A Raid Boss.

An experience that teaches a group what happens when you don’t have good coordination. Leadership. Teamwork.

And most importantly, the ability to plan, but adapt to sudden changes.

Which is why I wake up the leaders of the three groups. Xu Ah, Sofia, and Shi Ji.

As I bring them to the center courtyard, they seem quite confused, but ready to respond to whatever I have planned for the day before I leave.

“You all may be wondering why I’ve called you out at this time of night. As you know, everyone in the group has achieved at least the first rank of Qi Condensation. Having learned at least one defense, attack, and escape technique. Along with one coordinated group technique. With each person having a decent proficiency in each.”

I turn to Sofia.

“Your group, of course, learned the physical medical techniques, and the basic cultivation healing technique.”

They give each other a look and a cautious nod to me. It seems they realize that this is leading to something.

“You all did an excellent job in motivating everyone to do so and, as you already know, are the leaders meant to keep everyone together.

“Today, I’ll be having you all experience your first group battle. Against me.”

I can hear a bird chirp in the far distance, it’s so silent.

Sofia is the one to speak up first at this.

“Master… are you sure? You may be at a higher rank than most of everyone else, but there are several Foundation Establishment members and even Jin Chin and I, who are in Core Formation. We all know of the restrictions on your method, as you told us before. Even with your identity as an alchemist and tamer, I don’t see how you could win against 800 of us at once.”

I give her a smile that I have given no one else in this world.

An arrogant one.

“You guys are unfamiliar with how strong I really am… you haven’t even seen a piece of my true power.”

I always wanted to say that.

She hesitates and falls silent. It seems she has her own thoughts about the situation.

I give a nod before I give them tips on how to prepare everyone and when to meet at the arena.

As they rush toward the towers to grab everyone, I finish the preparations at the arena and the surrounding area.

In about 30 minutes, they’ve gathered all 800+ people in the dark arena. Considering its size, the entire group still doesn’t take up any space within it. Just after midnight, all lights within the structure have been extinguished, enveloping the massive space in complete darkness.

Even I can feel the nervous air pulsing throughout the group as they stand here, waiting for me to speak. I oblige this.

“Everyone. Thank you for coming at this time of night. I’m sure you’ve already been told what I expect of you, but I will give you a quick primer before we begin.”

I give a pause, before continuing.

“You all will be fighting me and looking to ‘kill’ me three times, representing three stages. What this means is putting me in a state of death, which may be headlessness or a state of helpless dormancy.

“Of course, I will not have you be risking and spending your qi without reason. As a reward for everyone here, I will give each of you a qi condensing pill for participating in this. If you all manage to beat all three stages, then I will give you a second pill.”

A huge amount of excited murmurs ring throughout everyone in the group. The qi condensing pill can be used to enter the Qi Condensation realm or, if already in it, rocket through multiple stages. Something that anyone below Foundation Establishment would kill for. Having two of them would guarantee that they can reach peak Qi Condensation.

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Normally, I wouldn’t ever be able to give out something like this. But like many things, I have an alternate way of creating these pills. I can grind down spirit stones to make them, which is a dangerous process because of its random and high reactivity as an ingredient.

My scan makes that trivial to predict. An easy problem and solution.

However, the group now boasts several powerful members, along with two Core Formation experts. I have not forgotten them, either.

“For those of you in the Foundation Establishment or higher realms, I will give you all a wandering ghost pill. With the same additional pill if you win.

“As the informed here might know, it will allow you to do one of two things: fortify your cultivator soul, allowing you to better resist spiritual pressure or soul-based attacks; or make a connection with a soul spirit beast/creature.”

The field goes still, as this is indeed worthy of shock.

Wandering ghost pills is an extremely precious commodity.

To where even the larger sects typically only give them to their core disciple tiers. For a sect like ours, it is even more precious. The ingredients are extremely rare and the alchemy solution is difficult, even for a core formation alchemy expert.

…

But there is another way to make them.

