C1 Bone Root Rebirth!

Pain!

An agony that seemed to penetrate to the marrow flooded Zhou Jibo's entire being, rendering him nearly incapable of coherent thought.

Is this what being dead feels like? But hadn't I already died?

Just then, a young man's voice reached him, "He's not going to wake up, is he?"

"Rest assured, Holy Son. The only risk with this soul-severing elixir is death from an overly potent dose. There's no chance he'll regain consciousness," a woman's soothing voice replied.

Who are they?

"That's a relief," the young man responded. "Zheng Xunqin, by bringing me here to take Zhou Jibo's bone root, you've proven the Zheng family's genuine desire to align with me."

"I am pleased, and so will be the Shrine of Astral Radiance."

"In three months, an emissary will escort you into the Holy Land."

"Yes, Second Palace Holy Son!" Zheng Xunqin exclaimed, her voice tinged with excitement. "The Zheng family pledges its allegiance to the Shrine of Astral Radiance. Our loyalty will be unwavering!"

"Very well, that's what I like to hear."

The Second Palace Holy Son chuckled with satisfaction and discreetly departed.

Only after an incense stick had burned down did Zheng Xunqin's sigh echo in the room. "Zhou Jibo, if you're looking for someone to blame, curse your own bone root. Though I am your betrothed, I am also Zheng Xunqin of the Zheng family."

"Your Earth Spirit low-grade bone root made you superior to me. Without it, you'll never surpass me again. Once I enter the Shrine of Astral Radiance, the chasm between us will only widen."

"Don't think me heartless. Your past affections were nothing more than your own presumption!"

With those final words, Zheng Xunqin too left the room.

Silence enveloped the space. Zhou Jibo, eyes still firmly shut, silently balled his fists.

Memories came flooding back, and piecing together the earlier conversation, he finally grasped what had transpired.

As a patient, he had died in the modern world, yet here he was, miraculously alive in this strange realm ruled by martial prowess, in the body of another young man also named Zhou Jibo!

In this world, martial arts reign supreme, with the strong commanding respect and the weak facing scorn.

Cultivation aptitude is categorized into four bone root types: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, each further divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower grades.

Meet Zhou Jibo, a sixteen-year-old youth and the eldest son of the Zhou family patriarch. He possesses a low-grade Earth Spirit bone root.

The one who spoke earlier was none other than his betrothed, Zheng Xunqin. Also sixteen, she was destined to be his wife and boasts a medium-grade Profound Spirit bone root.

The Zhou and Zheng families have been allies for generations, and the engagement between Zhou Jibo and Zheng Xunqin was once celebrated by all.

Yet, within the Zhou household, Zhou Jibo fell victim to a scheme by his own fiancée. Zheng Xunqin drugged him and had outsiders extract his bone root, rendering him incapable of cultivation—a broken man.

Betrayal's bitter taste swirled with the sweetness of young love in Zhou Jibo's memories, prompting a stifled groan.

Zheng Xunqin!

Despite feeling nothing for her now, Zhou Jibo recognized the cruelty in her actions. She had ruthlessly severed her fiancé's bone root, obliterating his martial arts future.

He had barely set foot in this world before losing his cultivation rights.

Such terrible luck!

As Zhou Jibo pondered his next move, a faint sound caught his attention.

"The Universal Attribute Point System is now active."

"You have received a Newbie Gift Bag."

Stunned, Zhou Jibo wondered: A system? Universal Attribute Points?

Then, an attribute panel materialized before him.

"Zhou Jibo."

"Age: 16."

"Cultivation: Acquired, fifth layer."

"Bone Root: Damaged low-grade Earth Spirit bone root (recoverable)."

"Cultivation Method: Zhou Family's Heart Technique (Yellow Rank, medium grade, upgradeable)."

"Martial Skill: Gravel Palm (trained to the first layer, upgradeable)."

"Assistive Skill: None."

"Do you wish to open the Newbie Gift Bag?"

Upon seeing the prompt, Zhou Jibo didn't hesitate and decided to open the Newbie Gift Bag.

