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STATUS SCREEN
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Name: Ji Wuye
Level: 26
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ATTRIBUTES
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Strength: 190 (+10)
Agility: 184 (+10)
Qi: 284 (+30)
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SKILLS
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- Quick Adaptation (B)
- Deflecting Blows (B)
- Feline Reflexes (C)
- Ssh Breaker (C)
- Qi Training (???)
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MARTIAL ARTS
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- Pressure Form Perfection Style (4th) (B)
- Healing Art Primer (3rd) (D)
- Cloudsoaring Steps (2nd) (E)
- Pulse of Bde Sword Art (2nd) (??)
- The Unbreakable Vajra Form (2nd) (C)
- Heavenly Dragon Fusion Gongfa (3rd) (C)
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COPIED MARTIAL ARTS MOVES
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- Thunder Dragon Dance (1st) (B)
- Twin Phoenix Dance (Final) (C)
- Hundred Steps (Final) (C)
- Kunlun Aura Ascension (1st) (2nd) (B)
- Bck Thunder Doctrine (1st) (2nd) (3rd) (??)
- Sky Demon Bde (3rd) (B)
- Venomous Beast (1st) (B)
- Taiyi Divine Sword (2nd) (??)
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A holographic screen flickered into existence, hovering translucently before Ji Wuye's intense gaze. His crimson pupils narrowed slightly as he studied the dispy.
'As expected, it was a really good decision to accept this punishment,' he mused, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His attributes had gained yet another increment, which, of course, came from his recent resonance with the Fire element
Deep within his Upper Dantian, Ji Wuye's consciousness drifted inward, immersing itself in the vast, swirling sea of vibrant Qi.
At its center, a faintly bluish expanse encircled a floating isnd—a chunk of rich earth suspended weightlessly amidst the ethereal currents. Upon this levitating ndmass stood a solitary tree, its bark gleaming with a metallic silver sheen that seemed to shift and undute.
However, a distinct separation existed within these bluish depths. Surrounding the earthy isnd, a shimmering, golden torrent of Qi swirled in a defined boundary.
Each element present symbolized the resonance with his body: the lone tree represented the essence of Wood Qi, its roots sinking into the floating earth that embodied the solid, grounding force of Earth Qi.
The liquid, golden waters signified the flowing, adaptive nature of Water Qi, while the metallic luster of the tree's bark indicated the aspect of Metal Qi.
And now, a new element had joined their cosmic dance.
'The Fire Qi,' Ji Wuye observed, his inner vision transfixed as the metallic leaves began to smolder and curl at the edges.
One by one, they burst into brilliant sparks of crimson fme before disintegrating entirely, reduced to swirling motes of ash dispersed upon the eddying currents. This confgration symbolized the essence of Fire Qi itself.
It was perfect—a consummate five-element symphony resonating within his very being. The rhythmic thumping of this elemental accord reverberated through his body like a cosmic heartbeat.
Never in his wildest dreams had Ji Wuye imagined achieving such profound resonance with all five principal attributes of existence. "Such a magical thing truly makes me feel like a cultivator," he murmured aloud, shaking his head in awe.
Yet despite this breathtaking accomplishment, despite the joy of harmonizing with the five main elements in symbiotic union, the embers of human desire still flickered within Ji Wuye's heart.
It just...
Letting out a deep sigh, he pondered, 'It's really impossible, huh...'
Yes, this was his limit—the five elements. He had tried bathing in the brilliant morning sunlight, to resonate with the invigorating Light Qi. He had even attempted to attune himself to the crystalline frequencies of Ice Qi.
Neither effort had succeeded—instead, his attempts were met with strong rejection. When he had tried to attune himself to the brilliant, invigorating essence of Light Qi, the gathered energies simply bsted apart and dispersed in a blinding fre.
And his endeavors to harmonize with the crystalline frequencies of Ice Qi were simirly thwarted, the rhythmic thumping from his Upper Dantian scattering any icy Qi he managed to coalesce.
'Let's not be too greedy,' Ji Wuye mused inwardly, shifting his focus, to another of his most significant gains after sying countless fearsome creatures in those Dungeons of this Roushui Camp he had cleared just a couple of days ago.
The gain was... his skills...
Quick Adaptation, Deflecting Blows, Feline Reflexes, and finally the formidable Ssh Breaker technique—all had upgraded.
'Perfect,' Ji Wuye thought with a satisfied smile. As he had anticipated from previous upgrades, some skills prioritized numerical over qualitative.
Which brought, this time, the increasement aligned precisely with his expectations—every single one of his skills, including the Quick Adaptation, had been upgraded in an effortless.
It was then that a voice called out from just outside the tent, shattering his reverie.
"Excuse me, Master Ji." Ji Wuye gnced up, his eyes noticing the shadows of two figures standing behind the leather fabric of the entrance, silhouetted against the bright daylight.
"We brought you food," the scratchy voice continued. Ji Wuye considered for a moment before replying calmly, "Please, enter."
The tent door parted, and two beggars shuffled inside dressed in tattered, ragged clothing that hung loosely from their emaciated frames.
Their sunken eyes and sallow complexions betrayed lives of hardship and deprivation. Yet their gazes were not dispirited—instead, a fierce inner spark gleamed with resilience and an indomitable spirit.
They carefully pced a simple meal of bread on Ji Wuye's table before leaving behind a rolled leather parchment.
