In a place that knew no sun, the only light was a sickly green from phosphorescent moss that clung to the damp walls of a forgotten ruin. The air was heavy and still, an unnatural silence unbroken by the chirp of insects or the rustle of wind. This was a pocket of the world that people and time had abandoned.
A figure knelt in the center of the crumbling chamber, his attention focused on the object floating before him: a pulsing, black crystal orb, shot through with writhing threads of malevolent Qi. He hummed a tuneless, discordant melody, one hand tracing intricate patterns in the air, coaxing the dark energy within the crystal to grow stronger, denser.
A voice, sharp as winter ice, cut through the silence from the shadows behind him. "You were told to lie low."
The man didn't flinch, nor did he turn. He continued his work, a contemptuous smirk playing on his lips. "And you were told to mind your own business. Some of us prefer progress to patience."
A woman emerged from the gloom, her features obscured by the shifting shadows, but her posture radiating a tense, coiled anger. "The Master's plans require discretion. Your 'progress' is a beacon in the dark, drawing unwanted attention. You are risking everything for this… pet project."
The man finally paused, turning his head just enough to cast a disdainful glance over his shoulder. He scoffed, the sound echoing unnaturally in the dead air. "The Master," he sneered, the title dripping with disdain. "The Master is a coward, content to hide in the shadows, clinging to false prophecies. He fears the power we could be wielding now."
He rose to his feet, turning to face her fully. His eyes burned with a fanatical light, his expression one of supreme arrogance. "There is nothing to be afraid of. When my work here is finished, the nature of Qi in this region will be fundamentally changed and completely under my control. The sects will be thrown into chaos, their precious balance shattered."
He took a step closer to her, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial, zealous whisper. "And in that chaos, I will rise. Even the 'Master' will have no choice but to bow to me. The entire cultivation world will."
The woman stared at him for a long, silent moment, her expression unreadable in the dim light. When she spoke, her voice was flat, devoid of its earlier anger, replaced by a cold, final judgment.
"You're an idiot," she stated simply. "Your ambition has made you blind. You think you're weaving a new destiny, but all you're doing is lifting the shadows that keep us all from being discovered."
She turned away, her form already beginning to dissolve back into the deepest shadows of the ruin.
"Don't come crying to me when your stupidity gets you killed."
Her final words hung in the air for a moment before she vanished completely, leaving the man alone once more. He stared at the spot where she had been, his smirk returning.
"Coward," he muttered, before turning his gleeful attention back to the pulsing, malevolent crystal.
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Back in the quiet solitude of his repaired cabin, Alex sat on his cot, the last of his spirit stones resting in his palm. They felt cool and heavy, the final remnants of the wealth he had earned and the last tangible link to his life as a Qi Condensation disciple. He was so close he could taste it.
A wave of strange introspection washed over him. For twenty-two years, his identity had been forged in the crucible of necessity. He was Alex Steele, the survivor. The boy who worked two jobs to afford a tiny apartment while putting himself through college. The jack-of-all-trades who learned basic repairs, plumbing, cooking, and budgeting not as hobbies, but as essential skills to keep his head above water. His life had been a constant, grinding battle for the next meal, the next rent payment, the next passing grade. He had always done what he had to do.
Now, he was about to do something, something he wanted to do. He was choosing to become more. He was leaving the survivor behind to become a full-fledged cultivator. Being whisked away was the last straw; from now on, he will be the only one dictating his life.
With a final, decisive breath, he closed his eyes and entered a meditative state, channeling the power of the remaining stones into his dantian. The energy surged, a roaring tide crashing against the final, unyielding barrier of the Qi Condensation realm. He pushed, his will focused into a single point, pouring every ounce of his being into the assault. For a moment, nothing happened. The barrier held. Then, with a feeling like the world itself was cracking apart, it shattered.
A wave of pure, potent energy exploded from his body, a visible ripple of force that shook the wooden walls of his cabin and lifted the dust on the floor. The Qi in his dantian underwent a profound, qualitative change, no longer a volatile gas but a swirling, stable liquid. He had done it. He was in the Foundation Establishment Realm.
