NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Catching up
Xue Yan slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry at first. When it cleared, she saw Zhao Wei standing nearby, watching her with a faintly amused smile.
"You… who are you?" Xue Yan asked, her voice still heavy with exhaustion.
"Forgot about me already, Miss?" Zhao Wei replied with a light laugh.
"Oh, it's you. Thank you for saving me," she said sincerely.
"No need to thank me. I was simply repaying a favor," Zhao Wei answered with a slight nod.
"How long have I been out?" Xue Yan asked, holding her head as if to ease her discomfort.
"Two days," Zhao Wei replied firmly.
Xue Yan's face turned grave as she processed his words. Two days gone—this meant there were only two days left before the mystic realm closed. With her injuries, obtaining the treasure would be near impossible. No, it was likely that by the time she even arrived, the treasure would already be taken.
Seeing Xue Yan attempting to rise, Zhao Wei immediately stopped her. "Don't. Your injuries haven't healed properly yet."
Hearing Zhao Wei's words, she calmed down slightly. He was right. Even if she could move, there were still the Emerald Sky Sect elders to contend with. Though their cultivation was restricted to the peak of the Qi Condensation realm within the mystic realm, their strength was still far beyond hers.
Wait… how did that guy even save me?
Things didn't add up. The last time she saw Zhao Wei, he was at the 6th layer of the Qi Condensation realm. Now, his cultivation had somehow advanced to the peak of Qi Condensation.
"How?" she accidentally voiced her thoughts aloud, immediately covering her mouth in embarrassment.
"What?" Zhao Wei asked, his tone genuinely confused.
"How did you advance so fast?" Xue Yan asked, realizing it would be more embarrassing to keep silent and continue covering her mouth.
"Oh, my cultivation? Well…" Zhao Wei trailed off.
"It is just talent i guess hahaha"Zhou Wei said in a joking manner.
Realizing that Zhao Wei wasn't planning to tell her she stopped asking him.
The truth was, these past few days, he hadn't been able to cultivate no matter what he tried. But the Heavenly Scholar's Legacy martial art allowed him to improve his cultivation by leveling it up. It was now at Level 2, which had boosted his cultivation by four realms. Still, his system panel had shown something peculiar:
Name: Zhao Wei
Lifespan: 80 years
System Level: 0
Cultivation: 9th Layer of Qi Condensation (True Realm: 1st Layer of True Qi Realm)
Martial Arts: Heavenly Scholar's Legacy (Lvl 2)
There's some kind of restriction keeping my cultivation at the peak of Qi Condensation… Maybe it's the mystic realm? Zhao Wei wondered.
Reaching the second level of Heavenly Scholar's Legacy had also unlocked new abilities: Heavenly Ink Manifestation and a passive skill called Virtuous Scholar's Aura. His understanding of Heavenly Calligraphy—the skill he had gained upon reaching Level 1—had also improved.
Zhao Wei had also recently realized that clicking on Heavenly Scholar's Legacy in his system allowed him to view detailed descriptions of his abilities.
Virtuous Scholar's Aura (Passive)
Creates a calming presence that clears allies' minds and lowers enemies' guard. Stronger against weaker wills; ineffective on those with high resistance.
Heavenly Calligraphy (Active)
Allows the user to inscribe powerful symbols and talismans to unleash effects like shields, detonations, or buffs.
Heavenly Ink Manifestation (Active)
Summons celestial ink from Qi to draw arrays, summon beasts, or manifest objects. Boosts the power and versatility of Heavenly Calligraphy when used together.
Zhao Wei glanced at the upgrade button for Heavenly Scholar's Legacy, but it was grayed out.
It says I need something called 'Confucian Arts' to upgrade further, on top of requiring 1,000 Fate Points. Confucian… as in Confucius, the philosopher? Zhao Wei raised an eyebrow, amused by the thought.
He turned his gaze to Xue Yan, who had settled in the corner of the cave and appeared ready to begin cultivating.
"Hey, so why is the Emerald Sky Sect hunting you?" Zhao Wei asked casually.
Xue Yan's eyes fluttered briefly, almost tearing up at the question.
"The thing is, our sects are sister sects. We're both second-rate sects that branched off from one of the top ten sects, the 'Jade Palace,'" she started to explain.
"Go on," Zhao Wei encouraged.
Nodding at him, Xue Yan continued, "We both arrived at the mystic realm together and formed a truce. Everything was going well until a few days ago when our sect discovered a treasure map. The Emerald Sky Sect agreed we would split the treasures after raiding the shrine marked on the map together. But as soon as we arrived, they betrayed us, killing all our disciples and elders."
Her hands trembled as she spoke, but she clenched them tightly, forcing self to remain composed.
"I only managed to escape because of the elders' sacrifice."She added her voice heavy with guilt.
While running away, I found you unconscious in the forest and brought you to this cave. I went out to gather herbs, but when I heard an explosion on my way back, I checked on you. Seeing you were fine, I continued running. That's when I encountered the three of them in the forest, which led to the current situation."
"I see," Zhao Wei said.
Xue Yan was about to say something when Zhao Wei held up his hand, signaling her to stop. His expression grew serious as he turned toward the cave entrance..
"Footsteps," he said quietly.
Xue Yan instinctively covered her mouth, while Zhao Wei stepped outside.
"To whom do I owe the visit?" Zhao Wei asked, his tone calm yet commanding.
A man stepped forward. He was tall, with short gray hair and sharp brown eyes.
"Li Huangxi, from the Emerald Sky Sect, Senior," the man said, bowing respectfully. Zhao Wei's cultivation was clearly higher, and Li Huangxi was keenly aware of it.
Zhao Wei's eyes narrowed slightly as a strange indicator appeared above Li Huangxi's head: a purple, diamond-shaped icon with the number 700 displayed within it.
What's that? Zhao Wei wondered, and just as the thought crossed his mind, a notification rang in his ears:
Ding!
Destined person detected.
Generating mission…