Even with the embarrassment fron that time, joy filled my heart as I made a quick breakthrough to the peak of 2nd Stage Qi Condensation. I really thought it wouldn't take long to reach Foundation Establishment.
Oh, how wrong I am to have assumed that!
The next day after that, I've reached the middle grade for the 3rd Stage Qi Condensation Realm. On the day that followed, I've only increased a single grade in the 3rd Stage. Fourth day of my attempt with my Second Superior Cultivation and I only reached the peak of 3rd Stage.
It took me two days following that to reach the 4th Stage of Qi Condensation Realm.
Each time I broke through to a higher grade, the qi pathways I have to fill doubled. With every stage, they quadrupled in numbers. It became harder as the pathways became numerous. Large empty gaps called veins within my meridians had to be filled, which took thrice as much time as I needed to fill a single path. Blockages had to be broken carefully, or circumvented in a way that wouldn't damage my spiritual nerves, or else I will be crippled!
The Second Superior Cultivation is truly superior in many terms. It's a hundred--no, a thousand times better than the basic qi gathering method which is simply us doing the basic lotus position and gathering qi through a special process called fetal breathing. It's a type of breathing where we breathe through our pores.
It's hard at first, but after careful guidance by our Hall Elder, I managed to learn it. That was the most basic form of cultivation. Simply breathe and absorb Qi around.
The Second Superior Cultivation threw that into a ditch after it displayed speeds that far exceeded normal cultivation methods. The complicated methods that needed knowledge of advance concepts like internal manipulation of Qi, conscious control of willpower, and imagination were needed for this method. Turning ambient Qi into threads to ease the flow of Qi and purify them within my meridians were actually complex.
I have to follow their intricate steps to fill up my meridians. My inferior roots only have five thin roots within certain points of my body which made it harder for me to absorb Qi efficiently compared to my other peers. If other cultivators had my Second Superior Cultivation, they would quickly reach the peak of Qi Condensation within a week.
That's how strong it was!
It just showed me how hard it was to breakthrough to the next stage. I haven't even reached Foundation Establishment, which was a realm where people would call you a True Cultivator. This was a stage that untalented ones couldn't achieve in their lifetime.
This again was another knowledge we got from an elder.
I haven't used Qi Gathering Pills since my first time using it. I heard from my seniors some time ago that it would be bad to ingest pills daily. I think they said something about pill toxicity?
Anyway, I would follow that advice. They were more experienced about this than me!
Two weeks have quickly passed. I had broken through to the Higher Grade of the 4th Stage. I might need another week to ascend to the next grade. I planned to take another Qi Gathering Pill after a month. I think that would be safer?
Anyway, I felt it would be a waste simply cultivating within the Earth Corridor, so I have decided to learn new techniques and other methods to fuse. I entered the tower once more to learn more.
Of course, I entered in the first floor. There were a lot of books here that I can learn.
It would be more cheaper than going above the floor. I have the power to combine everything into better ones, so learning better techniques is a waste of time!
Such was my thought as I gathered books and stacked them up in a corner. It's time to increase my repertoire of skills!
----------------------------------------
Sounds of papers being flicked resounded in a corner of the library, before a small thud occurred. A book was closed with both hands before it was put to a pile on the side, while the girl who sat crosslegged on the floor took another on a larger pile besides her.
Weeks have passed. Chong Yun watched as the girl was absorbed in her academic fortress. She read every manual her hand could reach, and entire shelves were vacated of their contents as she put them around her. A veritable mountain of books surrounded her.
Chong Yun still couldn't believe it. He recalled this girl was stuck at the earliest stages of Qi Condensation Realm. Now he felt the aura of a 4th Stage Qi Condensation expert from her. Such drastic changes was unprecedented, and it was barely a month since he last saw her.
'Is this girl really someone with inferior roots?'
The speed and strength of a cultivator was decided by their spiritual roots. It was something everyone had since birth. Those who were bless with hundreds of wide unblocked roots could easily reach higher realms even with the most useless cultivation method. Those who have thin and fewer roots could only dream of reaching Foundation Establishment.
