At the first sign of daylight, as the hours past the party turns 5, I exercised in the Outer Court Training Field.
"Have you heard? Lin Che promoted to an outer disciple."
"The Trashiest Trial Disciple actually promoted?"
"It's probably just fluke. He won't luck his way out as an outer disciple. He'll be stuck for all his life. What he did to offend young master Hu will bring him misfortune", Hu the fak?
I have a blank look in my expression, it seems that a 'plotline' is starting to form. While I'm not overly concerned, I had my assets to survive anything in the category of early game, needless to say, hidden figures still reside in the sect, they're restricted in their own right. This is also the reason why the Son of Heaven can thrive so much— This is why I can thrive as I have.
Incorporating the exercises coming from the Earth, I did repetitions for muscular strength and endurance, cardiovascular endurance, balance, and flexibility. It was all for a well rounded and conditioned body. In a way, this is the new warm-ups for martial artists and I'm the only one with the best knowledge, unlike those who skip on leg day and can't do proper forms, I can execute these— even if not precise—with accuracy.
Then for the next 3 hours were dedicated to diligent practice of my martial arts. The next thing I did was secretly copy other people's martial arts.
In this time frame, I also zoned out and thought about a lot of things.
New Feature: Status Extension - Psyche
New System Hint: Beyonder Characteristics have passive traits and active applications, These are then named as Skills in the System. Skills are both Passive and Active.
Because of my promotion, the system gave me a few boons such as giving me more into my status. I can now see my mental state, my madness, my emotions, and much more.
The LotM system seems to also have provided me a hint about the powers in Lord of the Mysteries. It is helpful to discover more about the usage of my abilities and how to apply them.
With the hint, I now know that passive abilities that I know in lord of the mysteries have an active use to them while active abilities might come with their own passive boons.
It was like my Weapon Proficiency as a Warrior. Whenever I fight, I happen to get better and better at using my weapon, but there is also a feature I noticed where I easily learn how to wield weapons even if I'm not wielding them, as long as I read enough theoretical knowledge.
In that aspect, I had tried different weapons in the Outer Court Training Field. I found significant results.
Because of this, I began analysing things. Warrior's Physique would give me supernatural strength and endurance but it may have changed my body entirely to enhance my normal body limiters.
Unlike how you had to have a body technique to surpass your limits, the new physique I had can pass of as a typical talent that cultivators possess, who can become stronger than others in the same realm due to their respective bottlenecks.
Like Weapon Proficiency, Combat Proficiency and Armory Proficiency work the same way. I also fixed my problem in switching between martial arts, I can now somewhat seamlessly take to one martial art to another. Unfortunately, switching weapons in the middle isn't a technique I've mastered.
I thought of it, and it didn't execute. I can't do anything about it at the moment.
Spiritual Sense needed me to spread my abundant spirituality to sense people and things going on around. I don't know what it will do passively though.
Heightened Senses naturally sounded passive so I began activetely using my senses and I felt like I was stupid, people usually don't process all the information their senses pick up. I can actively focus on one of my senses and the performance of it skyrockets. As for how it relates to a Midnight Poet, I now realize it pertains to the poet side of things.
I also have a feeling that Midnight Poem doesn't just improve my voice. And that was probably my Nightly Intuition at play. I could probably actively use Nightly Intuition as inspiration when making poems, I think that's the whole point that specific ability exists.
Evernight would naturally alter my brain clock and keep me awake, but I can also resist the temptation of my natural urge to sleep, giving me more days to stay up, essential for some missions— a conjecture I came up with for a Sleepless.
Night vision is starting to become more than its name portrays so I'll pay close attention to its active ability tonight.
My Evening Spirituality and Nocturnality are a mystery to me when it comes to their active ability. I also have to see later.
Other abilities, I'll have to try out when I get to it. The Death Pathway isn't usually used at these parts.
Concerning the affairs of the Sect, while the Son of Heaven is rising, I can 'usurp' benefits using the team I gathered.
The Fated are a weird force to deal with so I have to keep myself on my toes, I can't think they're all gullible and I sure can't hope they're all benevolent.
Thank my foresight that I befriended Lin Che...Che... Scum Che... no, he's different, I'll make sure to take care of it if events were to happenstance to that result.
True to the protagonist style, he has the cliché blue hair. Third brother somehow also has strange colored hair, brown-orange like Sun Copper, a metal I once saw engraved on artistic displays. I also heard it is a good metal for alchemist's cauldrons.
I seriously want to resist calling Third brother a Sun Wukong but he's more like a battle thirsty Thor of the MCU.
