of frustration in his voice. "Seems my body can't handle this armor for more than ten seconds." He shook his head, it seemed he would need to focus on body cultivation.

Slifer thought about the difference between body cultivators and their spiritual counterparts. Body cultivators tempered their flesh, bones, and blood through arduous and, more often than not, torturous training, transforming their very bodies into weapons.

As for spiritual cultivators, they sought internal harmony, meditating to refine their spiritual energy and Qi.

One path is like forging iron under relentless hammer blows, while the other is like nurturing a delicate flower, he mused.

He shuddered at the thought of undertaking the brutal regimen body cultivators endured.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

But if I want to extend the Qi Armor's duration, I have no choice but to strengthen my physique, he concluded. With a shake of his head, dismissing the unpleasant thoughts, he decided it was time to return to the sect. He reached out with his Soul Bond, calling for Val.

Within moments, he noticed the silhouette of the little dragon in the distance, flying quickly toward him. But something was amiss. Val's posture was slouched, her head lowered, wings drooping slightly – she had the look of a child who knew she'd done something wrong.

“What’s wrong, Val?” Slifer asked, though part of him wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

Val covered her face shyly with her wings, her body language screaming guilt.

Time to check the notifications, Slifer thought with a growing sense of dread. As he feared, he was met with multiple identical messages.

Ding! Your Disciple Has Attacked A Righteous Cultivator 120 Karmic Credits Have Been Deducted

Had it been one message, perhaps Slifer wouldn’t need to worry but attacking three righteous cultivators would definitely spell trouble.

"Val," Slifer sighed, rubbing his temples. "What did you do?"

Val peeked through her wings, her eyes big and round. "Pwomise Mastew won't be mad?"

Heaving another sigh, Slifer said, "Alright, I promise. What happened?"

Val looked up, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Val made wickle miswake. Now bad men chase Val."

Slifer's heart sank. Just what I needed. More trouble. However, seeing Val's earnest eyes, he couldn't find it in himself to scold her. "Alright, Master will deal with it," he said, forcing a smile.

I really hope it's something minor. It would be quite the scene if an Ascendant cultivator had to flee from 'lesser' cultivators.

His thoughts were interrupted by a distant shout. Looking up, Slifer saw a group of five Nascent Soul cultivators flying towards him, led by an old man whose aura suggested he was at the Origin Realm. Oh, Val, you’re going to be the death of me, Slifer internally groaned.

One of the Nascent Soul cultivators laughed derisively. "You finally gave up running," he taunted.

Another nodded in agreement, sneering, "Your master will pay for your sins, beast."

"You dare devour my grandson," a third accused, his voice thick with grief.

Realising that not even the last Peak Slifer card could save him from the situation, Slifer felt a tremor of fear threaten to shake his legs, but he held his ground, he knew that he had to give off the aura of an expert if he wanted to bluff his way out of the situation.

Behind him, Val cowered, peeking out from her hiding spot. "Mastew, mean men," she whispered, pointing a small talon at them.

The Nascent Soul cultivators paused as their leader raised his hand, he squinted at Slifer, sensing something familiar. As recognition dawned, his complexion turned ashen, and he plummeted to the ground, bowing his head in a submissive posture. "Forgive me! Forgive me!" he cried out in horror.

What just happened? Slifer's brow arched in surprise at the sudden turn of events.

Two hundred years ago, the old man remembered with a pang of fear. He had been ambushed by none other than Slifer. The attack was swift, merciless, and almost took his life. By a twist of fate and sheer luck, he managed to escape with his life, but his treasured Luminance Blade was left behind. That cherished heirloom, passed down through generations, was taken by Slifer, who then corrupted its pure nature and left it to gather dust for years before bestowing it upon one of his disciples as a casual gift.

Foolish! The old cultivator chastised himself. He had always intended to retrieve his family's blade and seek revenge on Slifer. But news that Slifer had advanced to the Ascendant realm changed everything. It's certain death to provoke an Ascendant, especially one as ruthless as Slifer, he agonized.

Seeing the old man's reaction, the Nascent Soul cultivators exchanged confused glances. Their leader, on his knees and begging for mercy? This was a sight none of them had expected.

"W-what are you doing, Sect Master?"

The old man, his forehead still pressed against the ground, motioned with his hand, urging his followers to mimic his actions. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he addressed Slifer, "Had I known the dragon was under the protection of Ascendant Slifer, I would have gladly sacrificed a few more disciples to appease her."

The surrounding cultivators began quaking in fear. They looked at each other with wide eyes, realization dawning on them. This is Master Slifer, the rumored new Ascendant cultivator? They thought collectively, cursing their rotten luck as they quickly followed their Sect Master's lead, dropping to the ground. As a smaller righteous sect, lacking an Ascendant cultivator of their own, they had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill of humiliation.

And who said I had dogshit luck? Slifer cleared his throat, giving them a displeased look that sent shivers down their spines. "My disciple informed me you were bullying her," he said slowly.

Their eyes widened at the mention of 'disciple.' It was truly unheard of for a beast to be considered a disciple, but given the unpredictable behavior of Ascendant cultivators, they dared not question his choice. In their desperation to appease, they began kowtowing fervently, their heads thudding against the hard ground with each bow, leaving red marks on their foreheads.

Feeling emboldened by the turn in events, Val puffed out her tiny chest proudly as she stood on Slifer’s shoulder.

"You bully Val!" she accused, trying to sound as righteous as possible.

The cultivators exchanged anxious glances. Bully? They thought incredulously. She was the one who attacked unprovoked!

They remembered how she'd ambushed a disciple in the forest, and when reinforcements arrived, she'd gobbled them up without hesitation. She had even made a snack out of an elder at the Nascent Soul realm! But they held their tongues, not daring to argue with the stubborn creature. With lowered heads, they mumbled, "Yes, we… bullied you."

Slifer, suppressing a smile, turned to Val. "How do you think they should be punished?" he asked.

Val's face scrunched up in thought. After a moment, she responded with an innocent pout, "Val weally hungwy."