Zhi Wanyi had the most inferior roots out of every cultivator he had met. She only had five roots that were so thin it would be practically impossible for qi to be absorbed. Even if she did absorbed them, she still had to carefully control them within her as there was a high chance she filled her pathways wrongly, or she forcefully pushed it and overfilled certain parts of her meridians. There was a high chance it would damage her spiritual nerves if she wasn't careful.
Another factor was that larger spiritual roots meant easier way to absorb qi. With how thin her roots were, it was a surprise she could gather enough qi to start her journey as a cultivator.
She just did the impossible anyway.
'My eyes are right. There is more to this girl than she lets on!'
Intrigue colored his face. His heart soared in excitement at the birth of an unprecedented genius. Only a genius could circumvent such disadvantages and still breakthrough to the next level with ease.
'Then... I have to give my support to this girl. She might become the hope of our sect!'
The elder retreated back to his post after he was done with his observation. He was satisfied with Wanyi's diligence and studiousness. Those were the kind of traits this sect looked for their disciples.
There was one thing that confused him.
'Why is she reading entry level techniques?'
He couldn't fathom the logic behind it. Such techniques were only useful for children. They were techniques, methods, daoist arts, and other skills that simply built foundation to a cultivator's path. None of those were advance enough to stick to a cultivator for a long time.
His confusion lingered as he came back to his post.
----------------------------------------
It took another week before Zhi Wanyi felt hungry enough that she had to leave the library once more. She made sure to return every manuals back to their shelves. Being a cultivator increased her memory capacity, so she remembered where each books were located.
It's been a month since she stayed in the library, cooped up in her own studies. No one had seen her as every disciple skipped this floor and goes to higher ones for the advance techniques. They had no interest for entry level skills.
With her current level of cultivation, she could forgo food for a longer time now. It was when she felt the pangs of hunger that she stopped.
The elderly guard on the post saw her approach with her hand on her stomach, and he quickly called out to her before she could leave.
"Wait, Young Zhi."
"Hm?"
The young cultivator perked up, surprised at being called out. Though the brunette quickly cupped her hands after she realized who called out to her.
"Yes, Elder Chong. What can I do for you?"
It was a bit casual to his taste. They instilled young cultivators to respect their elders, so such would normally offend elders. He shook his head as he knew the girl might be tired with her long study.
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"Young Zhi. Do you have any plans to join the Lotus Youth Competition?"
This was his plan. Zhi Wanyi showed incredible promise in her progress. He was willing to sponsor this girl to become a candidate. Seeing her confusion, he explained.
"The Lotus Youth Competition is an annual competition held in this sect. It's purpose is to find promising disciples every year. Only Outer Disciples are allowed to join this tournament."
With a flourish, a jade token appeared on his hand.
"Everyone must win the qualifiers before they are given a token, which will let them join the actual tournament that many Elders will watch. There is another way to enter this tournament and it's through an Elder."
The eyes of the girl widened as realization struck her. He chuckled, amused at her reaction before he handed the token to her.
"I can see potential in you. Don't disappoint me, Young Zhi!"
Wanyi bowed with a tremble. Amusement filled his face as he watched her reaction. With such a reaction, he knew the girl was overwhelmed with joy with this opportunity.
"I'm sorry, but I'm busy with my studies!"
Silence. The world froze as her voice echoed in his ears. It was such a shock that his body turned stiff like a stone. His eyes still gazing at her with his arm still outstretched.
"... I might have heard wrongly. Can you repeat that again?"
Wanyi tilted her head, before she spoke once more.
This time, it was much louder.
"I said I'm busy with my studies, Elder Chong!"
H e winced. Her voice echoed on the silence without a care. The vibrations brushed through his skin, and it felt like she spoke directly to his ears. His tense expression turned into a frown after he processed what she actually said.
"... Why?"
"... Hm? Elder Chong, do you want me to answer louder?"
Confused at the question, Wanyi thought he might not have heard her.
He almost puked blood at the implication she made. His body trembled in anger.
