But the flaw was also clear. Even a peerless genius like Ah-Qi had taken more than ten years to reach the pinnacle.
For someone like Ren, without the aid of the Dimensional Roulette, achieving the same level of strength was nothing short of fantasy.
Fortunately—
He had it.
And he could spend money on it.
Thanks to the combined effects of the Vitality Pill and Human Essence Pill, the Purple Qi Foundation had finally reached its final stage.
{Purple Qi Foundation — Completed!}
A bright notification flickered across the light screen.
Sitting cross-legged in the bedroom on the third floor, Ren slowly closed his eyes.
The so-called "Purple Qi Foundation" was not about forming a dantian or any kind of mystical core.It began with the meridians — using Qi to form a vast network of true energy that spread through every limb like the roots of a tree.
The area where it gathered most densely was his stomach.
In truth, the entire network seemed to exist for that single region alone.
Even on the Dimensional Roulette's screen, this network came with its own attribute display.
[Trait: Foundation]
Type: Passive (Constant)
Effect: A meridian network constructed from Qi. Though intangible, it possesses tangible properties and yields incredible effects beyond human imagination. It allows the practitioner to observe their internal condition through spiritual perception.
When manipulating internal Qi, the user can—for example—seal ruptured blood vessels to stop internal bleeding, or channel Qi into muscles to stabilize a fracture like an internal splint.
When Qi is not being actively consumed, it remains stored within the network, continuously nourishing the body and improving physical attributes.
Upon full cultivation, the body will gradually undergo metamorphosis, paving the way for the next stage of training.
Cost: Stamina
It was a trait worthy of being called divine skill. In the world of One Piece, perhaps only Life Return could rival it.
However, in terms of refinement and mastery, Life Return was still far superior.
But one shouldn't forget—Ren had achieved the Purple Qi Foundation through the Purple Qi Rising from the East technique in less than two months.
Meanwhile, even within Marine Headquarters—with its hundreds of thousands of soldiers—very few could master Life Return.
Still, the Purple Qi Foundation was only part of the picture.There was also a new trait.
[Trait: Flesh-to-Qi Conversion]
Type: Active Skill
Effect: When consuming large quantities of meat, the user can—through conscious intent—activate the meridian network within the stomach. This accelerates digestion, absorption, and metabolic efficiency, converting a portion of nutritional energy directly into Qi.
Cost: Stamina
From this, it was clear: the Purple Qi Rising from the East technique represented an entire cultivation system.
Ren began to ponder—his future path.
He had already done all the thinking he needed. Now came the time for decision.
Currently, the only available grand prize from the roulette was worth ten billion Beli.
Collecting all seven Calabash Brother templates to merge them was an impossible task—he simply didn't have that much money.
Once he acquired the next Calabash template, though, he could begin preparing for the Seven-in-One Fusion. Or better yet, he could start planning now.
His early-stage combat framework was nearly complete, so it was time to plan for mid- to late-stage power growth.
Two directions lay before him—
The High-Martial Qi System represented by Scissor Seven.
And the Chakra System represented by the Sharingan.
The difference: the former required at least five years of steady progress; the latter took less time to develop.
He hesitated for a while. Taking both paths sounded ideal—but whether the systems would conflict, and how much energy they'd consume, were real concerns.
After a long moment of thought, Ren still had no definite conclusion. But an idea—vague yet exciting—had begun to take shape.
A plan to have it all.
With the Foundation complete, Ren raised his palm. Qi gathered at his fingertips, and a wisp of purple flame ignited—its glow rippling softly in the air.
If someone touched it, they would find no heat at all. This was merely the external manifestation of Qi.
"At least I've crossed one threshold… and stepped into another."
He busied himself with small matters—ordering the Iron Knights to transport supplies and replenish inventory.
Soon, he expanded the Iron Knights' number to sixty-four units.
Aside from activating the Pumpkin Core, all the materials were ready-made.
Once created, each Iron Golem was transformed by the Enlightenment ship's built-in "skin" system into full-fledged Iron Knights.
The process cost about sixty million Beli; the remaining forty million went into energy replenishment.
His military camp system hadn't yet settled on a future direction, but the current scale already needed expansion.
At the very least—he wouldn't have to personally handle weaklings anymore.
Nanohana was a port city, and Crocodile's death was beginning to send ripples through the region. Although Baroque Works tried to suppress the news, they could only delay the inevitable.
Across the surrounding territories, pirates had already begun to stir.
Ren had no interest in watching chaos unfold. He simply dispatched his Iron Knights.
With precise cannon fire, they rained destruction upon the marauding pirates.
Then came the Iron Cavalry Charge.