As the torrent of energy settled, the familiar black book in his Sea of Consciousness called for him. This time, however, a new page of glowing golden script was already waiting for him.
"Congratulations, my dear disciple. I knew choosing you was the right choice. Here is a small gift from me. And do remember, you have the potential to reach boundless heights. How you get there is completely up to you."
The message faded, and Alex felt a pull towards the [ARTIFACTS] page. He willed it open and saw a new entry glowing beneath the Millstone of Transmigration.
Item: Immortal Eyes
Description: These eyes are to help you always find the light in even the darkest places.
Alex read the cryptic description, a flicker of curiosity stirring within him. But first, he needed to see the results of his breakthrough. He flipped back to his status page.
*************************
[ STATUS ]
Name: Alex Steele
Age: 22
Affiliation: Outer Disciple, Azure Plum Blossom Sect
[ CULTIVATION ]
Qi Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Realm - Stage 1 (7.4%)
Body Cultivation: Ironbone Realm - Stage 4 (12.1%)
[ RESOURCES ]
Qi: 500/500
[ TECHNIQUES ]
Immortal's Qi Cultivation Technique: 45% Mastery
Immortal's Body Refinement Technique: 71% Mastery
Art of the Headless Body: 70% Mastery
Immortal's Simple Movement Skill: Mastered
*************************
The leap in power was staggering. The breakthrough to Foundation Establishment had not only transformed his Qi but had also dragged his physical cultivation and technique mastery along with it. The recent battles, combined with this new foundation, had propelled him further than he could have imagined. Satisfied, he let the book fade and opened his eyes.
The world was no longer the same.
For a dizzying moment, his vision was an overwhelming kaleidoscope of color and light. He blinked, shaking his head, and slowly, the chaos resolved into something new, something breathtaking. He could see it. He could see the very lifeblood of the world.
A gentle, pale green energy, wind Qi, drifted lazily through the air in the cabin. A deep, steady brown light, earth Qi flowed in slow, solid currents through the wooden walls and the floor. He looked at the cup of water on his table and saw a shimmering, vibrant blue Qi swirling within it. He could even see the faint, warm red of fire Qi dormant within the unlit kindling in his stove.
Everything was alive with energy, a beautiful, hidden world laid bare before his new eyes.
He stared, utterly speechless, a single thought echoing in his mind.
So this is what it means to see.
He spent the next hour like a child with a new toy, his Immortal Eyes wide with wonder. He watched the gentle green wind Qi drift through the cracks in his cabin walls, the steady brown earth Qi flowing through the stone foundation, and marveled at the vibrant blue water Qi swirling in his tea cup. The world was no longer just dirt and stone; it was a living, breathing tapestry of energy.
As the initial shock wore off, a more complicated emotion began to surface: frustration. He started pacing the small confines of his cabin, running a hand through his hair.
"First, he kidnaps me, gets me killed, and leaves me for dead," Alex muttered to the empty room, his voice a low growl. "Then he leaves me to fend for myself. Now, all of a sudden, I get a breakthrough and he's sending me... gifts? What is this, some form of cosmic reward system?"
His new eyes could see the swirling energies of the world, a gift of incredible power. But it was a gift from his kidnapper, a gift from the "perverted old man" who had thrown his life into chaos.
"And why now?" he continued, his pacing growing more agitated. "There was no 'congratulations' when I hit Qi Condensation. No 'Immortal Nose' to help me smell better. Why is Foundation Establishment so special?"
The questions spiraled in his mind, a tangled knot of gratitude and resentment with no clear answers. Was the old man watching him? Was this all part of some grand, incomprehensible plan?
He finally stopped, letting out a long, weary sigh. The answer was that he didn't know. And worrying about the whims of a god-like being was a fast track to insanity. He had more immediate problems. And, more importantly, immediate opportunities.
His gaze fell upon the neatly stacked alchemical supplies and the gleaming new cauldron. He had a goal, a plan. It was time to focus on what he could control.
