I clenched my fists as a light of determination appeared in my pupils. I turned to look at Zhong Chi which threw a confused look to me. I said to him in a solemn tone. "Take care of our brothers. We must get stronger if we want to ascend to the pinnacle." My tone copied the dignified tone of my favorite mc. 

Zhong Chi's expression became solemn. He reached out his palm and tapped on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Boss. I got this."

"Thanks, Brother. Let me be on the way then. That Elder wants to meet with me." I smiled to him.

"Ah, Elder Brian? He said that he wants to meet you at the Refiner's Hall, right?" Zhong Chi smiled to me. I threw an intrigued look to him which made him laugh in mirth. 

"I'll accompany you there boss. " He smiled before finally leading the way. I turned to look around the area. Hmm, this sect really is too huge. A super-billionaire's courtyard will be shamed if he came here. I shook my head in a helpless expression. 

On our way towards the Refiner's Hall. I could occasionally hear explosions resounding around the area, followed by miserable shrieks from what I think to be coming from my fellow sect members. I sigh in melancholy. A martial cultivation world really is cruel. Fellow sect members would even fight for resources rights. I suppose, in this world. I shouldn't really be naive. In a world like this, almost no one can be trusted. 

I thought in my mind. After about three minutes of walking, we finally arrived before a huge door. There, hung a plaque which says. 'Refiner's Hall.'

[Storyline Act 1 Part 2: Meeting with Elder Brian; Activated.] 

I directed my glance towards the solemn Zhong Chi beside me. Seeing that his expression was frantic I asked. "What's happening to you? You look like you saw a ghost in broad daylight." 

"Sorry if I'm like this, but that elder is too fierce! His attitude is eccentric, if you irritate him a little then he will punish you with a mile! But there are also instances that he was generous. But that was too rare as a blue moon. So, take care in speaking with him, Boss." Zhong Chi explained to me, his expression became much more calm after releasing his frustrations.

I was about to reply, but a shadow swept past followed by a deep tone speaking. "Well, who's eccentric?" 

"Ah!" I almost shat my pants as I staggered backwards, the old man earlier appeared like a ghost beside me. His skills in hiding himself was too good that I didn't even notice his arrival! Zhong Chi was the same, he immediately ran while shouting "Mommy!" I suppressed my urge to curse Zhong Chi and turned to look at the old man. 

Hovering over the old man's head was a name and a golden question mark. 

Elder Brian (????)

Health: ????

Qi: ????

Defense: ????

Attack: ????

Description: One of the strongest foundation of the Solitary Sect. His power was deemed to be unfathomable. In each attack he unleashed, the land would tremble and the skies would churn. DO NOT PROVOKE.

I felt my scalp tingle when I heard his description as depicted by the system, and that large DO NOT PROVOKE. What is he? A god?!

"Good, Kid. Seems like you advanced in your cultivation." The Elder Brian threw a glance to me before turning his back and opening the huge door. The door creaked and I was left to think about what he said. Advanced in my cultivation? Ah! Could it be leveling up?  He knew that I leveled up?!

Though I was quite stupid sometimes, that didn't mean that I do not possess common sense. My body didn't emit any kinds of qi ripples even when I fought Jiang Cheng. But how did he knew that I leveled up?! Then, that only means that his cultivation was unfathomable as what the description said.

I laughed helplessly before greeting the sight of a huge archaic hall before me. The smell of old books lingered in the air. Elder Brian moved towards a nearby table and seated on its seat. He clasped his hands together before beckoning me to come closer.

I threw a confused look. But after seeing his solemn pupils. I immediately moved forward, not daring to delay any longer.

"Kid, earlier. I saw you fight Jiang Cheng with your measly 1st stage Qi Condensation Realm cultivation. Jiang Cheng was a practitioner of the 3rd stage. Yet, you defeated him. That goes to say that your skills are not too shabby." Elder Brian smiled, his gaze seemed to pierce through my entire being, I felt like a naked man inside an icy tavern in the face of his gaze.

"E-Elder... What you said was right... I'm quite proficient in close combat." I stammered in my first few words as I spoke with an amiable tone towards the Elder. I didn't dare to raise my tone or lower it. Provoking this Elder with an eccentric attitude was courting unnecessary trouble.

"Good, I can see that your constitution doesn't betray what you're saying. In such a young age of sixteen, you can ascend cultivation and fight those higher than you! Reminds me of my early days." Elder Brian's eyes reflected nostalgia as he spoke. Though he said that I am sixteen years old, I am actually twenty-one years old. Perhaps, this was set up by the system? Who knows.

"Now that I know that you're telling the truth. The reality is... I have a request to ask you." Elder Brian's tone grew extremely solemn. The air around me quickened and the gravity in the environment seem to become much more stronger. Elder Brian's gaze pierced right through me like an icy needle. Sending chills throughout my spine.

"W-W-What is it... E-Elder...?" I stuttered as I tried my best to speak. The intense pressure that Elder Brian released suppressed me to the point that speaking was exhausting.

It was at this moment that Elder Brian sighed. He shook his head helplessly before speaking towards me.

"Earlier, one of our forces guarding the northern borders of the first district encountered heavy resistances from bandits. These bandits are too fearsome. Some of your fellow disciple members were caught. All of them beheaded and impaled their heads in huge poles. And when fight breaks out. They will bring those beheaded heads and parade it around the battlefield, lessening the morality of our Solitary Sect. "

"The other Elders and me decided to annihilate them today. But an unforeseen event occurred. My cute little granddaughter was kidnapped. As a result, those guys wants us to hand them forty percent of our total resources. I tried to pursue the Sect Leader about this but I was denied. He said that my granddaughter was my responsibility. I can't deny his point, but I will get back to that old corpse!" 