Silver-gray armored knights roared forward amid billowing steam, their cold blades slicing through flesh. Blood and gore splattered across their steel armor, painting them a ghastly crimson as if donning new garments of flesh.
The people of Nanohana, who had lived in terror for days, watched the battle in stunned awe.
No one knew where these steel monsters came from—only that they were hunting pirates.
A cold purge. A swift plunder. And everything taken was brought back to their lair—the massive, triple-masted ship with its distinct design.
When the fighting ended, Ren tallied the spoils looted from the pirates—an astonishing one hundred million Beli.
The figure stirred an idea within him—concepts like "Private Military Dispatch" or even a "Mercenary Company" flashed through his mind.
But that was merely a passing thought.
The hundred million Beli was quickly poured into the next round of roulette draws.
After some thought, Ren decided to strengthen an existing item.
He activated the Sea Offering ritual using his Lucky Charm: Mazu Temple, and this time, he tossed in a ring—
Eye of the Herald.
By now, it had little use to him.
[Sea Offering — Success]
[Interesting…]
[Fulfillment — Triggered!]
Ren made his wish, then clicked the Lucky Lighter twice in succession.
The Dimensional Roulette spun, and a golden beam erupted from the Golden Prize Pool.
{Obtained — Virtual Seed}
In Ren's hand appeared a seed no larger than a grain of rice.But upon closer inspection, it shimmered with countless 0s and 1s within.
[Virtual Seed]
Origin: ???
Type: Weak-Rule Construct
Effect: A special artifact developed by a technological civilization to upgrade virtual-space devices, enhancing realism and computational capacity. After being intercepted by a magical civilization, it was converted through sorcery into a universal enhancer. When applied to an item possessing a virtual-space function, it induces advanced transformation.
Cost: None
Ren immediately used the Virtual Seed on his Imaginary Chamber Helmet.
Instantly, the helmet began to evolve.
[Imaginary Chamber · Virtual World]
Origin: Scissor Seven / Xuanwu Kingdom / Stren Kingdom / Divine Forge Nation / ???
Type: High-Tech / Arcane / Weak-Rule Construct
Effect: The origins of the Imaginary Chamber are long lost, but it contains the combined advanced technologies of the Xuanwu, Stren, and Divine Forge civilizations.
Its primary trait is Imagination: when activated and worn, the user enters a lucid-dream state known as the Imaginary World.
This world begins as a blank void, programmable by thought into a training ground. It can replicate the user's personal experiences, storing and simulating any encountered opponents.
Its greatest use lies in mortal combat simulations—the enemies' stats can be adjusted, though their intelligence remains limited. By infusing a soul, however, true intelligence can be granted.
If defeated within the simulation, the user experiences the sensation of countless kinds of death and overwhelming terror.
After being enhanced by the Virtual Seed, the chamber gained a new trait—Virtual World.It fuses the original imagination function with the seed's capabilities, forming a hyper-realistic virtual dimension.
Cost: Mana Crystals / Colorless Crystals
The improvement was evident—the fusion of a hundred-million and ten-million Beli-tier items yielded phenomenal results.
Ren finally exhaled in relief—he had achieved his goal.
He inserted ten Mana Crystals into the energy slot one by one; each liquefied instantly, merging into the power core.
In the soul-infusion chamber, a sand-colored crystal already shimmered faintly.
Once everything was ready, Ren put on the sci-fi-styled helmet and lay down on the bed. Outside, the Iron Knights received their orders and began their watch.
Imaginary Chamber — Activate!
Ren's consciousness plunged into darkness—a terrifying sensation, as though being dragged deep into the sea.
Then faint lights began to appear—thin streaks that illuminated the way ahead.
Gradually, he regained a sense of self and walked toward the light.
What awaited him was an expanse of endless white.
"...A creator's realm?"
Quickly,he began to read the information panel and understood how the space functioned.
After a brief pause, Ren started creating.
The white void shifted—becoming a vast, shadowy world.
First came a charred wasteland. Then, countless structures from Ren's memory emerged—only to crumble moments later as the ground quaked violently,turning everything into ruins.
The endless quakes reshaped the terrain—jagged fissures and gaping chasms split the scorched surface. From within those cracks glowed the red pulse of magma, the air thick with sulfur and blistering heat.
A vision of hell itself.
At some point,an infinite desert began to form,winds howling across the blackened earth and lifting up towering sandstorms.Amid the storms, one could faintly see the remnants of civilization.
The underworld and the surface each took on their own shape.Only the sky remained bare.
"Then… let's make it a thunderstorm."
Ren raised his head, pointing upward.
The blank heavens were instantly replaced by a silver-black firmament—a roiling sea of thunderclouds where serpents of lightning danced freely.
(End of Chapter)