*breathe*
*swoosh*
If Third brother looks like a typical martial artist then Second brother fits the form of a green tea boyfriend. I think Second brother's fiancé hit the jackpot rather than the other way around. I don't prefer the long hairstyle but Second brother always wore that look, his . If he hadn't been linked in promised matrimony, I'd say that he'd belong among the eunuchs or scholars and people would still hear rumors of getting it on with Second brother, I have to admit that my former self would be kind of jealous.
Fourth brother might actually be the plainest among us, but he does has the temperament of an authorities figure, with regal and royal mannerisms, I've read and observed about it— gathering tips for any eventual event of contact with the royalty.
Ah, right, Fourth brother hit it off well with Sister Wan, albeit somewhat awkwardly. I'm not sure how it will pan out and I'm going to stay out on whether he's successful or not cause I ain't a prick. It's better that Sister Wan finds someone before I lay my clutches on her.
Back in the party Shi Zhenxiang tried to talk to Deying Wan, "Sister Wan, I haven't seen you since a year and half over back. Time sure flies, have you encountered any trouble in cultivation?", When he said he hadn't met her for so long, he meant did not in fact know how to talk to her, usually he would put up the persona of a pervert, but it happened that he did not want to put up such a face in front of her.
Zhengxiang was without a doubt charmed by the cold beauty. He can remember the feeling he caught like it was yesterday. Deying Wan nods reservedly, "Brother Zhengxiang, I'm actually thinking of breaking through the Late Qi Condensation Realm before the Outer Disciple Tournament. I know this is much to ask but can you do me a favor and reserve some Ice Condensation Pills?"
Zhenxiang paused slightly and thoughtfully asked, "You needed pills? The Crafts Hall doesn't usually refine attribute specific pills and top quality pills of the same products are even harder to find. Do you know of this?"
"Yes, Brother Li Yong recommended you, he said he'd put in a good word for me and have us meet.", The girl explains like it is an obvious thing.
"How nice...", Zhenxiang almost coughed out slight disgruntlement knowing full well that Li Yong did jack shit but stopped himself knowing that the party itself was proposed by that beyonder, rather the alchemist was being spoon-fed a courting opportunity so he wasn't going to complain, "I'm going to ask Elder Lao, I could buy them for you."
"Thank you, I can pay you back in spirit stone.", Deying Wan was about to stand up and give a full half bow but Zhenxiang interrupted.
"No, you can have it for free.", He says as a matter of a fact.
"Really? I can't just do nothing to repay you", The girl did not do well with favors as she usually finds a way to pay them back in the end. Such as the likes of Li Yong.
"Yes, err, I don't really need any qi stones, please accept them.", Zhenxiang gives a fiddly smile.
"But-"
"I don't want my favor to go to waste so how about you show me how strong you've become in the tournament?", He straightened his posture and crossed his arms while giving his answer.
Deying Wan pondered about it and gives Zhenxiang a sincere gaze, "Alright."
While Li Yong, the new Midnight Poet, did not particularly focus on listening in, his hearing was improved by magnitude due to his advancement, making it function out of control, especially in the night. He didn't do anything nor reacted to them however as he knew what and who to focus on. Being the host of the party, he kept the others in conversation.
"Hey, First Brother, what do you think Fourth Brother and Sister Wan talking about?", Su Junjie, points from their small group to the other side of the table.
"Why not have Third brother go and ruin their moment by asking them?", Li Yong smiles provocatively.
"Nevermind...", The nosy disciple decided to reign his curiosity.
"Haha! Let's just leave them alone. Actually, tell us, First Brother, how did you and the girls meet?", Second brother, Wu Zirui changes the subject and inquired about another topic of interest. Ruiyu Ai stiffens, having not been used to keeping secrets; She felt like the 'secret Midnight Church' would be exposed. Shengai on the other hand merely smiles, her eyes upturned behind her blindfold, knowing what's about to come next.
"Alas, I will tell you a tale of tragedy and passion~", The acting poet declared, preparing to string along lies within his story.
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On the other hand, I'm not too keen on not trying my chances either. Once again, there are political troubles, which in a pragmatic angle, Fourth brother could totally handle— that said, he's in too deep in his own troubles. Makes one think why he does the extra mile for girls when he's supposed to court one of the royalty.
On the other other hand, I also wouldn't shy away when I already have a demonic cultivator infiltrating the sect. It wouldn't be fit to say, let the best man win, but rather, all is fair in love and war.
