As the disciples continued to savor the elixir’s effects, a profound shift began to occur within them. One by one, they settled into the lotus position, their eyes closing as they entered a state of deep, meditative introspection. The garden now held a reverent silence, broken only by the gentle murmur of the fountain and the soft rustling of leaves in the wind.
Tian Hao watched them, a quiet satisfaction settling over him as he felt a surge of energy building within himself, a warmth spreading through his core like a gentle flame.
“Congratulations, Little Hao!” Big Sister System’s voice chimed in his mind, her tone a mix of playful teasing and genuine approval. “Quest complete! You’ve successfully introduced the Pure Path disciples to the joys of… unconventional enlightenment, and the Heavens have smiled upon your efforts. Prepare for your reward!”
A wave of pure, potent energy washed over him, his dantian swirling with a force that made him gasp, his body tingling with newfound strength. The world around him seemed to shimmer, the colors intensifying, the sounds of the garden amplifying as if the very air itself vibrated with his breakthrough. His cultivation surging forward with each pulse of energy. His core pulsed, expanding, the warmth radiating outwards through his limbs, invigorating his senses, and filling him with a sense of power.
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Name:
Tian Hao
Cultivation Method:
Pleasure-Induced Nirvana Ascension (PINA) – Mid-Profound Tier
Cultivation Level:
Body Refining Stage 8
Techniques:
Restful Lotus Bloom - High-Mortal Tier
Wine-Fueled Fury - Peak-Mortal Tier
Heavenly Feast Reinforcement - Mid-Profound Tier
Lover's Charm - Low-Profound Tier
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He opened his eyes, his grin widening as he looked at his status, now firmly established as a Body Refining cultivator of the eighth stage.
“Body Refining Stage 8,” he murmured, flexing his fingers, savoring the newfound strength. “Not bad, not bad at all.”
He turned his gaze towards the small group of Pure Path cultivators who now sat as though they’d taken root in the very ground itself, their eyes closed, their breathing synchronized with some unknown beat.
Big Sister System continued her pronouncements with an added amusement. “And that’s not all! You’ve also unlocked a new skill—Lover’s Charm! Through intimate encounters and social indulgence, you now radiate an aura of… irresistible allure, making it easier for you to persuade or influence others, when flirting with them, though the results might differ wildly from what you think you understand. Consider it a… karmic bonus for your… unique approach to cultivation.” Her tone was playful, but there was an underlying seriousness.
“Lover’s Charm, huh?” Tian Hao chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Well, that sounds interesting. Might need to put that to good use,” he added with a distant gaze.
Big Sister System’s voice returned, her tone now sterner. “Just be careful how you use it, Little Hao. Charm, like any form of power, can be a double-edged sword. Misuse it, and the karmic consequences could be unpleasant. Remember, the heavens are always watching. Next time it might be far more than a mere fox that finds your recklessness entertaining.”
“Always with the warnings, Big Sister,” Tian Hao replied, though he could feel a shiver run down his spine despite his usual bravado. “I’ll try to be… responsible. Though,” he added with a grin, “where’s the fun in that?”
Tian Hao stood there for a long moment, his gaze fixed on those deep in their meditation, savoring the stillness, and feeling the newfound energy humming within him. His body felt lighter, stronger.
He glanced at his own hands, flexing his fingers, the casual movement now more precise, his own movements carrying a hint of something powerful. He grinned, a surge of excitement pulsing through him.
“Perhaps this is what it means to ascend,” he murmured, looking up at the stars that twinkled in the darkening sky, “One step at a time.”
He paused, glancing back at the disciples, who were still deep in their meditative trance. Their faces were serene, as though they were finally at peace with themselves and their place within the grand tapestry of existence.
His heart swelling with warmth despite their strange paths forward. “And maybe, just maybe,” he added with a chuckle, “there’s room for a little chaos along the way.”
He closed his eyes briefly, savoring the moment. He knew his methods were unorthodox, unconventional. But they worked, and that’s all that truly mattered in the end. He was making progress. He was becoming more than just the lazy, spoiled young master of the Skyward Lotus Sect.
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As the effects of the elixir began to wear off, the disciples slowly stirred, their eyes flickering open as they emerged from their deep meditative state.
Ming Fan and Bai Xue blinked, their gaze settling on Tian Hao, their expressions a mixture of gratitude, confusion, and—he suspected—a hint of fear.
“Senior Disciple Tian,” Ming Fan began, his voice hesitant, “we… we thank you for this experience. We’ve never… felt such clarity.” He paused, his brow furrowing slightly, as if struggling to make sense of what they had just experienced.
“It’s unsettling. Yet… strangely enlightening. We've never knew it was possible to feel such energy flow at such a low level of cultivation.” He glanced nervously at his companions, their expressions mirroring his own bewilderment.
