[System Activated]
[Host: Li An]
[Age: 23]
[Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment Realm]
[Spirit Roots: Upper-Middle Grade Roots ×6]
Options Available:
• Multiply (3 slots available)
• Fuse
[Currently in Multiply: Aurora Technique ×178, Space Jumping Slash ×168]
Li An stirred, opening his eyes slowly. For a moment, the world swam, his ears filled with the faint hum of qi echoing through his meridians. Then, like a tide settling, everything clicked into clarity.
The System panel hovered before him, letters glowing crisply.
His lips tugged into a grin. "Late stage Foundation Establishment… not bad."
The words slipped out in a whisper, but pride swelled in his chest. When he had fallen, he had thought clawing his way back here would take months, years even. Yet here he was—standing in a realm most mortals only dreamed of—after just weeks of quiet cultivation and a little system assistance.
But it wasn't just the breakthrough. His gaze locked on the line that made his pulse quicken.
"Three slots," he muttered. "I've gained another multiplication slot…"
The possibilities unfurled in his mind instantly—techniques, spirit roots, even artifacts if he got his hands on them. His grin widened until it stretched ear to ear.
Slowly, he rose from his sitting position. His body felt… different. Lighter, but at the same time grounded, like every step could shake the earth if he willed it. Qi coursed through him like a steady river, smooth and abundant, no longer the wild flood of his earlier transformation.
He flexed his hand, watching faint traces of spiritual light pulse beneath his skin. "Comfortable. This body finally feels like mine."
But as he stretched and inhaled deeply, his brow furrowed. Something was… off.
The qi in the air—so abundant before—was noticeably thinner. Not gone, but reduced, like a banquet table half-cleared of dishes after a feast.
Li An groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me I drained the mountain again."
He glanced up at the sky. The mist that normally clung to Miscellaneous Peak had lightened, thinned into wisps instead of heavy curtains. Spirit birds, usually lively and chirping, now perched silently on branches, glaring at him like disgruntled landlords whose rent had been stolen.
Even the little spirit squirrel that had been visiting him daily peeked from behind a tree stump, chittered angrily, then scampered off.
"…Great," Li An muttered. "Now the wildlife's boycotting me too."
The realization set in: if he continued like this, he'd draw attention. A peak that normally slumbered in peace would suddenly become suspicious when its qi veins ran dry. Curious disciples, or worse—sect elders—might come sniffing around.
He folded his arms, pacing in the courtyard. "I need to think of a way to fix this. Maybe some kind of array to circulate qi back… or a trick to mask the drain… or, better yet—" He chuckled to himself. "Blame it on the squirrels. Nobody suspects squirrels."
The System, of course, remained silent.
Li An sighed. His smile returned anyway, sharp and confident. "Well, whatever the case… it's a good problem to have. Too much qi, too fast cultivation, too much power. If only the old me could see this now—he'd probably call me a show-off."
He clasped his hands behind his back and looked toward the misty horizon, mind already spinning with schemes.
"System."
[System Activated]
[Host: Li An]
[Age: 23]
[Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment Realm]
[Spirit Roots: Upper-Middle Grade Roots ×6]
Options Available:
• Multiply (3 slots available)
• Fuse
[Currently in Multiply: Aurora Technique ×178, Space Jumping Slash ×168]
Li An tapped his chin thoughtfully, eyes glinting. "Fuse the Aurora Technique."
[Affirmative.]
The air in front of him shimmered, and with a faint whoosh, one hundred and seventy-eight identical copies of the Aurora Technique piled onto the courtyard floor with a crash. It looked less like a sacred cultivation method and more like he had opened a bookshop on Miscellaneous Peak.
Li An blinked at the growing stack. "…If someone walks in right now, they'll think I'm running a clearance sale."
Before he could say more, the books trembled and floated into the air, circling above his head. One by one, they began colliding—five at a time—emitting a faint glow as they merged. With every round, the buzzing light grew sharper, the air vibrating as the weaker texts were refined into fewer, stronger volumes.
"Five into one… five into one again…" Li An muttered as he counted under his breath, squinting like a shopkeeper doing inventory. Finally, the process slowed, leaving only seven glowing books hovering serenely in the air.
Then, as if satisfied with their evolution, the seven books vanished into thin air.
A new line appeared on his System panel:
[System Inventory]
[Aurora Technique – Peak Profound Grade ×7]
[Note: Can only store System items.]
Li An's brows shot up. "Inventory? So the System comes with a free storage function too? Hah, I should've guessed. Every cheat comes with one." He chuckled to himself. "Now I won't have to sleep with manuals under my pillow like some desperate scholar."
"System, give me one of the Aurora Techniques."
[Would host like the physical technique or to directly fuse with the technique?]
Li An froze mid-step, eyes widening. "…That's an option?"
He grinned and jabbed a finger at the panel. "Fuse!"
