Tai Bàoli had a decision to make.
He had gone back to his pavilion room as the matches for today were over, and they weren't going to start again for 3 days. There were three options that laid in front of him.
1. He could upgrade his stats to become an Altering Muscle Stage Disciple.
2. He could upgrade one of his techniques to become High Mortal Rank.
3. He could upgrade the petrifying mad hammer stance to peak and also upgrade his strength.
It was quite the choice, he really couldn't tell what he wanted to do. He wanted to win first place in this tournament, something about Seung Duang's provocation just sat with him. His entire being wanted to prove them wrong.
Why would clan strength matter? all that matters is the strength of the individual. Seung Duang was strong, but only because he had been nurtured since young to be who he was. Tai Bàoli had to struggle his entire existence just to get to this point, and some other snobby child was going to look down on him because of his clans technique, not even his own technique? Tai Bàoli just couldn't accept that.
Since he'd joined the sect all the "great" clans clansmen had been snobby stuck up children. And at least half of them had provoked him for no reason. They were all just kids trying to cultivate and become someone of great importance, yet because they were a part of a great clan they could terrorize the other students?
It angered Tai Bàoli quite a bit. Through this anger Tai Bàoli decided on what he was going to upgrade. he would spend all 30 experience on getting his Esoteric Ghost Steps to high mortal rank.
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-Confirm Upgrade: ~30 experience~
-New Technique/Technique Name: ~Traceless Spectre Across the Void~
-High Mortal Rank-
-Minimum required Stats-
-Body Refining Stage 3/9, Viscera Training-
-4.0 strength-
-4.0 Dexterity-
-4.0 comprehension-
-Technique Outline - Traceless and Intangible, Traverse the Void.
---------
("Yes. Yes I accept")
Tai Bàoli couldn't wait, The strength and speed requirements were barely met, and the comprehension was barely there too, this technique should probably require a Altering Muscle Stage individual to practice it, but because of Tai Bàoli's system he'd been able to create it and now learn it.
As soon as Tai Bàoli accepted he immediately fell unconscious. He didn't even get time to scream in pain as it just overwhelmed his being. The change from a low mortal rank technique to a high mortal rank was huge. Way to huge to be instantaneous.
As Tai Bàoli laid unconscious his entire body would be wiggling and writhing trying to reorganize itself to be used to a mastery of the new movement technique. He sweated profusely, even while unconscious gritting his teeth.
After 12 hours he finally awoke. And as he did so? he obviously have checked his status screen immediately. But before he saw the status screen he was in for another surprise.
--------
-Congratulations-
-+20 Experience-
-You've been rewarded 20 experience for successfully upgrading and comprehending a never before seen technique-
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("HaHaHaHaHa!!!!! I'm gonna be unstoppable!)
Tai Bàoli couldn't hide his wife smile and the smile would only get wider as he finally peaked at his status screen.
-------------------
-Unlimited Experience System-
-Host-(Tai Bàoli)
-Cultivation Stage-(Body Refining 3/9, Viscera Training)
-Experience-(20)
-Upgrade Cost: 1, amount upgraded per, .1-
-Strength-(3)(+3 from Bear's Hide)
-Dexterity-(4)(+4 from Traceless Spectre Across The Void)
-Comprehension-(4)
-Martial Arts-
-Cost to Upgrade: 5 experience per grade, per rank-
-Traceless Spectre Across The Void: Mastery ~Mid~
-Bears Hide: Mastery ~Peak~
-Petrifying Mad Hammer Stance ~Mid~(Side Effects Detected: When used for more than 1 minute in combat consecutively the user begins petrifying themselves slightly. -1 dexterity for every minute after the user continues using the technique.)
-Martial Arts Eligible for Grade Increase-
-Bears Hide: Mastery ~Peak~(Upgrade Cost 30 experience, directly upgrades to High Mortal Rank)
-Upgrading a stat requires experience, gain experience in a myriad of ways-
-------------------
The new technique was giving him either 4 dexterity a mastery level or 2 depending on how it was calculating the low level of mastery. Tai Bàoli was absolutely overjoyed.
And with 20 extra experience he could either upgrade it to High or upgrade himself to Altering Muscle Stage.
For now Tai Bàoli threw upgrading himself to Altering Muscle out the window. If he was going to beat Seung Duang and Tian'Jun Jun he wanted to do it on the same level as them.
With that in mind Tai Bàoli immediately upgraded His new technique.
And just like before he had immediately passed out. A high mortal rank technique jumping from mid to High was somehow far beyond what a low mortal rank jumping from mid to peak was.
