Back in the Boundless Storage Pagoda.
The endless river within the Boundless Storage Pagoda flowed with a serene yet mysterious rhythm, its currents silently ferrying Qichen's floating body deeper into the vast expanse. Mountains passed by unnoticed as his unconscious form drifted through a place where time and space felt dreamlike and eternal.
Suddenly, his eyelids twitched, and Qichen slowly opened his eyes.
"Huh…?" he murmured in confusion, the haze of unconsciousness still lingering in his expression. A moment later, he clutched his head lightly. "What's this…?" he muttered.
It felt like an enormous volume of information had been forcibly crammed into his mind while he was in a deep sleep.
"Nameless cultivation technique…?" he whispered, as the strange term echoed within his consciousness.
Without wasting another moment, Qichen dragged his damp body from the river and sat cross-legged on the bare earth, naked and unbothered. The cold air brushed his skin, but his focus had already turned inward, his mind entirely immersed in understanding the flood of knowledge that had appeared from nowhere.
Time passed slowly, and after more than an hour of silent meditation, Qichen's eyes reopened. A profound brightness glimmered within his gaze, like the glow of stars condensed into twin pools of light.
"Where did it come from…?" he muttered to himself, his voice laced with wonder and caution.
He immediately reached out to Xiao Yu, the intelligent assistant of his system. "Xiao Yu, did you send this technique to me?"
"No, Master," Xiao Yu replied with a calm tone. "The system has no record of inserting any technique into your mind."
With a deepening frown, Qichen turned to the spirit of the Boundless Storage Pagoda. "Was it you?"
The pagoda spirit, a calm and elegant figure, shook her head slightly. "I do not interfere with your internal memories or mental sea, Master. This was not my doing."
Qichen's heart pounded. "Three hundred and sixty levels… How is this possible?" he whispered in disbelief, reading over the details again and again.
"I've only ever heard of the Qi Condensation stage having twelve levels… even the most ancient texts mention no more than that. How can this cultivation technique contain three hundred and sixty levels?"
And yet, despite the apparent impossibility of it, he could not hide the spark of excitement igniting in his chest. His eyes gleamed like fireflies against the darkness.
"This cultivation technique… it's truly extraordinary. It's not just about condensing Qi. As I cultivate, it will also temper my body to an extreme. The more I advance, the stronger and sturdier I become." His voice was filled with awe. "And the most shocking part… it allows me to absorb all kinds of energy to cultivate—not just spiritual energy, but any type."
His mouth curled into a rare, delighted smile.
"And this is only the first level of the Nameless cultivation technique. As I rise in realm, I'll unlock more of it. It's endless." He paused, his brows furrowing. "But… the technique also states that only I can cultivate it."
He couldn't help but wonder where this miraculous technique had come from. But no matter how he probed, he found no origin.
"Well, it doesn't matter for now. If it appeared in my mind, and only I can cultivate it, then it must be related to me somehow. It doesn't seem dangerous… so why overthink it?" He brushed the doubt aside with a shrug and firm resolve. "I'm not strong enough to discover the truth yet. I'll just grow stronger."
However, as he prepared to begin cultivation, a new problem dawned on him.
"How in the world am I going to gather enough spiritual stones…?" he groaned, rubbing his temples.
Each level of the Nameless cultivation technique required an immense quantity of energy, far surpassing ordinary techniques. Every bit of energy consumed would be refined and compressed into a highly concentrated form within his dantian. This not only made the process more efficient but also more demanding.
And that wasn't the only issue.
"My Qi Sea is twelve-colored and vast beyond belief," he muttered. "Even I can't tell if I can ever fill it completely… Just reaching the first level of Qi Condensation requires over ten times the amount of energy a regular cultivator would need."
Then a memory struck him. "Wait… Didn't I check in some top-grade spiritual stones through Xiao Yu?"
"Xiao Yu!" he called out.
"Yes, Master?"
"Did I check in spiritual stones before?"
"Yes. You checked in one million top-grade spiritual stones," she replied.
Qichen's jaw nearly dropped. "One million…?"
He had barely paid attention to the exact resources during the check-in, but now that he knew, he couldn't be more grateful. He wouldn't need to worry about cultivation resources—at least not for a while.