"Cheeky brat! That's not what I meant!"
"Eeek!?"
"What do you meant by busy? Can't you see the great honor you will get when you join the tournament? You will acquire rewards like cultivation resources that will help you in your cultivation, and even get a chance to become and an Inner Disciple if you ranked high enough!"
"W-well... I apologize if I offended you, but I am really not interested. I think it will be better if you choose another?" She suggested.
It was such a baffling thing. A disciple suggesting things to an Elder. He felt like a nerve was about to burst in his head.
"Anyway, I am really in a hurry Elder Chong. If there is nothing else, I will be going now!"
He almost puked blood at her words, and actually puked blood when she left him alone without giving him a chance to persuade her. He stared at her receding back, the token still held in his hand as the sound of wind whooshed around him.
Then he slowly put his jade token back to his long sleeves, and then held his head. His face dark as if rain just poured on top of his head.
"... This sect is doomed..." He muttered under his breathe.
----------------------------------------
Elder Chong said something about a tournament when I left the library. It must not be important if he was inviting a new disciple like me.
He might also be deaf. He kept asking me to repeat my answer. Next time, I have to speak louder to him so he could hear me.
I quickly pushed those thoughts away from my mind. I've just taken a meal, and recovered my energy after a sleep. Now it was time to focus on something more important.
I have learned a lot of stuff in the library. Basic techniques, methods, arts, and even crafts from different types of vocation. All of which I planned to combine into something better.
I have to hold back though. I don't want to repeat what happened when I made the Thousand Killing Ashura. I have to stay below Tier 5.
Sometimes, skills I fused would jump many tiers when I made good combinations. I have to stop combining at least Tier 4 to prevent that from happening.
I look upon my numerous techniques that I learned. I easily comprehended everything as I used some of my techniques as a crutch to understand their concepts. What made things harder for me were the crafts, as I don't have any knowledge about them.
Crafts were entirely different than combat techniques. They were auxiliary paths cultivators could learn like formation making, pill making, talisman creation, and many more. I couldn't use the knowledge from my methods or high tier techniques as a guide to comprehend these auxiliary skills.
The only ones the System considered I learned were the basic ones.
As there were a lot, I quickly combined most of the techniques I learned and turned them better. This was how it looked now.
[STATUS]
(General)
Name: Zhi Wanyi
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Potential: F-
Attribute: None
Bloodline: None
(Realm)
Cultivation: Higher Grade 4th Stage Qi Condensation
Body: Mortal
Mind: Mortal
Soul: Mortal
(Methods)
[Tier 2] Pavane of Flowers (Mystic Grade)
[Tier 4] Second Superior Cultivation (Heaven Grade)
(Techniques)
[Tier 3] Vanishing Thorns (Earth Grade)
[Tier 4] Ardent Viper (Earth Grade)
[Tier 4] Jade Temperance Sword (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 4] Spirit King Invigoration (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Deadly Shadow Fiend (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Phantasmal Dream Blade (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Star Reaching Javelin (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Vicious Sky Splitter (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 7] Thousand Killing Ashura (Divine Grade)
(Arts)
[Tier 4] Undeniable Force (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Cloud of Netherworld (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Extreme Glacial Zone (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Impenetrable Blade Wall (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Scorching Orb Manifestation (Heaven Grade)
(Formations)
[Tier 1] Basic Earth Formation (Initiate Grade)
(Arrays)
[Tier 1] Basic Illusionary Array (Initiate Grade)
[Tier 1] Basic Sealing Array (Initiate Grade)
(Crafts)
[Tier 1] Basic Cooking (Initiate Grade)
[Tier 1] Basic Painting (Initiate Grade)
[Tier 1] Basic Pill Creation (Initiate Grade)
[Tier 1] Basic Talisman Creation (Initiate Grade)
I don't know why the System separated Arrays and Formations from Crafts when they were all considered part of the crafting class, but it doesn't matter. I deliberately left them for last because I planned to use some of my combined techniques as supplementary for them.
