After a moment's pause, she replied, "At first, it was just a pure white space. But then I wished, 'Why is it boring white and not a beautiful forest?' Suddenly, the white space turned into a lush forest with golden trees and many sweet, tasty fruits." She smiled, as if savoring the memory of their flavor.
"That's good. You're comfortable in there—I was worried you might not be," Li Shen said with a relieved sigh. She nodded in response.
"So, do you want to stay inside or come back out?" he asked.
"I'll accompany you during the day once I get my humanoid form. Until then, I'm going back. Call me if you need me to fight," she said.
Li Shen nodded and gently returned her into the Martial Spirit: Book of Infinity. He then sat cross-legged and began circulating the first part of the Void Scripture: Cycle of Infinite. Spirit energy surged through him.
An hour later, he opened his eyes and looked at his Spirit Power. It had dropped from Level 20 to Level 12, but he didn't mind—it was a known good effect of his cultivation art. It made his spirit power more refined and concentrated. Technically, he was now at Level 12, but if he were to compete with his past self in raw spirit energy, he would still win.
"Fortunately, with this cultivation method, I'll regain my levels quickly. Otherwise, how would I even explain the regression?" he muttered, resuming his cultivation.
Half a day passed. Only after nightfall, when someone knocked on his door, did he stop.
"Sister Sisi, what is it?" Li Shen asked as his sister stood at the door.
"Her Majesty Kite Douluo has returned," she replied calmly.
Li Shen nodded and followed her to the main hall, where Ling Yuan stood at the center—radiant and composed.
"Hmm, it seems you've already absorbed your first spirit ring," Ling Yuan said, sensing the aura radiating from him.
Li Shen smiled. "Yes, beautiful sister."
Her serious expression softened into a warm smile. "His Worship has assigned me as your guardian. From now on, I'll be staying with you until you're ready to return to Spirit Hall."
Li Shen nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Sister. Here, I have a gift for you."
He took out a beautifully sealed bottle and handed it to her. "Inside are five pills called Marrow Cleansing Pills. The voice gave them to me as a reward for absorbing a powerful spirit ring."
Ling Yuan opened the bottle, revealing five golden pills that shimmered like tiny orbs of sunlight. "What do they do?" she asked, intrigued.
"The voice said they can strengthen one's foundation," Li Shen explained. "I took one, and it purified my body to such a degree that I became twice as strong. It also said they only work the first time you take them."
Ling Yuan placed her hand on his shoulder, feeling his aura. "It's true… your body feels far more refined and pure than before. These pills are truly miraculous," she said, amazed.
Master Ma Nuo and the two other deacons nearby exchanged glances, their envy poorly concealed—though they did their best to remain composed in the presence of such grace and power.
"I'll test it in seclusion," Ling Yuan said. She turned toward Ma Nuo and instructed, "Prepare a quiet room for me."
Ma Nuo immediately bowed and instructed a servant who left to make arrangements.
Meanwhile, one of the deacons, Chen, stepped forward. "Li Shen, do you have one of those pills for us too? Or are we not that fortunate?" he asked half-jokingly, though there was a glint of hope in his eyes.
Li Shen chuckled. "I actually do. I have one for each of you." He took out four more pills and handed one to each of them.
"Why give the whole bottle to Her Majesty?" Chen asked, slightly surprised. "You could've kept the rest."
"One person can only take one in their lifetime," Li Shen replied. "It's useless for me to keep them. Besides, she's someone worth befriending."
Ma Nuo nodded in approval. "Wise and generous, just like me—good move, Li Shen."
"We'll take ours in private rooms as well," Chen added. "Just as you said, it's best not to absorb pills like this in front of others."
They gave him a grateful look, then left the hall to find their own spaces.
Back in the hall, now alone, Li Shen sat quietly with his legs crossed. The flickering lantern light cast shadows around the room, but his attention was fully on the glowing system screen hovering in front of him.
"Let's see what I got," he muttered, opening his system inventory.
With a thought, he summoned the newly acquired technique: Heaven-Piercing Radiant Fang Sword Art. It appeared before him as a golden-bound book, radiating an aura of majesty and sharpness. Just like with the Cycle of Infinity, he channeled his spirit power into the book. Instantly, it melted into light and merged into his body.
A flood of information poured into his mind—the sword art imprinting itself directly into his consciousness.
"Hah…" he exhaled sharply, a gleam in his eyes. "So it's divided into nine levels…"
He closed his eyes, processing the new knowledge.
Heaven-Piercing Radiant Fang Sword Art — Level 1: Holy Sun Slash
A basic yet overwhelming sword technique that combines the sharpness of Gold with the cleansing force of Holy Flames.
It allows the user to launch a blinding, cutting arc that can sever anything—and ignite it in divine fire.
"The first level's already this strong…" Li Shen muttered, a mix of awe and excitement in his voice. "As expected of a Heaven-rank technique."
Without hesitation, he turned to the wall where an ornamental sword hung—meant for decoration only. But that didn't stop him.
"Shameless? Maybe," he grinned. "But it'll do."
He took the blade down. Its edge was dull and worn, but good enough for practice. Leaving the hall, he made his way to the training courtyard. The moon hung overhead, casting a silver sheen across the stone tiles.
Li Shen stepped into position and took a deep breath. "Let's test the first level."
****
Like It?
Ream more at
patreon.com/be_king