The response was immediate. Like a battering ram slamming through his skull, a surge of information roared into his mind. He winced, clutching his head, but the pain was gone almost as soon as it came—leaving behind something else.
Understanding.
It was as if he had always known this upgraded Aurora Technique, as though he had been born with its principles etched into his bones. Lines of qi circulation paths appeared naturally in his thoughts, smoother and more efficient than before. Every minor flaw in the old version had been corrected, the rough edges polished until the whole thing gleamed with elegance.
He exhaled slowly, a small smile playing at his lips. "So this is the peak profound version, huh? Honestly… not much different from the original. Just tidier. Like someone cleaned up the handwriting on an essay."
He leaned back on his hands, tilting his head at the sky. "Maybe when it hits Earth Grade, then it'll actually surprise me."
For now, though, the knowledge sat neatly in his mind, a part of him as natural as breathing.
He flexed his fingers, excitement tickling in his chest. "Well, no point sitting around praising it like an art critic. Let's see what this 'Peak Profound Aurora' can actually do."
Crossing his legs again, Li An closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink inward. His qi began to stir, flowing into the familiar circulation path. Only… it wasn't quite familiar anymore.
"Eh?" His brow lifted slightly.
Before, the Aurora Technique had always felt a little rough, like forcing water through a crooked bamboo tube—effective, but with occasional bumps and awkward turns. This new version, however, was like replacing that bamboo with crystal glass. His qi didn't stumble or snag; it glided, smooth as silk, obedient as though it wanted to flow.
His meridians buzzed, faint sparks of light flickering under his skin. The qi condensed faster than he was used to, refined into a purer, brighter form. Every cycle left him sharper, clearer, lighter—as though he were shedding invisible weights with every breath.
Within just a few circulations, Li An opened his eyes, exhaling a thin stream of mist. A faint shimmer of light traced his skin before fading.
"…Not bad." He tilted his head, lips quirking. "Definitely better than the old one. Faster, smoother… and my qi feels less like a grumpy mule and more like an obedient puppy."
He paused. Then sighed dramatically.
"But still not earth-shattering. More like… a decent renovation on an old house." He tapped his temple with a finger. "When this thing reaches Earth Grade, then I expect fireworks. Maybe even a celestial choir singing in the background."
The System, predictably, offered no comment.
Li An chuckled, shaking his head as he rose to his feet, stretching until his joints popped. His body felt lighter, his dantian fuller, his meridians steadier. For the first time in years, even through all his ups and downs, he felt… stable.
"Alright," he muttered, brushing his hair back over his shoulder. "One cheat technique fused. One bottomless well of qi to drain. A brand new body. And somehow, I'm still the only one living on a peak big enough for a hundred people."
He grinned at the empty courtyard, voice teasing.
"If I don't become a genius this time around, then really, I'll only have myself to blame."
Li An stretched his arms over his head, spine cracking pleasantly as he glanced at the glowing panel still floating before him. His gaze lingered on the "Space Jumping Slash" for a moment, but then he shook his head.
"…Nah. Not yet." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "If I fuse it now, when it's only a mortal-grade trick, I'll probably just get a slightly fancier parlor trick. Let's give it time. One month of multiplying, then we'll see if it wants to become something worthy of poetry—or at least something scarier than an angry chicken."
With that decided, he clapped his hands together and grinned.
"System, put both the upgraded Aurora Technique and two low-grade spirit stones into the multiply slots."
[Affirmative.]
The panel shimmered, and immediately three slots lit up with glowing symbols. The familiar text scrolled across his vision:
[Multiply: Aurora Technique (Peak Profound Grade) ×1]
[Multiply: Spirit Stone (Low-Grade) ×2]
A faint hum stirred the air, as though the system itself had inhaled. Then, the slots sealed with a soft chime, the items beginning their strange silent reproduction cycle.
Li An nodded, satisfied. "Good. That should save me some headaches later. A better cultivation method multiplying on its own, and stones to feed it with. Not bad, not bad."
He let out a small laugh, brushing his hair back from his forehead. "Who would've thought? Back then, I was the cripple everyone pitied, and now I've basically turned my backyard into a printing press for cultivation resources. Hah. If the sect elders knew, they'd probably kick me out just to steal the rights."
The System, naturally, offered no response.
Li An squatted, poking one of the spirit squirrels that had snuck into the courtyard while he was distracted. The creature squeaked angrily and scurried off with a stolen nut, leaving Li An chuckling after it.
"Fine, fine, I'll take the hint. Time to let things multiply and stew." He yawned, flopping back onto the stone steps with all the dignity of a lazy cat. The mist swirled around him, the faint hum of the system's process still lingering in his mind like a lullaby.
His eyes closed, lips curling into a satisfied grin. "One month… let's see how ridiculous this gets."
And with that, Miscellaneous Peak returned to silence—except, of course, for the faint shimmer of a strange system quietly multiplying treasures in the background.