"May your future be as beautiful as the finest brocade silk, Master Ji," one of them said reverently, their ragged forms bowing respectfully. The two beggars nodded subtly toward the seated Ji Wuye before turning and departing as quietly as they had arrived.
Ji Wuye's attention quickly shifted to the leather parchment as he picked it up, the material soft and well-worn beneath his calloused fingertips.
Slowly, he unrolled the scroll, his eyes eagerly devouring the inked words as they were revealed. Reading the contents, the faint smile pying upon his lips blossomed into a broad, genuine grin. His crimson pupils narrowed slightly with undisguised joy as he took in the gd tidings.
"Inner Disciples Lian Rougang, Shen Bi, and Qiu Xia managed to breakthrough to the 5th realm under Elder Qiao's guidance," the message procimed in bold brushstrokes.
But the parchment held further revetions. "A wave of shock spreads through the Jianghu following the death of one of the Five Emperors," the next line read, its implications sending ripples through the Jianghu.
"Even more shocking, a disciple of one of the Five Emperors has reportedly joined Kunlun. Could this be further evidence that Kunlun has been covertly working with the unorthodox faction?"
After digesting the news about his Senior Sisters with a smile, Ji Wuye couldn't help but chuckle at the next report regarding the news of WindBde Emperor's disciple. "Sister Song, how would you handle this situation?" he murmured aloud to the empty tent, recalling the irony of it all with a shake of his head.
Despite everything, his Senior Sisters—who might have been expected to at least bid him farewell or show reluctance in seeing him leave—had been absent. Instead, it had been Song Jia who had persistently been by his side, pleading and begging for him to teach her the third move.
...
Night had fallen over the Roushui Camp, the encroaching darkness banishing the crimson hues of dusk. Ji Wuye y prone atop the ste roof of a two-story building, staring up at the vast, glittering expanse of the night sky.
The brilliant pinpricks of starlight should have been mesmerizing, a celestial tapestry to lose himself in. Yet his gaze was unfocused, his mind a roiling tempest of unease and turmoil as memories and portentous thoughts swirled.
'This timeline is not the same anymore,' Ji Wuye mused to himself, his brow furrowing slightly as fragmented recollections and divergent paths flickered through his mind's eye.
From being unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight for sying one of the legendary Five Emperors, to successfully preventing the tragic death of his Senior Sister Shen Bi, and now bearing witness to all three of his Senior Sisters advancing to the 5th realm—everything had irrevocably changed.
He exhaled a slow, measured breath, his muscur chest rising and falling beneath the loose folds of his robe.
'There's another thing...' Ji Wuye thought, his piercing crimson eyes narrowing in contemption.
The fiercely independent Song Jia, dubbed the unruly 'Bck Horse', had become overly reliant on his guidance of te.
He recalled how she should have been constantly stirring up trouble, forever seeking out new challenges and opponents to test her sword against in the pursuit of enlightenment.
Everything had shifted, morphing into strange new permutations—all because of his very existence, his choices and interventions rippling outward to reshape the streams of fate itself.
Yet instead of feeling regret or menting the loss of certain strategic advantages he might have held in the original, unaltered timeline, Ji Wuye found himself experiencing an entirely different emotion.
"It's actually...fun," he murmured, the corners of his lips curling into a faint, satisfied smile as his narrowed eyes glinted with amused satisfaction at the novelties and complexities that y ahead.
Still, after that fleeting moment of contentment, a strange sense of emptiness lingered—a hollow, aching spot within his chest that couldn't be so easily filled. What should he do from this point onward?
With his current strength, though he could not yet be called the outright strongest, he was keenly aware of how easily he could now toy with even the vaunted Five Emperors themselves—that elite group of individuals at the daunting 9th realm, long considered the untouchable pinnacle of the martial world.
Should he focus solely on increasing his own power further?
Or would his efforts be better directed toward proactively eliminating any potential threats that might still cause future harm to his Senior Sisters?
As Ji Wuye y there pondering the murky pathways of destiny branching out before him, an old, half-forgotten memory suddenly surfaced unbidden in his mind's eye.
'The 50th floor...' Ji Wuye muttered, his expression growing taut as the memory resurfaced - a haunting recollection that chilled him to his very core.
How could he have allowed himself to forget, even momentarily? The enemies lurking on that 50th floor of the Tower of Gods - their strength was utterly unparalleled.
Every martial art, every technique wielded in that world seemed to possess twice the potency of anything found in the Jianghu. And that wasn't even the most terrifying aspect.
'There,' Ji Wuye's thoughts raced, 'the Evil Sect is king and ruler of that entire world.'
His mind drifted inexorably to a blurry, half-remembered vision - a chilling glimpse of the one who had single-handedly sin Du Chen and all of Jianghu's future geniuses.
'Then it's decided,' Ji Wuye concluded inwardly. Settling into a cross-legged meditation pose atop the bck ste rooftop, he began delving deep into the recesses of his memory.
He attempted to recall every scrap of knowledge about the Sword Silk and Sword Star - those small martial realms existing just above the Sword Aura stage...
However, before he could fully immerse himself in contemption, an intrusive mental notification erupted across his consciousness.
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>> [INFORMATION] <<
The three-month break has ended, and challenges will now resume for all challengers!
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[!] As a seventeen-year-old, you meet the eligibility requirements to participate in this game!
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[!] You will be forcefully transported into the Tower of Gods!
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