C11 Beginner Level of Cultivation

Hu Yang instinctively spread his arms and caught her just before she hit the ground.

Embarrassed, Hsiao Xinya hastily pushed Hu Yang away in a panic.

Wan, equally taken aback, asked, "Who are you?"

With tears welling up, Hsiao Xinya replied, "My name is Hsiao Xinya..."

She could only get that much out before her eyes widened in horror, likely frightened by Wan's fur-covered face.

"You look like a major star!" Wan exclaimed, suddenly thrilled. She reached out to pull Hsiao Xinya, who retreated in alarm, yet seemed too scared to run away.

Hu Yang was taken by surprise. Then, a frosty voice came from outside: "Master, I've brought our people back! Mission accomplished, I'm off to report back!"

Lee Yuanba?

Hu Yang realized what had happened. At the hotel entrance, concerned that Lee Yuanba might harm Hsiao Xinya in a scuffle, he had offhandedly referred to her as one of their own.

Unexpectedly, the dense Lee Yuanba had taken it upon himself to 'rescue' Hsiao Xinya.

"I was kidnapped by him," Hsiao Xinya managed to say, turning back to look at him, tears still swirling in her eyes. "He just picked me up and ran. He was so fast, I couldn't even keep my eyes open."

"Who dares to kidnap you? I'll sort them out!" Wan declared, leaping to her feet with righteous indignation.

Hu Yang quickly ushered her back, "This doesn't concern you, get back inside." He then hurried out to catch Lee Yuanba, who was turning to leave, and swiftly shut the door behind him.

Standing impassively in the hallway, Lee Yuanba announced, "Master, time's up. If you want me to stay, you'll need to up the compensation."

Compensation?

Hu Yang was taken aback. It dawned on him that the compensation Lee Yuanba referred to might be the points from his cerebral system. "How much do you need?" he inquired.

"600 points of spiritual force every half hour," Lee Yuanba replied without a moment's hesitation.

Spiritual force?

Hu Yang was startled. The values in his cerebral system were actually what Lee Yuanba called spiritual force!

As this realization hit him, a "Ding" echoed in his mind, and a string of text materialized before his eyes.

In ancient times, the exchange rate was 500 points for every half-hour, with a bonus half-hour provided on the first use.

It turned out that the ancients had an expiration date!

Hu Yang felt a twinge of disappointment. He had thought he'd acquired a super enforcer, someone who would ensure he'd never be bullied again, but it was all just an illusion.

Of course, 600 points weren't much. But with only 7,000 points to his name, spending another 600 would mean he couldn't afford the vital Spirit Pills that Wan desperately needed.

With no other choice, Hu Yang asked, "Lee Yuanba, how much longer can you stay?"

"Without an increase in spiritual force points, I can stay for at most fifteen minutes!" Lee Yuanba glanced at Hu Yang with a look of scorn, seemingly thinking him miserly.

Ding!

As expected, the system chimed in. Lee Yuanba's scorn had just netted Hu Yang an additional 750 points.

Wow, what level is he? He just gave me a huge boost!

Hu Yang was inwardly thrilled, though he kept his composure. He casually inquired, "Any chance you could stay a little longer? Consider it a favor owed."

"No!" Lee Yuanba's gaze turned fierce, as though he felt insulted.

The system's tally climbed once more: Lee Yuanba's disdain added +360, +270, +155...

Despite the diminishing returns, Hu Yang was content; he had quickly amassed over 1,500 points.

"I'll hire you for half an hour!" Hu Yang said with a slight smile.

Ding! Hu Yang's points instantly dropped by 600.

Lee Yuanba's demeanor brightened, and he eagerly asked, "What would you have me do, Master?"

"I have a few questions for you," Hu Yang replied.

"Please, ask away, Master."

"Who sent you?"

"The Great Sage."

Hu Yang was puzzled. When he inquired further about the Great Sage, Lee Yuanba admitted he didn't know; the Great Sage always issued orders without revealing himself, known only by voice.

After questioning Lee Yuanba, Hu Yang began to piece together the puzzle. It turned out there were quite a few paying customers like himself; Lee Yuanba had already served several others.

Moreover, there seemed to be a whole cadre of mercenaries driven by the pursuit of points for others to command. Lee Yuanba didn't know many details, but he had met a few through employers who had summoned several ancients at once.

However, he wouldn't divulge to Hu Yang which ancient figures were currently in service, possibly due to a rule imposed by the Great Sage.

Lee Yuanba explained that accumulating a certain number of spiritual force points could enhance one's cultivation, ultimately transforming someone into a revered deity!

Could it be that gods actually existed in this world?

Another revelation was that Lee Yuanba was unaware of his own death. He firmly believed he was still among the living!

Despite having been struck by lightning outside Tong Pass in a fit of rage, where he hurled his golden hammer into the heavens, he had merely been knocked unconscious.

Upon awakening, he found himself in a mysterious realm, training under the Great Sage, and had made significant progress, ascending to the status of an Earth Spirit!

This explained his extraordinary strength, speed, and physical prowess.

Hu Yang observed him, wondering if this naive fellow had been duped.

The historical records stated that after his death, Emperor Gaozu of Tang had given Lee Yuanba a grand burial.

Yet, historical accuracy was debatable, just like the case of Concubine Yang, who was reportedly executed by Emperor Xianzong of Tang. Later, tomb raiders found her grave empty, fueling rumors that she had not died but instead fled to Japan.

This led Hu Yang to question whether his cerebral system was a scheme by the Great Sage to exploit others for point accumulation.

What was the purpose of collecting these peculiar points?

Lee Yuanba boasted about his practice, the Great Dao of Infinity cultivation technique, which he claimed was immensely powerful.

Hu Yang was taken aback; the technique had just appeared in his cerebral system, requiring a mere 1200 points—a stark contrast to the thousands needed for a Rebirth Spirit Pill.

Seeing Hu Yang's dismissive look, Lee Yuanba defended himself with conviction, "You might find this hard to believe, but many have practiced the Great Dao of Infinity method, and yet, aside from me, none have made any real progress. Do you know why?"

Hu Yang gave him a skeptical look. "Are you trying to say that you're exceptionally talented?"

Lee Yuanba shook his head. "Talent is just part of it. What's more critical is that there's a significant flaw in the Great Dao of Infinity method. If you can't spot this flaw, no amount of effort will ever allow you to advance your cultivation!"

Hu Yang's interest was piqued, and he quickly inquired, "How long have you been practicing this method?"

"Thirty years, give or take," Lee Yuanba replied, holding up three fingers.

Hu Yang found this puzzling. It had been over a thousand years since the Tang Dynasty, hadn't it? Where had he been all this time? Perhaps time flowed differently in his world?

Then again, he might have been in a deep slumber for much of that time, unaware of the years slipping by.

"Regrettably, those thirty years were essentially squandered," Lee Yuanba lamented.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because I only stumbled upon the method's flaw a few days ago! And in just one month, I've gone from being a mere man of prowess with raw strength to reaching the second level of Earth Spirit! You've seen it yourself, my lord. I'm as agile as a swallow, with limitless strength, impervious to blades and spears..."

"No, you were born with divine strength," Hu Yang interjected.

"The raw power of a man of prowess can't hold a candle to the divine force of an Earth Spirit!"

Lee Yuanba grew more animated as he spoke, revealing the entire cultivation journey in one go. It turned out that the levels of cultivation in his world were distinctly defined, ranging from low to high: man of prowess, Earth Spirit, Earth Immortal, Human Immortal...

As for how high the levels went, he wasn't sure, leaving Hu Yang equally in the dark.