"Status..."
[Status Panel—
Host: Mo Shen (19)
Identity: Myriad Demon Sect, Thousand Chittering Peaks Personal Disciple.
Cultivation: Peak of the Qi Refining Realm
Gu Worms: Paralysis Wine Gu (Intermediate Tier I)
Cultivation Techniques: Myriad Gu Manual (Small Achievement - 14%), Soul Beast Manual (Initial Stage - 0%)
Physique: Mortal Body
Martial Arts: Woeful Poison Arts 1st Part (Great Perfection - 11%), Verdant Quills Whip Art (Big Achievement - 74%)
Bond Beast: Black-Patterned Spirit Snake (Early Qi Refining)]
Looking at his status, Mo Shen's eyes instantly locked onto the new section.
"Black-Patterned Spirit Snake?" he raised an eyebrow in surprise.
The name was so damn ordinary that it caused his eyelids to twitch.
"Don't tell me... I actually got scammed?!"
He almost sat up in complete panic... if he had actually bonded an ordinary beast to him, wouldn't his cultivation only improve by a little?
"...Just kidding. As long as it has the attributes that I need, it's completely fine," he looked towards the little snake, giving it a small smile.
Other than that, almost nothing had changed on his status panel.
"Mhm... my Woeful Poison Arts almost reached the max level in mastery. At least, my comprehension is close to genius-level," he hummed thoughtfully.
The techniques proficiency was divided into five stages: Initial Stage, Small Achievement, Big Achievement, Great Perfection, and the almost impossible to reach... Transcendence.
Each one was almost self-explanatory.
The Initial Stage meant one had just begun to grasp the basics of the technique. Most disciples spent months, sometimes years, stuck at this level.
Small Achievement was when the practitioner could properly display the technique's power and use it smoothly in combat.
Big Achievement indicated a much deeper understanding, where the technique could be executed with high efficiency and even modified slightly to fit the user's style.
Great Perfection was the stage where one had nearly mastered the art to its limit.
At this point, the technique could be performed almost instinctively, with power and control that far surpassed ordinary practitioners.
And then there was Transcendence.
Transcendence was the highest realm of mastery, the stage where one's understanding of the technique was actually on par with the creator of the art itself.
It meant the practitioner had not only mastered every detail but had also gained the ability to see beyond the original framework, potentially even improving or evolving the technique further.
"Most outer disciples struggle to even reach Big Achievement in their lifetime, yet here I am, already knocking on the door of Transcendence with just the first part…" he muttered as a rare trace of satisfaction appeared on his face.
He gently stroked the small black serpent coiled around his left arm with one finger. The little snake responded by licking his fingertip affectionately.
But of course...
"Unfortunately... that is only comparing to the Outer Disciples, as the Inner Court or Core Disciples are extremely gifted," he sighed deeply.
On the Myriad Demon Sect, there are plenty of geniuses, and every single one of them is extremely terrifying.
Like... there was even one disciple who was on the Outer Court for five years, and one day, he suddenly rose like a dragon!
In the Outer Court competition, he got first place and advanced to the Inner Court. From then on, he just kept rising until he got his talent tested.
...He had a Solar Divine Body, one of the three thousand physiques!
However... that was just the edge of the iceberg, as that same disciple, even with a Solar Divine Body, got one-shotted by another disciple from the Inner Court who was also rising up.
And what was so special about that disciple?
He had awakened Sword Intent merely at the Core Formation Realm, and even had an Acquired Sword Body!
The sect simply had monster after monster... so, it's normal that a disciple like Mo Shen doesn't have high expectations.
After all... the only thing he had extra right now was his system. A system that almost didn't even trigger a choice event!
And when it did... the rewards weren't THAT good.
For example... the Paralysis Wine Gu is simply rare, but it has limits. If properly nourished, it can only reach rank three.
Rank three was equal to the Foundation Establishment realm!
The bottom 90% of all cultivators!
"Wait a second..."
On his own thoughts, Mo Shen suddenly realized something as his gaze turned to the little snake coiled around his arm.
"You actually skipped the Body Refining realm?"
There were multiple cultivation realms, but every creature, whether that was a beast, human, or even some kind of other species...
They all started at the first realm, the Body Refining realm.
