C19 Half a Year Later
In the Blade House of the Yang family, a young man and woman were locked in combat. The woman, wielding a long sword, launched a sweeping strike at the man. A breeze whisked by, and suddenly, he transformed into three ethereal figures, each darting towards the woman from different directions. The man quickly sheathed his sword and resumed his defense, only to see the figures vanish into thin air. With a grin, he crossed his arms and watched her with amusement.
Frustrated, the woman stamped her foot. "I'm done fighting! Hmph!" Throughout their sparring match, she hadn't managed to land a single blow on him, not even grazing the hem of his garment.
"Come on, don't be like that," Yang Rui chided gently. "It's not often we get to spar. I'm just trying to apply my movement skills in a real fight." Over six months of dedicated training, Yang Rui had honed his Mad Blood Blade Technique and Nine-circle Ethereal Step to near perfection. Yet, his current cultivation level prevented him from unleashing their full potential—or so it seemed to onlookers. But was that genuinely the case?
Indeed, it was! Yang Rui believed that revealing his full strength was unwise. He preferred to maintain a low profile until he was truly powerful. Glancing at his status panel, he reviewed his stats:
Name: Yang Rui
Level: 13
Experience: 40,177/55,000
Stage: Third Level of Origin Martial Stage (97%)
Vitality: 1350/1350
Attack: 158.4/158.4
Constitution: 39.5/39.5
Agility: 25.2/25.2
Strength: 25.2/25.2
Spirit: 38.4/38.4
Status: Normal
Skills: Body Strengthening Level 2, Exuberant Energy Level 1, Comprehension Level 2, More is Better, Anti-injury Thorn Armor Level 1, Golden Body Level 1
Equipment: True Martial Set
Inventory: Beginner Gift Bag Level 15 x1, Beginner Gift Bag Level 10 x1, Random Teleportation Talisman x1
The Level 2 Body Strengthening enhancement provided a 60% increase to all his basic attributes.
Exuberant Energy Level 1 provides a basic enhancement, granting a 50% boost to the host's foundational Spiritual Attribute and enabling a 0.1% energy recovery every minute.
Without exceptional Comprehension Power, who could claim the title of genius? This skill enhances the understanding of any cultivation technique by 55%, with a 1.5% chance of achieving complete comprehension.
The Beginner's Privilege Gain Skill "The More, The Merrier" offers a 50% chance to receive an extra reward item or experience when a reward is earned.
"Little by Little" is another Beginner's Privilege Gain Skill that allows the host to earn an additional Experience Point every minute, with the potential for upgrading upon meeting certain conditions.
The Anti-injury Thorn Armor Level 1 has a 10% chance to reflect 100% of an enemy's attack back at them when struck. This passive effect cannot be controlled, turning the enemy's ferocity into their own downfall.
The Golden Body Basic Enhancement increases the host's Basic Attributes by 20% and offers a 0.2% chance to completely negate enemy damage during combat.
Overall, Yang Rui's progress is commendable. He has reached the Third Level of the Origin Martial Stage, yet he exhibits the prowess of the Fifth Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm!
Yang Rui has amassed a significant number of enhancements, with these seven passive abilities proving to be incredibly useful. They ensure his steady progression towards the formidable Blood Ox status, which is excellent.
"Alright, Second Sister, the Spirit Selection is tomorrow. I'm just getting some practice in beforehand. Plus, since you're always reluctant to go all out, it naturally gives me the opportunity to slip away," Yang Rui explained.
Yang Rui was speaking the truth. Yang Yiyi always held back during their sparring sessions, fearing she might hurt him. Ironically, her restraint inadvertently aided Yang Rui in perfectly concealing his true capabilities. After all, revealing his strength too soon could easily invite unwanted trouble, and if there's one thing Yang Rui detests, it's trouble.
"Hmph, it's only because you're so weak. Otherwise, I would have already beaten you so badly you'd be searching the ground for your teeth."
"Hey, little miss, believe me, if I had hit you, you'd be nursing a head full of lumps and completely disoriented," Yang Rui mused to himself with a shake of his head. I just want to keep a low profile. Please don't push me to take action, because... even I'm scared of my own strength when I do!
Since his elder sister had no desire to spar with him, he decided to drop the matter. Besides, tomorrow was the day of the Spirit Selection, and he wasn't worried about lacking opportunities to demonstrate his skills.
Over the past six months, Yang Rui had devoted himself to training, scarcely leaving his home. Through sheer persistence, he had managed to accumulate enough experience to reach Level 13. Although he had made more progress in martial arts than he had anticipated, it paled in comparison to the advancements of the system. It's well known that each system upgrade significantly boosts Yang Rui's chances of survival.
However, on another note, Chiba City, while not a large city, boasts a remarkable Spirit Selection arena that draws people from neighboring cities. As a result, the influx of visitors to Chiba City has surged in recent days. The City Lord of Chiba City has only one rule: no wanton violence, or offenders will be executed on the spot!
Yang Zhantian, as Chiba City's top martial artist, may be on par with, if not slightly superior to, the City Lord in terms of strength. However, when it comes to a showdown, Yang Zhantian would never dare to challenge the City Lord. The reasons are twofold: firstly, the City Lord is an official appointed by the dynasty, not to be challenged without cause. Secondly, the City Lords across the land hold imperial pardons, allowing them to wield the Emperor Aura, which augments their strength. This is why, despite being less powerful, the City Lord of Chiba City remains unchallenged.
After six months of acclimating, Yang Rui is no longer the beginner who was new to this world. The Essence Spirit Continent is home to nine great dynasties, each a sovereign power in its own right. These dynasties have stood for nearly a thousand years, with each one founded by a Holy Essence Stage powerhouse. The enduring stability of the dynasties is inextricably linked to these formidable figures. The nine dynasties are the Celestial Deriving Dynasty, the Golden Origin Dynasty, the Vast Wind Dynasty, and others, each named in honor of their respective founders.
The dynasties on the Essence Spirit Continent were established by the mighty ones of the Holy Essence Stage. Over time, these formidable figures devised a method to fortify their reign: the bestowal of Emperor Aura. This Emperor Aura is essentially the manipulation of a nation's destiny. A flourishing dynasty meant an abundance of Emperor Aura, and officials graced with the Emperor's pardon would receive a portion of it. The higher the official's rank, the greater the Emperor Aura they were endowed with. This not only allowed them to attract loyal subordinates to assist in managing the dynasty but also reinforced the Emperor's grip on power—a strategy with multiple benefits.
Each dynasty's domain was incredibly vast. Chiba City, for instance, lay in the northern reaches of the Celestial Deriving Dynasty, one of the Nine Dynasties, bordering the Golden Origin Dynasty. Despite their proximity, the two dynasties maintained a friendly rapport, with no history of discord. Upon learning this, Yang Rui fell into a prolonged silence.
Spirit Selection was integral to both sects and dynasties, and while most dynasties enjoyed the backing of sects, the influence of these sects was not to be overlooked.
Yang Rui stroked his chin, pondering deeply before breaking into a smile. "Well, there's no use dwelling on it. Enhancing my own strength is what truly matters. How can I venture far and wide without the means to defend myself?"
Glancing at his Experience Points, Yang Rui chuckled. With just over ten days to go, he wondered if he could trigger a mission. The anticipation was indeed agonizing.