I buckle on my knees as my hands clasp on the kneecaps. I regulate my breathing, this is considerable progress. 1 hour and half straight is usually when I drop and pass out, you have to trust me on this one since I haven't passed out exercising before.
My body indeed became that resilient. I can push myself to my limits all the time now, maybe even further. The potential benefits just keep coming.
My muscles are burning by every breath I take, Standing is a hard and keeping form is more so. More, more, more.
---
Tired, completely tired, who can even exercise like this everyday?
...I hate it that I can name a lot of people who can. I sit up before moving to the side where I kept a bag, I took out the leather skin container from inside, it held water.
*gulp*, "Is this the taste of success? It smells of sweat and arid air, well maybe the part about the air was an exaggeration. The sect does its effort to make a suitable environment for martial artists to exercise therefore the outer training court wasn't dry, rather the hot sun just seems to make it that way.
This is why it's a curse, I read about this information in the library, now I have to spend the rest of my life remembering this tidbit of information whenever I feel parched after practice.
Digressing from my tangent, I think about my next 'Main Pathway' as I shifted my focus to my status. From what I can understand, the Main Pathway is a chosen pathway like how I chose the Darkness Pathway. Then if certain conditions are met, I would inevitably gain the neighboring Pathways.
Because of this, I suddenly realized a few things.
1. I need ALL of my Main Pathways to reach a certain level N
2. I need ALL of my Neighboring Pathways to reach a certain level N - 1
3. If I need ALL of my Main Pathways to reach a certain level N, I would need to choose a Main Pathway that I'm most compatible among the Above the Sequence.
4. If I need ALL of my Neighboring Pathways to reach a certain level N - 1, I would need to be able to do the Acting Method for all of the Neighboring Pathways that surround my Main Pathways.
That sounds like reiterations but these four mean my conditions are stricter than I initially anticipated.
At first I thought.
1. I should choose a pathway that I can use my acting method
But now it's changed.
1. I should choose the best pathway that I can use the acting method the most. (This is so that I can unlock more Main Pathways)
2. The pathway's neighboring pathways must also a possibility of
3. If I choose a pathway with a lot of neighboring pathways then my progress with slow down early on, but if I choose it later then a stump will occur on my progress in the latter parts.
A lot of sequenced are therefore eliminated, I can't act as a Sailor so God Almighty is out of the picture, Assassin too so Calamity of Destruction is a no go, Criminal for the same reason, Father of Devils locked.
What are left is Lord of the Mysteries, Demon of Knowledge, Key of Light, Goddess of Origin and The Anarchy.
...I should pick out unsuitable pathways, Key of Light's Wheel of Fortune Pathway, although its only one pathway, I can't just have it because of how luck based it is. As a Monster, I might have to act a bit insane while acting as a Robot, from what I can tell, is similar to a Clown with incredible precision.
As for The Anarchy, acting as a Lawyer might bring me some trouble, it's a pathway of corruption after all. I have to also act as an Arbiter too, which would push me to do a lot of enforcement, and the last thing I want to do is offend random people at the start.
Now I should consider my situation from different angles...
Financially, I would bankrupt myself as an Apothecary, I could struggle and then make profit, leading to a smooth business but acting as a Planter would also take a lot of time, actually, it sounds like it would take a long time...
Lord of the Mysteries will have me acting as a Seer to the disciples. I might even have to steal from random people outside the sect... would that prompt people to send a Shadow Hall request on me? But I'm really confident in my ability to act as an Apprentice though...
Demon of Knowledge, I can act as a Savant by making and researching, no wait... I might have already pre acted this in my last life too. Well, I wasn't an engineer but I did study for STEM...not that I wanted to be part of that field... As for acting as a Mystery Pryer, there were tons of things I could find in the Scripture Hall, which is much more discreet than being a charlatan-like Seer...
...Hayst, it's decided then. Demon of Knowledge.
Then which one, Savant of Mystery Pryer? Right, I have that deal with Ms. Dahlia. I can also have a go ahead with the Paragon of Creation.
[Paragon Pathway has been chosen]
[Starting Sequence 9: Savant]
Knowledge, all the random and rich experience I learned went back to me. Those that I forgotten since I graduated from college and more, I thank the keyboard sages for their bountiful wisd- shit a lot of them spread misinformation. I have to sift through the information later.
[
* Paragon Pathway: Savant Lv.70/100
Knowledge Recall Lv. 90/100
- Remember all theoretical knowledge if willed.
Theoretical Processing Lv. 80/100
- Improves the ability to not only digest knowledge but how to apply it.
Savant Experiment Lv.60/100
- Improved ability to execute theoretical knowledge smoothly.