"Congratulations on opening the Newbie Gift Bag. You have been awarded a trillion attribute points, and your attribute points are now maxed out."

"To prevent your body from collapsing, as someone at the fifth layer of the Acquired realm, you will receive 500,000 attribute points. From now on, you will gain additional attribute points with each advancement in your realm."

Zhou Jibo was taken aback: Could the newbie gift bag really contain so many attribute points?

Even though he had only received five hundred thousand, that was still an enormous sum.

Why not try using these attribute points?

He had barely given it a thought when a notification sounded, "One hundred thousand attribute points have been deducted. Bone root restored."

Zhou Jibo's bone root attribute now read: Earth Spirit Low-Grade Bone Root (Upgradeable).

His bone root was healed!

The intense pain that had racked his body vanished, replaced by a soothing warmth.

Could he enhance his bone root further?

Zhou Jibo pondered once more, "I want to use one hundred thousand attribute points to elevate my bone root to Earth Spirit Medium Grade!"

Earth Spirit Medium Grade Bone Root (Upgradeable).

The journey of improvement must continue!

"Two hundred thousand attribute points have been deducted, upgrading to Earth Spirit Top-Grade Bone Root!"

Earth Spirit Top-Grade Bone Root.

With only one hundred thousand attribute points remaining, he couldn't afford to boost his bone root any further.

Yet, his bone root had ascended from a damaged Earth Spirit Low-Grade to a Top-Grade, climbing two whole levels. Zhou Jibo felt an all-encompassing comfort throughout his body.

Possessing an Earth Spirit Low-Grade bone root was enough to be deemed a cultivation prodigy. With an Earth Spirit Top-Grade bone root, he was undoubtedly even more formidable!

Zhou Jibo then noticed "Gravel Palm (Upgradeable)" and the "Su Family Mental Cultivation Method (Upgradeable)." After a brief contemplation, he opted to enhance the Gravel Palm first.

"I will spend one hundred attribute points to advance my Gravel Palm to the second layer."

Scenes of his arduous training with the Gravel Palm flashed before Zhou Jibo's eyes. Instinctively, he clenched his fist, feeling as though he had been practicing the Gravel Palm for years.

Gravel Palm Technique (Second Layer, Upgradeable)

Without any hesitation, Zhou Jibo pressed on to enhance his Gravel Palm Technique.

Two hundred Universal Attribute Points were deducted, and his Gravel Palm Technique advanced to the Third Layer.

Four hundred points later, it reached the Fourth Layer.

Upon the deduction of eight hundred points, it ascended to the Fifth Layer.

Zhou Jibo's entire skeleton resonated with a chorus of cracks and pops. Visions of countless winters and summers spent in grueling training flashed through his mind. The palm technique had become second nature to him; he could effortlessly shatter stones with a mere flick of his wrist.

Gravel Palm Technique (Fifth Layer, Upgradeable)

Studying the description, Zhou Jibo was taken aback. He remembered the Gravel Palm Technique's apex was the Fifth Layer, yet it seemed he could push it even further?

As he attempted to upgrade again, it was as if Zhou Jibo had forgotten the Gravel Palm Technique entirely. He learned several new moves beyond the original ten, as if he had crafted the technique himself.

"Deducting two thousand Universal Attribute Points, the Gravel Palm Technique is now elevated to the Yellow Rank, Medium Grade Mountain Splitting Palm Technique."

When Zhou Jibo regained his focus, the martial skill section of his attribute panel had transformed: Mountain Splitting Palm Technique (Yellow Rank, Medium Grade, Second Layer, Points Addable)

The once ungraded Gravel Palm Technique had leaped to the status of a Medium Grade Yellow Rank martial skill—the Mountain Splitting Palm Technique—with all five layers of the original technique encompassed within the first two layers of its new form.

A notation (Points Addable) followed the Mountain Splitting Palm Technique.

He persisted in allocating more attribute points. Two thousand, three thousand, and four thousand points were successively deducted, propelling the Mountain Splitting Palm Technique to the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Layers, respectively.

