After walking for what felt like hours, keeping my senses sharp. My eyes constantly scanned the forest, paranoid that someone—or something—was following me. Call it instinct. Or caution Or maybe just me being a professional coward.
Eventually, I found a massive tree with thick roots and wide branches. Looked strong enough to lean on without collapsing. Good enough.
I sat down beneath it, letting out a breath, then pulled out the storage ring and focused on the Earth-Rank technique I found earlier.
Qi Cultivation Manua;l The Profound Qi Gathering
The name alone made it sound important. But as I flipped through the mental scrolls of information it contained, my brain started to fry.
"Ugh… it's like trying to read algebra written in ancient Sanskrit…"
It talked about gathering Qi from the atmosphere and funneling it into the dantian, in my body.
Still, I did my best to understand it.
---
Ten hours later…
The sun dipped low, and I found myself sitting in a lotus position. Somehow, I had begun gathering Qi—slowly, painfully, but surely. It felt like trying to suck in soup through a straw filled with sand. But something was happening.
I could feel the energy, just a trickle, slipping into me.
Conclusion?
My talent was average. Yay.
Without the technique, I probably wouldn't have sensed anything at all. But thanks to the manual, I made slow progress. Really slow.
Before I knew it, night had passed. I blinked.
"…Wait, what time is it?!"
And weirdly enough, no creature had come near me.
I realized why—the serpent core in my pocket. The aura must've scared them off.
But as soon as I reached 1-Star, something changed.
The core's aura surged—and this time, I could feel it fully. Where before it was a whisper, now it screamed in my soul. My entire body felt like it was about to burst. I broke into a cold sweat.
"Shit—!"
Without thinking, I shoved the core into the storage ring. The moment I did, the pressure vanished.
I sat there, panting, heart racing. "Note to self Never pocket Something could pressure me with just it aura."
But... there was good news.
I stood up and threw a casual punch into the air. The force? Double.
My strength had literally doubled.
Speed? Stamina? Also doubled.
And when I wrapped Qi around my limbs? The effect skyrocketed. My punches hit harder, my steps were faster, and I could feel my body responding like it had been given premium fuel.
Only downside
Qi consumption was trash. I could only hold the amplification for a minute, max. After that, it will be troublesome
Still, progress was progress.
With a satisfied nod, I continued walking. I wasn't even hungry—seemed breaking through somehow fed me spiritually. How nice.
---
Eventually, I reached civilization. A massive wall loomed ahead, with a name engraved in it
Azure Sect.
A sect? That meant people. Food. Shelter. Maybe more loot.
But the guard at the gate was strong. I could feel it—at least 4-Star, maybe higher. If I tried anything stupid, I'd be a pancake in half a second.
The guard looked me up and down, then held out his hand.
"Three low-grade spiritual coins."
Thankfully, the old man's ring had coins of every kind—low, mid, high. I paid without a word and walked inside.
And holy hell—it wasn't just a sect. It was practically a city.
Half of it was devoted to training: cultivation grounds, arenas, meditation halls, weapon racks. The other half? Bustling with life. Markets, dorms, food stalls. People everywhere, most of them around 1-Star, just like me—but I could tell who was middle and who was already in the late phase.
I wandered around like a curious tourist with a big smile. Unlike Earth, where power was a lottery ticket, here, even a commoner could get stronger with effort and the right technique.
And that's exactly what I needed.
I found a small market that sold techniques. Scrolls lined the shelves, each glowing faintly with inscriptions. As I browsed, an old man with an overly wide grin slithered toward me. His face screamed "shady salesman."
"Ah! Esteemed expert!" he said, voice too oily for my taste. "You've come to the best shop in all of Azure Sect. Our techniques are profound and rare!"
I twitched.
Did I look rich?
Wait... sword at my hip, fresh robe, calm face...
Yeah, I looked like a Expert pretending to be low-key. Looking at him he looked just like me Trying too pleased Akira.
That looked would literally lick someone shoes for just pleasing but
I ignored him and kept scanning the techniques. I couldn't afford to learn too many. With my current Qi energy reserves, I'd just hold back myself I needed something simple, versatile, and ideally… a little scummy.
Then I saw it:
Fake Steps – Mid-Tier
A footwork illusion technique. Creates a false image of the user to confuse enemies. Damage to the illusion is felt as pain, but not fatal.
My eyes sparkled.
A coward's dream come true.
The price? 15 middle-grade coins.
I slapped the coins down.
The old man's smile cracked. "T-This one? It's… quite niche…"
He was obviously disappointed. I could almost hear him whispering, "Cheap bastard," under his breath.
Too bad.
This technique was perfect for me.
I didn't need a flashy explosion or a sword beam that split mountains. I needed survival.
This let me confuse enemies, dodge attacks, maybe even trick a few experts
As I walked away with the scroll tucked safely under my arm, I smirked to myself.
"Fake steps, real gains."
Now all I had to do… was survive long enough to master it.