I felt I have too many arts and techniques, and I felt restless seeing that much. I won't be able to use of them as the Thousand Killing Ashura had almost every combat technique I could possibly think of. Phantasmal Dream Blade also covered most things about the sword.
So there was no need for me to hesitate. I combined Basic Earth Formation with Impenetrable Blade Wall, Basic Illusionary Array with Undeniable Force, Basic Sealing Array with Jade Temperance Sword, Basic Cooking with Scorching Orb Manifestation, Basic Painting with Ardent Viper, Basic Pill Making with Spirit King Invigoration, and Basic Talisman Creation with Cloud of Netherworld.
[You learned Celestial Space Rending Formation!]
[You learned Dragon Submission Array!]
[You learned Jade Palace Prison Array!]
[You learned Cooking - Hell Lord Cuisine!]
[You learned Painting - Swift Sharp Imprint!]
[You learned Pill Making - Worldly Spiritual Dance!]
[You learned Talisman Creation - Silent Shadowy Stroke!]
I would like to do more but they were already tier 4 and 5.
[STATUS]
(General)
Name: Zhi Wanyi
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Potential: F-
Attribute: None
Bloodline: None
(Realm)
Cultivation: Higher Grade 4th Stage Qi Condensation
Body: Mortal
Mind: Mortal
Soul: Mortal
(Methods)
[Tier 2] Pavane of Flowers (Mystic Grade)
[Tier 4] Second Superior Cultivation (Heaven Grade)
(Techniques)
[Tier 3] Vanishing Thorns (Earth Grade)
[Tier 5] Deadly Shadow Fiend (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Phantasmal Dream Blade (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Star Reaching Javelin (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Vicious Sky Splitter (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 7] Thousand Killing Ashura (Divine Grade)
(Arts)
[Tier 5] Extreme Glacial Zone (Heaven Grade)
(Formations)
[Tier 5] Celestial Space Rending (Heaven Grade)
(Arrays)
[Tier 5] Dragon Submission Array (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Jade Palace Prison Array (Heaven Grade)
(Crafts)
[Tier 4] Painting - Swift Sharp Imprint (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Cooking - Hell Lord Cuisine (Tier 5)
[Tier 5] Pill Making - Worldly Spiritual Dance (Heaven Grade)
[Tier 5] Talisman Creation - Silent Shadowy Stroke (Heaven Grade)
New knowledge entered my mind. Formation that could fill an entire space with invisible slashes. An array that could chain even dragons, and an array that could imprison everyone with a giant palace filled with immortal soldiers.
There were many more like paintings that I could breath life with sharp qi-infused imprints, cooking that could even extract souls from demonic beasts, a heaven-defying pill making technique, and an extremely fast method of talisman creation.
There were many more I could combine, but I feared another backlash so I held myself back. It's a shame because I wanted to know more.
When I reach Foundation Establishment, I'll try and combine techniques beyond Tier 5.
For now, I wanted to cultivate once more. It's been a month since I cultivated. Now that I feel refreshed, it's time to continue my advancement. So I made my way to the Green Spring Passage.
Before that, I made a quick detour to the Quest Hall so I could exchange some of my immortal crystals to the Quest Hall Elder.
"... Another Ancient Artifact?"
"Yes. It just fell on top of my head."
He stared at me for a moment, before he shrugged. Then he gave me a million points after I handed him my plaque.
I felt a bit guilty lying, but I don't have any excuse where I got that.
I think I might be good at deceit as the Elder doesn't say anything. Am I actually a genius?
I contemplated about it as I left the Quest Hall and head straight to the Green Spring Passage.
----------------------------------------
Yu Anlong stared at the back of the mysterious young outer disciple. He recalled she was just a 1st Stage Qi Condensation newbie two months ago. She had inferior roots based on his divine senses.
He was curious how she got to that level, and where she found these ancient artifacts. He stared at the five glowing artifacts that emits a whitish glow. A divine and mysterious energy trickled from its perfect vertices.
"Hmm... I might have to monitor that girl."
Another Elder got interested to the clueless girl.