The glowing red Carp in Cheng Xiu's hands dissolved, turned into a tornado of light and disappeared into her chest.
Cheng Xiu looked at her empty hands in surprise.
Before she could comprehend what had happened she fell faster. It was the void place Cheng Xiu's hair flowed up as she descended.
Her mind was in a trance.
Her eyes glowed in a golden light and her entire body flashed in the colours of the rainbow.
Her descent stopped and her body spun.
She started to float up.
A piece of dramatic music echoed around her, and Cheng Xiu burst into specks of dust of light.
When she returned to her senses, Cheng Xiu found herself back in the white room, in front of the open red door.
Cheng Xiu looked on in a daze as the door slowly closed.
An etching of a golden fish appeared on the door's red surface and the door disappeared.
[Ding!]
[Player Selafia Veritas took the path of the great Tao and ran after their fortune. Her efforts were seen by the heavens and were blessed with success!
Congratulations, Player Selafia Veritas! You have successfully completed your Breakthrough trial.]
Cheng Xiu felt like her brain was damaged. "Why a fish?"
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to Player Selafia Veritas on your first breakthrough.
System awards Player +1 to all stats for levelling up.]
"Thanks," Cheng Xiu said. "But seriously, why a fish?"
[Certain players are given animals as their spiritual guide.]
"And I got fish?"
[Does Player want to change her animal?]
Cheng Xiu shrugged. "It's fine. I was just curious."
[Ding!]
[Player Selafia Veritas has passed Battle 1 of the Grandmaster Arena against Immortal Lotus of the Lightning Tribe.
Battle reward: 1 free skill of rank F from the Arena market.
+2 paid skills of any rank from the Arena market.
+1 free Red Carp Sword.]
Cheng Xiu gaped. "Aren't you being a bit too generous?"
[Would the player like to reject these rewards?]
Cheng Xiu panicked. "I'll have it! I'll have it! I was just curious damn it!"
[Okay then.]
A blue interface appeared in front of her. It was shaped like a scroll. On the top handle, there was a golden inscription written in English.
'Grandmaster's Market.'
There were rows and rows of words written in white text on the blue surface. They were all names of skills.
Cheng Xiu grinned. She always enjoyed selecting skills because it made her feel like she had Qi manifestation. There was a power and control that only came to those who had the skill and Cheng Xiu always valued herself as someone skilful.
As she went down through the list she realised that they all fell into the general category of Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, and Lightning. They were then Ranked into F, E, D, C, B, and A.
'A Rank' seemed to be the highest Skill that the arena could give a player.
Their price started at 50 Gold coins, increasing at a rate of +100 with an increase in Rank.
Cheng Xiu looked at the corner of the Interface that showed the current amount of money she possessed.
Bronze: 0
Copper: 0
Silver: 0
Gold: 204, 000
Crystal: 200
Money was not a problem when it came to skills she wanted to buy it would seem. She could buy all the skills she wanted but the system had restricted her. She realized it was a good thing it did or else she would have no money to spare.
Cheng Xiu first looked at the F rank skills. The system had said that she could choose one for free.
Her eyes fell on Healing (Upgradable) that was in F-Rank.
Cheng Xiu had only survived for so long enough to deal the killing blow on Lotus was because of her constitution given by the True Qi Cultivation Method that made her body regenerate faster than most people.
If she had a healing ability it would take her far into this game. It would especially help her during the Arena battle.
Plus, it was an upgradable skill. Anyone who played games knew that upgradable skills were the most valuable skills.
She tapped on the 'F-Ranked Healing' written place.
The letters glowed white and turned into a stream of light that disappeared into her forehead.
Cheng Xiu clutched her head with a frown. A spell grafted itself into her memories. Its foundational arrays, its strength, its weakness she knew almost everything. Cheng Xiu felt like she could heal anyone.
Once her mood stabilized, Cheng Xiu smiled. That was a very interesting experience. It would seem that the skills in this game were a bit more complicated, especially those that are Upgradable.
Phoenix eyes looked at the other skills on the list. There were too many to go through and she was unsure which one would be more appropriate.
Cheng Xiu thought for a moment.
Her next opponent was Lu WenXian and what little she knew of from her research of the Lu Family and what she had seen during the fight against the Forest Spirit, Lu WenXian was primarily a Swordsman who used wind as his supporting element to strike his enemy.
She needed a skill that would keep her away from him while also having resistance to his wind Manipulation.
Wait…the system said she could have 2 paid skills…she could maybe buy two of them. One for the sword and the other for the wind…
Her eyes flitted through the various skills on display until her eyes fell on two.
She smirked. Those should somewhat work.
She wasn't arrogant as to believe she could actually beat Lu WenXian like she did Lotus. The only reason Lotus had been defeated by her was that Cheng Xiu was trying to find an opening constantly and Lotus let herself open to weakness.
She knew Lu WenXian was an expert and that he would be much more prepared for her than Lotus was, given that he had seen her fight but these Skills should give her a fighting chance.
Cheng Xiu bought them and then removed the Red Carp Sword from her Storage Ring.
The Red Carp Sword was serrated on one side and smooth on the other.
It looked beautiful and enchanting. It was gilded with gold and had red shells adorning the blade.
Cheng Xiu put her old sword into the storage ring and tied the new sword to her hip. She looked gallant and majestic with it.
"I'm ready to leave, Maya."
Her body dematerialized once more.