"Alright," he said, the conflict in his voice replaced by a focused determination. "Time to make some money."
He had studied the pill-making process in the library until he knew the theory by heart. He gathered the materials for the simplest recipe he could find: the Low-Grade Qi-Replenishing Pill. He took some Sun-petal Flowers and Iron-root from his small garden, making a mental note to clear a new section for the rarer herbs he'd purchased at the Exchange Hall so he could try growing those as well.
With his Immortal Eyes, the process felt different. He could see the faint red fire Qi in the kindling beneath the cauldron, allowing him to feed the flames with meticulous precision until they burned at the perfect, steady blue hue described in the manual.
When he ground the herbs, he could see the vibrant yellow Yang energy of the Sun-petals and the deep, grounding brown Yin energy of the Iron-root. He added them to the gently warming cauldron, watching with fascination as the two opposing energies began to mix.
The manual stated that a novice should expect a plume of acrid smoke as the energies fought for dominance. But Alex saw something else. He saw the two colored clouds of Qi swirling, clashing, and creating chaotic, dissonant sparks. This was where most beginners failed in the final, crucial step of Qi infusion.
Closing his eyes, Alex took a deep breath. He focused his will, drawing on the new, liquid-like Qi from his dantian and preparing to channel it into the brew. He aimed for a slow, steady trickle, just as the manual instructed.
The moment he initiated the flow of Qi, something shifted. The familiar feeling of his Foundation Establishment Qi was superseded by a more profound power. A thin, almost invisible thread of pure, golden-tinged energy flowed from his hand instead. His Qi was a perfectly refined, impossibly pure current that entered the cauldron with absolute precision.
With his Immortal Eyes, he could see the golden thread weave itself between the clashing brown and gold Qi of the herbs. It didn't fight them; it acted as a perfect catalyst, a universal binding agent that forced the two opposing energies into a harmonious, stable balance.
The cauldron, which should have been rumbling, instead began to emit a soft, warm hum. A gentle, golden light emanated from within, bathing the small cabin in a serene glow. The sweet fragrance intensified, no longer just pleasant, but deeply spiritual, seeming to calm his mind and soothe his soul just by breathing it in.
This was not in the manual.
After a few minutes, the light and humming subsided. With a nervous hand, Alex lifted the heavy lid.
He had been expecting to find one or two lumpy, off-color pills. Instead, nestled at the bottom of the cauldron lay a perfect batch of twelve pills. They were not the chalky, dull brown described in the scroll. They were a smooth, lustrous jade green and without a single blemish. As he looked closer, he could see faint specks of gold swirling within each one, like stars trapped in polished stone.
He cautiously picked one up. It was warm to the touch and radiated a gentle, pure energy that felt ten times more potent than any low-grade pill he had ever seen.
"No way..." he whispered in disbelief.
There was only one way to be sure. His own Qi was nearly full, so he deliberately expended a large portion of it, sending it harmlessly into the earth floor until he felt the familiar sensation of emptiness. Then, he popped one of the jade-green pills into his mouth.
He wasn't prepared for the result.
Instead of the weak, slow trickle of energy he expected from a low-grade pill, a powerful but incredibly pure current of Qi erupted in his stomach. It flowed through his meridians like liquid sunlight, warm and invigorating, instantly refilling his depleted reserves. In less than ten seconds, he was back to full capacity.
He checked his status page.
Qi: 500/500.
Alex stared at the remaining eleven pills in his hand, his mind reeling with the implications. The manual stated that a standard pill could replenish maybe ten percent of a cultivator's Qi over a minute. He had replenished over fifty percent almost instantly.
This wasn't a low-grade Qi-Replenishing Pill. Alex believed this was at least a high-grade pill.
A slow, dangerous grin spread across his face as he looked at the gleaming cauldron and the sacks of cheap, common herbs. His path forward was no longer just about completing sect chores for a handful of contribution points. He now held the key to his fortune.
In a world where resources were everything, he had just found a gold mine.