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

"So, Youngster, I want you to help me. I want you to cooperate with me and rescue my granddaughter from the hands of those filthy bandits!" Elder Brian turned to look at the stupefied me. His gaze contained deep expectation. But what the heck?! He wants me to invade the enemy ranks and rescue her granddaughter? But for what? Wait... Could this be... A quest?!

My expectations didn't betray me as a huge blue screen flickered. 

[Unique Storyline triggered! Due to the activation of a Unique Storyline. Quest will be extremely difficult to complete. Storyline will return to normal if denied by the player. Do you want to accept the quest? Y/N]

Unique Storyline... What the heck? Then, out of the five thousand players inside this game. I activated this strange fucked up storyline? And the difficulty is what?! Extremely difficult? How difficult?! 

I tapped at the yes button and Elder Brian spoke words which almost made me puke out blood. 

"Of course, I will not have you agree to it for free. I will give you a very precious reward." Elder Brian smiled, his smile contained a deep sense of familiarity towards me.

"I accept it then!" Intrigued by the words of the scheming Elder before me. I shouted, my voice contained deep determination. 

"Hehehe... Okay, then. Hmm... Toad?!" 

"Pfft!" 

"Don't call me, Toad!" 

"Then, how should I call you? Cricket? Ant? Soaring Dragon?!"

"Just call me Zhong Wei!" I almost vomited blood when I heard that he called me a 'Toad' like what the hell, system?! I registered my name as Heaven Defying, yet the NPC's were calling me as Toad?!

I adjusted my posture and mental strength before proceeding to said to him.

"I said that I will accept this quest, but please do not expect me to run like a naked man in his birthday party! At least give me some divine abilities or weapons!" I requested to him, my tone pleasing to the eyes and contained pleading in it.

"Heh, Kid. You're pretty scheming, eh? Of course I will give you some skills, I will lose all face If everyone heard that I sent a disciple to his death due to my irresponsibility. But I'll make this clear! If I ever found out that you renege in your promise or fail to succeed the mission. I will personally end you!" Elder Brian coldly spoke, his tone contained killing intent that could not be hidden. What the heck?! His amiable attitude from before completely disappeared like a puff of smoke! I cursed in my heart.

"The technique that I will hand over to you is a technique that I personally made. Fortunately, you and I are in the same path. I also use talismans to seal, capture, dominate enemies in my sight. So, I will give you my created technique. 'Dominating Gaze'!" 

My eyes immediately brightened when I heard that he will give me a divine ability that he personally created. And it fits my character too much! Dominating Gaze? Will I be able to dominate monsters with just a gaze? That's too OP!

"Using this technique, you can dominate any living creatures with lower cultivation base than you. But for humans, if the slight resistance was made, the technique will fail. " 

I nodded my head like a chicken pecking rice. Though it won't work in humans if resistance was made. Who cares? What I need to dominate wasn't humans, monsters! I need to dominate monsters to unify this whole world under my hand!

"But that doesn't mean that you're entirely unable to dominate humans. You can still dominate them if they're incapable of creating any resistance. Like for example, they're unconscious." Elder Brian's expression darkened. A sinister smile escaped his lips. His gaze directed towards me, and In his pupils. I can see a huge black vortex revolving. His pupils disappeared, what replaced was a deep sucking endless vortex. 

My mind reeled in and I forgot the reason why I am standing here. Why I am speaking with him. Who Am I? I asked. Where Am I? I asked. Why do I exist? I asked. 

I asked countless questions in my mind that the surrounding space around me disappeared. What replaced was a pitch-black world that nothing matters. In that strange world, I completely lost myself. But my mind had a reflexive thought. That was, to obey this old man before me.

"That's it!" Elder Brian shouted. 

"Ah!" I involuntarily shouted. I staggered backwards and looked towards the old man in confusion. Earlier, I clearly remembered that the world around me twisted until it gradually became pitch-black. And my mind had one thought, that was too obey this Elder. 

Not long after I regained control of my mind. I stuttered as I spoke. I can feel a cold icy feeling spreading over my spine. "W-W-w-what happened?!" 

"Hahaha, your talent is good, but you're quite naive. You didn't even notice that you were staring right towards my Dominating Gaze. Which strengthened its effects. But, oh well! Since you accepted this request of mine. I cannot go back in my own words. " Elder Brian sighed before he pressed his palm on my forehead. 

A stream of huge information appeared in my mind. And a huge blue screen flickered before me.

[Learned a new active skill! Dominating Gaze! Qi Cost: 0, Effects: Completely dominate any living creatures as long as its level is below the user! Can be used on humans, but if resistance is met. Dominating Gaze will fail. Cooldown: 24hrs.]

My mind lingered in the pitch-black dimension scene. In that world, I was all alone. My five senses disappeared. Everything significant in my life disappeared. How terrifying that event was!

Before I was able to cry in joy. Elder Brian murmured before waving his hand towards me.

"Let's meet here tomorrow morning and I'll go to the specifics. Five 'am. Don't be late!" A surge of bright light engulfed my entire being and before I knew it. I was outside the Refiner's Hall.