I could feel my Qi flowing intensely within me, like an uncontrollable torrent seeking release. I was on the verge of taking the next step—becoming a half-step Foundation Establishment cultivator. All my effort, determination, and life up to this moment had led to this instant. I gathered every trace of Qi within me and channeled it through my meridians, focusing the flow in my stomach and mind.
The process was exhausting. I refined the Qi within my body, guiding it through the spirit meridian in my mind and the body meridian in my stomach. The room around me was filled with beast cores I had painstakingly collected over the course of a year. Of the initial two hundred, barely one hundred remained. All that time, risk, and effort seemed to vanish in an instant. But it didn't matter. Each core consumed transformed into a drop of refined power.
With the newly refined Qi, I drew even more from the cores, absorbing even low-quality Qi. I pushed my energy over and over, relentlessly refining it. The process felt endless. With each cycle, my Qi diminished, but its quality improved. Without the cores, I would have barely had enough Qi to progress.
Now came the most challenging step: purifying my meridians and stabilizing my core. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Slowly, my Qi moved toward the heart meridian, the connection between the physical and spiritual. I carefully tried to calm my mind. Emotion was dangerous at this stage; a single mistake could result in fatal loss of control. Once my emotions were under control, I began to unify the spiritual and physical Qi, using my feelings as a bridge to harmonize both flows.
It was a delicate act, like walking a tightrope. I surrounded my core with refined Qi while pushing from within with everything I had. I felt it grow, expanding beyond its natural limits. Most would have stabilized their core at this point, ensuring a safe balance. But I couldn't settle for that. I chose the riskier path, forcing my core to grow beyond its intended capacity, accepting that the resulting Qi would be unstable and harder to control.
My decision had a price. The tension in my body increased with every passing second, an almost unbearable pressure that seemed to crush my chest and heart. My meridians strained like ropes on the verge of snapping, and exhaustion began clouding my thoughts. Each minute drained not only my Qi reserves but also the remaining cores scattered around my room. The floor was littered with broken fragments, the remnants of those precious resources.
With what little Qi I had left, I decided to take one final desperate measure. I converted that energy into a barrier around my core—a temporary shield that would, hopefully, last a few days. But I knew this solution was risky: pushing my core too far in this state could mean not only the collapse of my progress but also the end of my life.
With a trembling sigh, I opened my eyes. My room was dimly lit, faintly illuminated by the residual glow of the cores. My hands trembled slightly as I tried to steady my breathing. I felt the weight of the danger I had faced, but also the satisfaction of knowing I had taken another step forward on my path.
"I barely made it…" I murmured, though my exhaustion reduced my voice to little more than a whisper. I hadn't yet fully reached Foundation Establishment, but I knew I was closer than ever. However, this power was a double-edged sword. If I didn't stabilize my core soon, everything would end before it truly began.
Suddenly, a sound broke the silence. It was a bell ringing in the distance—a sound that shouldn't have rung at this hour. With my exhaustion still clouding my senses, I turned toward the door. As I did, I felt a pull from my core, a vibration that rippled through my entire body.
Ding!
At that very moment, something ignited in my mind. It wasn't a voice or a presence, but rather something activating—something I had never felt before. A diagram appeared in my mind, floating like a projection, displaying my abilities, resources, and potential. Everything was so clear, so immediate, as if the system had awakened at that exact moment.
[SYSTEM]: "Welcome, Yumen Ji. Supreme Illusions System activated."
A series of notifications appeared, floating before my eyes. The information was precise, almost technical, yet somehow intuitive. I understood everything instantly.
Status – Yumen Ji
• Name: Yumen Ji
• Cultivation Level: Foundation Establishment, mid-tier
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• Total Qi: 15,000 / 3,750 (25% of total remaining)
• Secondary Qi: Infinite storage capacity, dependent on active followers for the amount stored.
• Physical State: Exhausted, extreme weakness.
• Mental State: Fatigued, but with renewed determination.