One that isn’t well known, but theoretically possible.

Tearing open your cultivator soul to make a connection to the soul realm, then mixing the energies and reagents from it with several grinded superior stones to make a batch of pills.

As could be expected, this absolutely devastates the cultivator soul and thus their future. Making them unable to cultivate and go mad physically, mentally, and spiritually.

But not for me.

I can heal these wounds, as I did back in the hospital room with the Sect Elder, Sister Nuan, and the Head Librarian.

Adding to that, there are certain benefits for me to opening up my cultivator soul. It will let me contact the creatures still residing in my personal soul realm, the Bie You Lings.

Those giant half-turtle, half-human demon women would have been cultivating there for a while and while they were Foundation Establishment when I left, the time difference between here and there is immense. A month out here is hundreds of years in there.

There is a huge possibility they are now Core Formations. Especially since I can still feel the contract even now, since I agreed to continuously heal them. I just can’t communicate through the soul barrier.

I also have the giant swamp with eldritch creatures nurturing it, still growing within. Those… I might leave alone, as they will still need time to adapt to human sensibilities.

After my words, there is a huge layer of anticipation and potential doubt in the air.

Everything I’ve said is a massive claim, so I will need some backing. Which is why I called for a reliable backer to verify my words.

“I understand all of this is hard to believe, so I’ve invited Senior Song to verify my words and confirm when I’ve been ‘killed’”.

I look above us, in the sky where she’s been floating on her sword. There are a few gasps, as many of them hadn’t even noticed her because she had hidden her presence.

Her resulting and clear nod toward my words causes a wave of near frantic talking that is no longer at the level of whispers or murmurs.

This has just gotten real for them.

With a look toward Sister Nuan, she soars high above the arena, throwing her hand in the air. A massive shining semi-circle forms around the entire arena, all with the slight image of interlocking swords.

A privacy and defense shield. Aimed against both inside and outside actions.

She looks down, giving me the signal to end this with a few words.

Time to start the show.

“With that. We begin… now.”

There’s a half second pause before I lower my healing on everyone to a minimal level, to the point where they can still survive a fatal blow, but not recover.

And then drop all the safeguards I’ve had on my spiritual pressure.

PWHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

20,736 units of Qi cause spirit pressure equal to a Mid-Core Formation expert to descend upon everyone here. A bluish-purple aura forms around me, extending out tens of meters.

In an instant, over 600 people, all within Qi Condensation, drop to the ground, coughing blood and having numerous internal injuries. All 153 Foundation Establishments are knocked prone, unable to move, with only Sofia and Jin Chin being able to handle the pressure.

Looks of fear and despair crosses everyone’s faces, as they soon realize that this isn’t a simple fight.

I’m quite proud to see that there are a few leaders in the group, like Xu An and others who, despite only being in Foundation Establishment, have instantly worked together to create a defense formation, that eases the spiritual pressure on everyone. Seeing the progress, more and more people join in, strengthening it.

The healing/hospital squads immediately get to work on healing anyone and everyone with injuries.

All the while, I stand there.

My arms crossed, with a cocky grin. The air shivering and shifting with a rainbow of colors from the sheer amount of qi I’m outputting.

But two challengers appear.

Sofia and Jin Chin. Two Core Formation experts.

They take a look at each other, with Jin Chin nodding at Sofia. She surges forward alone, without her weapons. Just with her fist. Her body literally flashes before me in an instant.

But to her sudden burst of speed and appearance, there’s only one emotion I feel resonates within me.

Disappointment.

My scan activates, my aura condenses, and a hand flashes out in an instant. Catching her fist in mine and twisting it behind her back, as if she were a child.

“You’ve fucked up.”

And I spin using the momentum, throwing her across the field like a bullet, right into the giant shield wall.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

The shield wall shudders with the impact.

Everyone just watches her body fall a great distance to the ground. Limp, with no movement.

JAMES DELINION

Body Cultivation, Comparable Tier: Mid Core Formation