Continuing the process, after ten thousand points were deducted, Zhou Jibo felt a wave of vertigo. The sensation of forging a new martial skill washed over him once again as the Mountain Splitting Palm Technique morphed into a Low Grade Profound Rank skill, reaching the Third Layer of the Mountain Suppressing Palm Technique.

After three more iterations, he ultimately mastered the Mountain Suppressing Palm Technique, surmounting the Fourth and Fifth Layers to achieve the Sixth Layer.

The Mountain Suppressing Palm, a Profound Rank low-grade martial skill, was decidedly intricate. Even at the sixth layer, it had not yet reached its full potential.

Zhou Jibo's mastery of the palm technique resonated within him. Rising to his feet, he fluidly executed the Mountain Suppressing Palm with effortless grace, without a moment's hesitation.

With over ten thousand attribute points remaining, he could no longer advance the bone root, the Zhou family's mental cultivation method, or the Mountain Suppressing Palm.

Zhou Jibo now grasped why the system had allocated only five hundred thousand attribute points to him upon reaching the fifth layer of the Acquired Realm. Any further points might have overwhelmed him, unable to control the surge in insight and power.

He could only handle further enhancements once he had acclimated to this newfound understanding and strength, and after breaking through to the sixth layer of the Acquired Realm.

Just then, a clamor erupted from outside: "Young Master Zhou, come out!"

Zhou Jibo's brow furrowed as he opened the door to peer into the courtyard.

A portly steward was bellowing arrogantly in the center of Zhou Jibo's courtyard, flanked by four stern-looking Zhou family guards.

Curious onlookers gathered at the courtyard's entrance, whispering among themselves.

This stout man was Kong Chuyang, the steward appointed by the Zhou family's Great Elder, Zhou Qian. An outsider who had found favor with the Great Elder, he now wielded considerable influence within the family.

"Young Master Zhou, at last, you show yourself!" Kong Chuyang remarked with a hint of mockery. "I was beginning to think you lacked the courage to face us!"

No sooner had Kong Chuyang finished his taunt than Zhou Jibo retorted sharply, "Silence!"

His command startled Kong Chuyang into silence, his follow-up words lost.

Regaining his composure, Kong Chuyang snapped back, "Young Master Zhou, what is this? Are you admitting guilt?"

"And who might you be?" Zhou Jibo asked with a cold laugh.

"I am the steward, Kong Chuyang."

"Kong Chuyang? You're not even of the Zhou lineage, lacking even our family's surname, and yet you have the audacity to raise your voice in my courtyard? Do you truly believe you have that right?" Zhou Jibo advanced towards him, pressing the question with imposing presence.

Kong Chuyang involuntarily stumbled backward, struggling to find his words.

"Speak! Who sent you?" Zhou Jibo demanded.

Without thinking, Kong Chuyang blurted out, "Young Master Zhou Leng."

But then he snapped out of it. Why should he fear Zhou Jibo?

He quickly followed up, "Young Master Zhou Leng just purchased some Element Gathering Powder and it's gone missing. Someone claimed they saw you take it."

Before he could finish, the sound of a slap cut through the air.

Zhou Jibo's hand, now slowly withdrawing, left a swollen red imprint on Kong Chuyang's cheek.

"It seems you didn't grasp what I said earlier. You have no right to come here and make demands!"

"How dare you?"

Clutching his face, Kong Chuyang yelped in astonishment, pointing at Zhou Jibo with a venomous hiss, "This isn't over! Young Master Zhou Leng and the Great Elder will back me up!"

With those final words, he scrambled away in disgrace, his four guards hastily scattering after him.

Zhou Qian and his son, Zhou Leng, had long been adversaries of the Patriarch's direct lineage, and their visit was clearly malicious.

The Patriarch's son accused of stealing Element Gathering Powder meant for an Acquired Warrior's cultivation? How could they make such an outrageous claim?

They must have concocted a thorough scheme to make such an absurd accusation.

Yet, Zhou Jibo was brimming with the confidence to show them that he had grown far beyond his past self.