• Followers: 0
Available Resources:
• Beast Cores: 0 remaining.
• Thousand Crowns [mortal currency].
• Detecting belongings…
Active Skills:
Realistic Touch (Level 1):
Grants the ability to imbue objects with illusions using Qi. When another person touches the object, the illusion activates, covering a defined range as long as the user maintains contact.Range: 10 meters.Cost: 100 Qi per minute of activation.
Abilities Overview:
Limited Capacity: Illusions only affect individuals of the same cultivation level or lower.Status (Level 1):Passive skill that monitors your physical condition and the state of your active abilities.Displays stats for Qi, health, and skill efficiency.Basic Qi Control (Level 1):Enables redirection of Qi through meridians with basic efficiency.Cost: None, but prolonged use may lead to dependency on this ability.
Available Techniques:
Mental Manipulation Illusion (Level 1):
Alters people's perception, creating illusions to confuse or momentarily control them.Range: 5 meters.Cost: 500 Qi for every 30 seconds of use.Effective against cultivators of the same level or up to 2 levels higher.Illusionist's Instinct (Level 1):Advanced intuition for crafting effective illusions and detecting others' illusions at a massive cost of 1,000 Qi per minute.Passive Effect: Improves negotiations and manipulation.Cost: None, but requires constant focus to be effective.
Qi Conversion:
Follower Qi Conversion:10 Qi/minute is generated by each active follower under your illusions.Rest Conversion:Gain an additional 10 Qi per day of not using illusions, provided followers remain active.
I knew everything I saw was a tool inscribed deep within my being. This system wasn't a gift or inheritance, but it didn't matter where it came from. What mattered was the potential it offered.
With what little strength I had left, I crawled across the floor, leaving a trail through the residual dust of beast cores. Carefully, I shifted a loose floorboard to reveal my most precious treasure.
I found it: a potion wrapped in a Qi-suppressing talisman. This was my lifeline—a grade-two, mid-rank restoration potion. Its value was incalculable at my low level. It was worth five houses or a thousand high-grade Qi crystals. In terms of Qi, it was a fortune—roughly two hundred thousand crowns in total.
I couldn't afford to lose this. My core was still damaged, but with a clear plan in mind, I convinced myself I could recover my investment in five months—if I was lucky. This resource was among the hundred rarest in the entire sect at my level.
With trembling hands, I removed the talisman protecting the potion. My breath quickened; I didn't know if it was because of the system I had just awakened or the sheer fear of the unknown. But for some reason, I instinctively knew what to do. Every step, every movement, felt natural, as if something deep within me was guiding my actions.
Without further hesitation, I uncorked the potion. The sweet, slightly bitter aroma filled my lungs, sparking an overwhelming sense of urgency. "Now, it's all or nothing," I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible.
With a final sigh, I brought the bottle to my lips and let the warm liquid flow down my throat. Instantly, I felt a surge of vitality spreading through my body, slowly filling the voids left by exhaustion. But this was only the first step.
The warmth intensified, becoming a pressure that wrapped around my core. I knew what was coming: the pain. My body trembled in anticipation, and my remaining strength wasn't enough to keep me upright. I collapsed, face down on the floor, as the world around me blurred into darkness.
My last thought before losing consciousness was a blend of hope and fear. If this didn't work, it would be the end.
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author's note
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Hello, readers!
This is my first work set in a world of Qi and other elements, so I'm not sure how it will turn out, but I hope you like it. I must admit that I don't consider myself a great writer, so don't expect too much, but I'll do my best.
The release of chapters will be a bit slow, as I enjoy creating the system and the world—like the realms, sects, and animals—more than directly writing the chapters. However, I'll try to be consistent and stay active.
I apologize if the first chapter feels rushed. I never know how to start the story or how the character would react in certain situations. Sometimes, I find it easier to do this after the first few chapters. I'll be brief in some cases and a bit forced in others, but I will try to justify it within the story.