Even though Tai Bàoli had been accustomed to the technique already the change from mid to High was too miraculous, it took over 16 hours for Tai Bàoli to wake up.
As Tai Bàoli woke up he'd gasp for air, his body felt dirty, he was covered in the same impurities as had happened when he upgraded the bears hide techniques mastery. Before Tai Bàoli even checked he felt an immense difference in his body and surroundings.
It was almost like he was viewing the world in slow motion, like he was able to perceive the most minute of things. Even with slight steps he was moving as fast as he would using the esoteric ghost steps at High mastery before.
Tai Bàoli knew he had to be on a different level now.
-------------------
-Unlimited Experience System-
-Host-(Tai Bàoli)
-Cultivation Stage-(Body Refining 3/9, Viscera Training)
-Experience-(0)
-Upgrade Cost: 1, amount upgraded per, .1-
-Strength-(3)(+3 from Bear's Hide,+1 from Traceless Spectre Across The Void.)
-Dexterity-(4)(+6 from Traceless Spectre Across The Void)
-Comprehension-(4)
-Martial Arts-
-Cost to Upgrade: 5 experience per grade, per rank-
-Traceless Spectre Across The Void: Mastery ~High~
-Bears Hide: Mastery ~Peak~
-Petrifying Mad Hammer Stance ~Mid~(Side Effects Detected: When used for more than 1 minute in combat consecutively the user begins petrifying themselves slightly. -1 dexterity for every minute after the user continues using the technique.)
-Martial Arts Eligible for Grade Increase-
-Bears Hide: Mastery ~Peak~(Upgrade Cost 30 experience, directly upgrades to High Mortal Rank)
-Upgrading a stat requires experience, gain experience in a myriad of ways-
-------------------
("woah, It's augmenting my strength too?")
Tai Bàoli was even happier then before, with it upgrading his strength too he had basically upgraded his strength and speed. Tai Bàoli's smile never disappeared, and it probably wouldn't until he fought for first place in a day and a half.
While feeling the changes in his body Tai Bàoli finally decided to actively use his movement technique, the previous changes he had noticed were just his body getting used to it newfound stats. He wanted to see exactly how this technique preformed.
As he began utilizing the new technique a small burst of air was heard as where Tai Bàoli previously stood there was no one. In fact Tai Bàoli was no longer in his room at all.
Tai Bàoli was running around the pavilion unseen, however that wasn't the most surprising thing, the most surprising thing was that he was phasing through objects as he did it. It was astounding.
Tai Bàoli now understood what it meant by Across the Void. This was like his own little world, only he could move through.
At least that's what Tai Bàoli thought until he went outside using the technique on accident and accidentally ran into someone.
Who'd he run into? Great Elder Fu.
Great Elder Fu would grab Tai Bàoli and position him upright, as when Tai Bàoli collided with Elder Fu it was like hitting a wall so he fell over.
Great Elder Fu: "This is quite the surprise, where are you heading off too?"
surprisingly Elder Fu didn't seem upset.
Tai Bàoli: "Ha....uh....Sorry Great Elder Fu"
Tai Bàoli would Bow then continue speaking.
Tai Bàoli: "I was just practicing a new technique I'd created, I really am sorry!"
Tai Bàoli immediately admitted to what he was doing, it wasn't uncommon for people to create custom techniques. At least once they had multiple techniques mastered.
Elder Fu raised his brow, if he didn't always have his entire being imbued with Qi he'd have never been able to see Tai Bàoli. Which meant the technique Tai Bàoli was stating to have created at minimum needed to be High Mortal Rank, and may be even peak mortal rank. Elder Fu didn't doubt Tai Bàoli was telling the truth as Elder Fu pursued the Dao of Truth and could instinctually sense if anyone at least 2 stages below him was lying.
This specific strength was part of why he had been able to become a great elder.
Great Elder Fu: "Understandable, well done. Would you like to register this technique with the martial arts library? you'd be able to get credits based on its strength."
Tai Bàoli was amazed, Elder Fu hadn't even gotten mad that Tai Bàoli ran into him, instead offering Tai Bàoli a chance to earn extra credits.
Tai Bàoli: "How many credits?"
Great Elder Fu: "Well it depends on the grade of the technique as well as the learning curve of it. Most High rank techniques can get you about 1000 martial credits right away, and then after that around 10 martial credits a month. it's quite profitable. And If it's a peak grade technique you may even get 1500 right away."
Tai Bàoli's eyes flung wide open, he'd be able to buy multiple high mortal grade techniques with that. His only probably then would be that he'd need a high enough comprehension to understand whatever he bought.