By IMERPUS RELUR
--
The glow of the spirit stone had long faded.
Liang Chen remained in silence, seated by the broken corpse chamber, flame-qi circulating gently through his meridians.
> Qi Refining – Second Level.
But even in stillness, questions burned louder than the fire in his dantian.
> "If I can use spirit stones to cultivate... what else can I use them for?"
He called out.
> "System."
The air pulsed. A screen of light unfolded in his mind's eye—clean, mechanical, yet somehow ancient.
---
[STONEPATH SYSTEM – FUNCTIONAL TREE]
> Current Realm: Qi Refining – Second Level
Spiritual Root: Low-Grade Fire Root
Inventory: 0 Spirit Stones
Upgrade Interface Access: ENABLED
> Everything can be upgraded. All follow the same law.
---
A new screen appeared:
---
[UNIVERSAL UPGRADE STRUCTURE]
Target To Middle Grade To High Grade To Perfect Grade To Immortal Grade
Spiritual Root 10 Low-Grade 100 Low-Grade 1,000 Low-Grade 10,000 Low-Grade
Skills & Techniques 10 Low-Grade 100 Low-Grade 1,000 Low-Grade 10,000 Low-Grade
Weapons / Artifacts 10 Low-Grade 100 Low-Grade 1,000 Low-Grade 10,000 Low-Grade
Spiritual Herbs & Materials 10 Low-Grade 100 Low-Grade 1,000 Low-Grade 10,000 Low-Grade
Formation Arrays 10 Low-Grade 100 Low-Grade 1,000 Low-Grade 10,000 Low-Grade
Bloodline / Constitution (Locked) 10 Low-Grade 100 Low-Grade 1,000 Low-Grade 10,000 Low-Grade
> Conversion Rate:
100x Low-Grade = 1x Middle-Grade
100x Middle-Grade = 1x High-Grade
100x High-Grade = 1x Perfect-Grade
100x Perfect-Grade = 1x Immortal-Grade
---
Liang Chen exhaled slowly.
> "This isn't just about cultivation."
His eyes narrowed.
He pulled out a cracked cultivation manual from the archive's floor—the same flame technique carved onto the mural.
> [Detected: Basic Technique – Enduring Flame Meditation (Normal)]
[Upgrade to Middle Grade requires: 10x Low-Grade Spirit Stones]
He smiled.
Everything had a price.
But for once in his life—he understood the cost.