Genius Aptitude Lv. 50/100
- Improved talent for creation.
]
And as my first thoughts as a Savant, I had a eureka moment. Since the system already pointed out that there are passive and active effects to my abilities...
[
* Paragon Pathway: Savant Lv.70/100
Knowledge Recall Lv. 90/100
Passive:
- All theoretical knowledge learned is retained.
Active:
- Easily remember all theoretical knowledge if willed.
Theoretical Processing Lv. 80/100
Passive:
- Improves the ability to not only digest knowledge but how to apply it.
Active:
- Can sift out key information and intuitively apply it for technical purposes.
Savant Experiment Lv.60/100
Passive:
- Able to refine pre-experiment and efficiently deduce lessons post-experiment.
Active:
- Improved ability to execute theoretical knowledge smoothly.
Genius Aptitude Lv. 50/100
Passive:
- Improved talent for creation.
Active:
- Enables to make ideas out of theoretical knowledge.
]
Amazing, my genius is unparrale- right Genius Aptitude is only Lv.50 out of all the 4 abilities. I would be an idiot to assume I'm a genius...but then that also leaves me concluding that I'm an idiot...
Then for the rest.
[
* Darkness Pathway: Midnight Poet Lv. 21/300
* Nocturnality Lv.110/200
Passive:
- Increase physical and mental capabilities proportional to the night.
Active:
- Drawing power from the night increases power and spirituality even more.
* Night Vision Lv.110/200
Passive:
- Visual Ability in darkness.
Active:
- Increase vision range and acuity in the dark.
* Evening Spirituality Lv.110/200
Passive:
- Large increase to spirituality.
Active:
- Drawing out mental reinforcement in the night, cancelling sleepiness and the potency of spirituality.
* Evernight Lv.110/200
Passive:
- Increased duration of staying awake without sleeping.
Active:
- The body and mind are kept active, keeping up with bodily injury, weakness, and mental taxation.
* Midnight Poem Lv.15/200
Passive:
- Emotion induced spirituality brings about different effects.
Active:
- Spells are cast using spirituality imbued in the medium of sounds, forming poems.
* Spiritual Sense Lv.10/200
Passive:
- Nearby incoming danger is passively felt as a revelation through the Spirit World due to spirituality abundance
* Heightened Senses Lv.10/200
Passive:
- Physical and mental senses are enhanced.
Active:
- Focusing on a sense increases the effectiveness of the sense for the duration of the focus.
* Nightly Intuition Lv.15/200
Passive:
- More susceptible and in-tune with night.
Active:
- Drawing inspiration from the night, enables the creation of various poems usable for Midnight Poem.
* Twilight Giant Pathway: Warrior Lv.20/100
* Warrior's Physique Lv.15/100
Passive:
- Extraordinary physical capabilities and the physique's physical upper limit or ceiling increases.
Active:
- The body continuously increases in strength through rigorous
* Weapon Proficiency Lv.15/100
Passive:
- Knowledge relating to weapons are easily incorporated into practical application.
Active:
- Active use of weapons such as in battle increases battle IQ and continuously refines the used weapon's proficiency.
* Armory Proficiency Lv.15/100
Passive:
- Knowledge relating to armors are easily incorporated into practical application.
Active:
- Active use of armor such as in battle increases battle IQ and continuously refines the used armor's proficiency.
* Combat Proficiency Lv.15/100
Passive:
- Knowledge relating to martial arts are easily incorporated into practical application.
Active:
- Active use of combat such as in battle increases battle IQ and continuously refines the used martial art's proficiency.
* Death Pathway: Corpse Collector Lv.13/100
* Corpse Characteristics Lv.6/100
Passive:
- Natural features that are recognized as part of the dead by undead creatures and spirits.
Active:
- Able to give off a gloomy presence and lower body temperature than it already is.
* Corpse Autopsy Lv.6/100
Passive:
- Wounds and bodily injuries are quickly identified under perception and so are the characteristics of the undead.
Active:
- Examinations done to corpses reveal characteristics such as cause of death, ailments, conditions, and characteristics of the corpse.
* Spirit Vision Lv.6/100
Passive:
- Not to be confused with a Seer's Spirit Vision, enables to sense spiritual bodies nearby.
Active:
- Opening Spirit Vision allows the perception of spiritual bodies such as evil spirits, wraiths, and other ghostly entities.
* Necrotic Resistance Lv.6/100
Passive:
- The effect of cold, decay, and corrosiveness are less effective.
Active:
- Resistance and struggle against cold, decay, and corrosiveness strengthens immunity, allowing the body to function normally albeit under said conditions.