Even if a divine beast is born, it first steps into the Body Refining realm before making a full-fledged breakthrough to the other realms.
And yet...
The little snake in front of him... didn't. It just got out of its egg, already in the Qi Refining realm.
After all, he didn't feel any breakthrough fluctuations when it was born.
"Hiss..."
The little snake licked his forearm, blinking twice as if confused by his words.
Mo Shen merely frowned, furrowing his eyebrows before taking out the Soul Beast Manual and taking a look at it.
Maybe there was some kind of passage that made the beast start at the Qi Refining realm or something like that.
But there wasn't... leaving Mo Shen quite bewildered.
"...I'll ignore it for now. If anything, I should be happy that it already started at the Qi Refining realm."
Satisfied with that conclusion, Mo Shen lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.
"Alright… time to sleep. Tomorrow I'll head back to the sect."
...
The next morning, after a simple breakfast and checking out of the inn, Mo Shen began his journey back to the Myriad Demon Sect.
The trip was uneventful. The little black serpent stayed coiled around his left arm the entire time, occasionally flicking its tongue out lazily.
Two and a half days later, the familiar dark peaks of the sect finally appeared in the distance.
"Phew..."
Mo Shen let out a small breath of relief.
"Well, well, well..."
He was only a little over one hundred meters away from the sect's outer formation when a group of disciples suddenly stepped out from the side of the road, blocking his path.
There were six of them.
All wearing the dark robes of the Myriad Demon Sect.
Mo Shen's steps came to an immediate halt.
His eyes narrowed as he recognized a few of their faces... they were part of the same group as Zhao Kun, Li Qiang, Chen Rui, and the others he had killed in the forest.
A tall, burly disciple with a ferocious scar running across his left cheek stepped forward. His eyes burned with hatred as he pointed his sword straight at Mo Shen.
"Mo Shen! You treacherous dog! Did you really think you could escape our eyes! We already know the truth! You were the one who killed Senior Brother Zhao Kun and the others!"
Another disciple unsheathed his sword with a sharp ring, his eyes filled with killing intent.
"You really thought no one would find out? Poisoning your own fellow disciples and then backstabbing them in the chaos… such a vicious heart! You truly are a disgrace to our Myriad Demon Sect!"
At those words, Mo Shen cringed a little, after all... they were in a demonic sect and everything.
But in the end, it was just an excuse to kill him.
'...Dammit, I probably won't be able to rust past them!' he grumled inwardly.
"Pftuu!"
A third disciple suddenly spat viciously on the ground, his face twisted in rage.
"Zhao Kun treated you as a brother, yet you repaid his kindness with murder! Today, we brothers will uphold justice and send you to accompany them in the Yellow Springs!"
'...Fucking hypocrites.'
Mo Shen gritted his teeth.
Clink...!
The rest of the group drew their swords in unison, the atmosphere instantly turning murderous as they slowly spread out to surround him.
"Courting death!"
One of them roared coldly.
"Hand over your life, you despicable traitor!"
Mo Shen's expression remained indifferent on the surface, but his mind was spinning rapidly, creating a plan that would get him out of here.
'Six opponents… one Early Foundation Establishment and five peak Qi Refining. Direct confrontation is suicide. I need to create an opening and escape toward the sect's formation. Once I'm inside the grand formation, they won't dare chase me openly.'
His thoughts raced as he quickly formulated a plan.
'Think, Mo Shen... THINK! Remember the things that you stored in your spatial ring! Surely, there's something for a situation like this... tsk!' he pressed himself on.
'Alright, alright... phew! First, I'll throw the Poison Mist Pearls I have stored in my spatial ring. They should be enough to temporarily blind and weaken them. While they're distracted by the poison fog, I'll use the Verdant Quills Whip Art with my mortal-grade whip to disrupt their encirclement.'
'The whip is weak, but with my current mastery of the technique, I can create chaotic whip shadows to force them back for a split second. That moment will be my only chance to dash toward the sect's formation.'
Mo Shen's fingers twitched slightly, already preparing to reach into his spatial ring.
'If I can just break through their line for three breaths… I might make it.'
But just as he was about to execute his plan and make his move...
[Ding!]
The system's familiar voice echoed in his head.