Without hesitation, he accessed his system space and retrieved the spiritual stones. The next moment, a thunderous rumble echoed as an enormous mountain of radiant top-grade spiritual stones emerged before him.
The mountain was so tall, he couldn't even see the top from where he stood.
Spiritual energy burst forth in a frenzy. The air around him buzzed with power as the energy grew so thick that it began to liquefy, forming small glowing rivulets in the air.
He carefully separated a hundred stones and sat down at their center. Activating the Nameless cultivation technique, a whirlpool of radiant energy immediately formed around him, pulling energy from the stones with voracious intensity.
And so, Qichen cultivated.
Hours passed in silence.
Eventually, Qichen opened his eyes once more, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
"Fifth level already…?" he muttered in wonder. "This technique is truly domineering. To advance so quickly… I didn't expect it."
But he didn't allow the joy to blind him. "There are still 355 levels left to reach… I can't afford to be careless."
Then he glanced at the stones and noticed that a hundred more had been depleted.
"The cost… is terrifying. But I can feel it—my strength has more than doubled."
He was eager to test it in the real world, but then glanced down at himself. A problem remained.
"…I don't have any clothes," he muttered awkwardly.
As if summoned by his thoughts, the weapon spirit appeared beside him.
"Master," she said with a serene smile.
Qichen instinctively covered himself and stood up with embarrassment.
The weapon spirit waved her hand. A white robe slowly appeared in midair, floating toward him. It was dazzlingly white, as if woven from moonlight.
"Is this for me?" Qichen asked in surprise.
"Yes. I prepared this garment for you when I sensed you would soon step outside. It is crafted from the weeds and materials found on the first floor of the Boundless Storage Pagoda," she explained calmly.
"Although these seem ordinary, everything that grows here carries special traits. This robe cannot be compared to anything available where you currently are."
Qichen nodded solemnly.
"When made into clothing, the materials took on unique qualities," she continued. "First, it is resistant to tearing—no force below its threshold can damage it. Second, it is resistant to elemental attacks within a certain limit. Third, it will remain perfectly clean, no matter what touches it."
Qichen's eyes widened. These were the kind of benefits he hadn't even considered but desperately needed. His journey would be long and filled with battle—changing clothes after every fight would be annoying at best.
"Thank you," he said sincerely.
"It is my duty, Master," the weapon spirit replied, vanishing into thin air once more.
Qichen stepped toward the robe and cradled it in his arms. "It's so soft…" he whispered.
It felt lighter than air, like silk woven from clouds. "Can something this delicate really resist tearing and elemental attacks…?" he doubted. But then again, this was the Boundless Storage Pagoda.
"Maybe… that's part of its qualities," he said with a faint smile. "And it's comfortable."
He quickly dressed and walked toward the river to see his reflection. What he saw stunned him.
"Is this… me?" he whispered.
His black hair flowed to his waist like an inky waterfall, dancing in the breeze. His skin radiated with a healthy glow that seemed to reflect sunlight. Sword-shaped eyebrows framed his face, and his irises sparkled with multicolored light.
His features looked as if they had been sculpted by divine hands.
Although he had always been handsome, this transformation was otherworldly.
"My appearance… it must've changed after I awakened my memories," he muttered. "That black sludge must have masked it all… no wonder no one noticed before."
Seeing his own reflection, his demeanor shifted slightly. He stood straighter, more composed.
"Enough distractions," he said firmly.
A golden card appeared in his hand. "I've only had my memories back for a day… and already, I've gone through so much."
Someone was already targeting him—and if he killed that person, he would have to flee. With that person's powerful backers, even his former sect couldn't protect him.
"They won't offend a powerful sect just for a low-ranking disciple… even if I'm now at the fifth level of Qi Condensation. There are plenty like me. I won't gamble my life on others' goodwill."
Crack!
He broke the card, but nothing happened.
"…Master," the weapon spirit appeared again. "I sensed a summoning attempt. It was being blocked by the boundaries of the Boundless Storage Pagoda. Should I allow it?"
Qichen blinked in realization. So that was why nothing had happened.
"Yes. Let it through," he replied quickly.