]
Looking through everything, I internalized the information, knowing more how to utilize every asset I have.
...I knew those in the Darkness Pathway were OP but damn, the overlap of several abilities working in the night completely changes my perspective of it all.
Alright, no time to waste.
----------------------------------------
"Junior brother Li Yong, you're just on time. What do you think about teaming up with disciple Xiaosi, disciple Yingjie, and disciple Zhaohui? They need more help for this request."
"Can I please see the request first?"
"Here it is.", There is a request to kill a demonic cultivator has been found to have fled towards a city, possibly going in the direction back to their demonic sect. They specialize in escape and speed, which might be the reason why I qualify in the team despite the mention of the cultivator's cultivation to be Qi Condensation.
Hm, maybe senior Heiyin got word of my Qi Condensation slaying exploits?
"I see, it is a bit dangerous but I can help here. Thank you senior brother Heiyin", I cup my palm on my other fist, giving a full half bow towards my senior.
"As long as you get the job done.", Long Heiyin grunts an affirmation but I could catch the seriousness in his tone which depicted not of someone who belittled but of responsibility. I guess that's why he's put in charge behind the counter. It's not just stamps and paper process.
Before I could ask where, Heiyin cut me off, "They are over there, come with me."
"Xiaosi, Yingjie, Zhaohui, this is disciple Gu Yue Li Yong.", I greet them normally.
"Li Yong, these are the Cao brothers, disciple Cao Xiaosi and Cao Yingjie; There is also disciple Zhao Zhaohui.", They also responded positively.
"I will leave all of you to it. There better not be any mishaps in this mission, we are disciples of the Steel Fortress Sect, we have the responsibility as part of an orthodox sect to destroy all demonic practitioners.", Does that mean Ruiyu Ai has to commit seppuku? No way.
"Nice to meet you all, fellow disciples, what do you prefer I call all of you? You may call me junior Li Yong if you want to keep formalities.", I suggested.
"Hm, I don't think there should be a sense of seniority between us. How about I call you disciple Li Yong?", Zhaohui responded with humility
"Isn't calling each other by disciples mean that the demonic cultivator might identify us?", I rebuttal
"Brother, disciple Li Yong makes a good point, should we call each other just by our names?", The Cao brother Xiaosi agreed.
"I don't mind brother, Li Yong.", The disciple Yingjie turns to me.
"Yes, Yingjie?", He nods.
"Then call me Zhaohui too.", Zhaohui joins in.
"Ok.", I give a thumbs up, "Have any of you have experiencing in hunting down demonic cultivators?"
All of either shook their head or shrugged their shoulders.
"I've only barely killed one through a hard struggle and I was held back by my cultivation. I'm at Early Qi Gathering, close to breaking through to Middle Qi Gathering.", I probably only need tonight to cultivate and I pretty much breakthrough.
[Name: Gu Yue Li Yong
Body: Middle Body Transformation Lv.03/75
Qi: Early Qi Gathering Lv.70/75
Soul: Early Soul Condensing Lv.01/75
Combat Technique: Iron Joints Combat Lv.100/100, Ember Knuckles Lv.100/100, Tao Dew Shield Lv.60/100, Earthen Indomitable (Incomplete) Lv.5/53, Wind Cloud Steps (Incomplete) Lv.7/32
Body Cultivation Technique: Black Iron Scripture Lv.100/100, White Iron Scripture (Incomplete) Lv.4/69
Qi Cultivation Technique: Copper Gourd Lv.96/300]
Oh, the martial arts I picked up were registered. Reasonably that it's incomplete, you can't learn martial arts from people who haven't even mastered it themselves. Maybe some people can? It's impossible for me to do it.
"Unbelievable, you killed a Qi Condensation at Qi Gathering?"
"You would be surprised to know that this happens a lot according to the records in the Scripture Hall. As long as our group has the advantage in skill sets, we can outperform the demonic cultivator and kill them."
"Wow, Li Yong, you seems so used to killing. Were you trained beforehand?"
I pause a bit...huh, acts of murder huh? I've done much worse, "I was a hunter's child before the sect. The harsh environment trained me to be really strong.", They nod, fully convinced...or was it because I was black? No, my muscles were clearly defined, I spell the definition of the grind.
"Anyone thinking of leading this group?", They all stare at me as if it were a matter of a fact.
...
"Wait seriously?... Alright. You're all in good hands.", Mine weren't exactly good either way. Maybe this is where charisma gets me, unlike the shoddy disposition of a typical main character.