Bai Xue, however, her eyes sparkling with a newfound light, reached out and touched Tian Hao’s arm, her fingertips lingering for a moment. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I… I feel different. Like a veil has been lifted. I've broken through," she couldn't keep a radiant smile off her face as she looked at her own hands. "I reached Body Refining Stage Six! This has never happened to me before now. Just by meditating in this garden, next to…” she paused, glancing nervously at her peers before returning to Tian Hao. “It's more than just our meditations now—it's like the world is more alive. The teachings, they make more sense. It’s as though a door has been opened, and I've never been able to actually feel the Qi flowing through me until now!”
Tian Hao chuckled as Ming Fan made a strange strangled gasp—the shock of discovering, to his own surprise, that he too had advanced, though in his case it was to body refining stage eight.
“Your words—your methods—they challenged our preconceptions, made us… question the rigidness of what we thought was the only true path,” Ming Fan stammered.
He turned to Tian Hao and gave a deep and now fully-formed bow. “We do not know if such indulgence might bring calamity upon us,” he continued as he thought again of Zhao Jin's fury, “or what such strange yet invigorating sensations mean for our future within the Pure Path Sect,” He glanced again at his peers, “but there is truth in your teachings. I still find the intensity of those unfamiliar and strange flavors unsettling, but I can no longer deny that they did, as you suggested, bring something into focus.”
Tian Hao smiled.
They were no longer the same people who he had met in the teahouse, nor who had taken that first sip of the elixir. They had tasted something profound, something transformative, something that would forever alter the course of their lives.
They had glimpsed the true Dao, the infinite possibilities that lay beyond the narrow confines of their sect's teachings.
They had found balance, not in denial, but in embrace.
They had found enlightenment, not in austerity, but in joy.
“The Dao is not a cage, but a boundless sky,” he said, his voice carrying a depth of sincerity. “There are a thousand paths to enlightenment, a million ways to touch the heavens. Cling not to the shadows of tradition, nor fear the whispers of those who would confine your own potential, your own path. Seek your own truth, even in the most unexpected places.”
He paused, his gaze wandered across the disciples for a moment, “If you ever find yourselves lost or in need of a bit of unconventional guidance, seek me out. The Skyward Lotus Sect may not be quite as austere as yours, but we do appreciate a good exchange of Dao's.”
With a final smile, and a long moment of eye contact with Bai Xue, Tian Hao turned and left the garden. He felt lighter somehow, as though the earlier tension had been lifted, replaced now with the quiet satisfaction of having shared something of what he had begun to understand.
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Back at the inn, Lin Mei waited. She was sitting by the window, her gaze fixed on the city lights, the colors blurring into a hazy tapestry.
As Tian Hao entered, she turned, her eyes immediately drawn to the subtle shift in his aura.
“You’ve broken through,” she said, her voice a mix of surprise and concern.
Tian Hao shrugged, trying to downplay his accomplishment. “Just another breakthrough, Mei Mei. Nothing to worry about.”
He was tired, and despite the excitement of what might come next he was eager to find the quiet rest that he’d so recently taken for granted and had found so little of during their time in Skyveil city.
Lin Mei’s gaze narrowed slightly as she assessed the way his shoulders no longer felt as tense, how easily his stance shifted between bravado and relaxation. For a brief moment, she wondered what, exactly, his unorthodox path could achieve. How far someone like Tian Hao could ascend when freed from the restrictions of traditional sect expectations—how powerful he had the potential to become.
“What are you doing, Tian Hao?” she asked, her voice low, laced with both apprehension and admiration. “Your cultivation… it’s advancing too quickly. It’s unsettling. It's dangerous.”
Tian Hao grinned. “Just following my instincts, Mei Mei. Like you said.”
“But your instincts…” she trailed off, her voice filled with a worry that seemed to be more than just about him but her own secrets now. The burden, which made her words feel like another lie, each syllable a betrayal of what she was not yet willing, or perhaps able, to reveal. “You don’t understand,” she whispered, shaking her head slightly.
“I understand perfectly,” he countered, though he thought he sensed some desperation to his own denial. “It’s my path, Mei Mei. My way to the heavens."
Lin Mei chuckled, her tension easing slightly, the warmth in his presence—though distant—still a welcome distraction from her own, troubled thoughts. It was absurd and strangely endearing, a reminder of the kind of man he truly was.
“Just be careful, Tian Hao.” Her voice carried a warning. “These advancements, your new techniques… they come at a price. Everything comes with a price. Don’t lose yourself along the way.”
“Lose myself? How could I lose myself when I’m having this much fun?”
Her smile faded as his reply echoed in her mind. The more she watched him, the more she listened to his laughter, the deeper her unease grew.
'He doesn’t understand,' she thought, her heart pounding with dread and the lingering warmth she couldn’t quite erase. Her gaze drifted towards the window, the city lights twinkling like a million distant stars, the promise of some unknown retribution lurking in the back of her mind.