Moonlight shone down on the boundless darkness that blinked with streaks of blue as thunder roared.
Ferocious winds howled while they assaulted the sea of gray clouds circling a towering mountain peak, stretching towards the heavens.
At the summit, a pair of wrinkled, bony bare feet stood firm. Long, aging gray hair swayed in the breeze, framing a face adorned with deep wrinkles and a subtle grin.
Wrapped in a dull gray fabric robe, layered with hardened brown dirt, the frail figure stood at the storm's epicenter.
An elderly man appeared immovable, his hands behind his back clasping his wrist, a tranquil expression on his face.
…
Running his fingers through the gray hairs of his sizeable beard, the old man pondered. After a moment, a hoarse voice echoed throughout the area as he spoke in a humorous tone.
"Hoho, spying on old men.. I wonder who has such tastes?"
…
Hearing nothing apart from the moaning wind and screaming thunder, the old man sighed lightly before inquiring once more.
"Care to have a chat with this old man?"
….
Deepening his wrinkles, the old man forrowed his short grey eyebrows, his sleeves fluttering in the wind as he slowly raised his right arm, his pale white palms facing downwards, forming his hand into a fist. He slowly extended his withering finger, pointing in a certain direction in the distance.
On the tip of his index finger, battling against the ominous wind that threatened to snuff it out, a fleeting gray flame emerged, gradually expanding in size until it wrapped his entire hand in a blanket of gray flames.
In a solemn tone, he professed:
"Wandering Beggar Arts"
At those words, it was as if sound had been forcefully removed from space; the baleful winds relaxed and deafened; his long, swaying gray hair grew still; and the blue streaks of lightning ceased.
The loud roars of thunder faded into a subtle whisper as an erie silence permeated through the area, giving birth to a peaceful and serene atmosphere—the kind that would put one's heart at ease.
However, the elderly man knew this was only the calm before the storm.
"WAIT! IT'S ME!"
An enchanting feminine voice suddenly resounded out, holding a bit of panic in it. In the direction that he was pointing at, the sea of clouds receded, giving way to the figure ascending through.
Her elegant crimson-red hair cascaded gracefully over her shoulders, framing a figure standing with impeccable posture—back straight, chest out, accentuating her well-endowed silhouette adorned in a mysterious black robe. With keen blood-red eyes, her beauty was like the edge of a very sharp knife.
Wearing a curious expression while staring daggers at the elderly man, she inquired in a coqqeutish tone, "Using a killer move right away, you would strike a woman?"
"Of course not! A gentle old man like myself, do I look like one who would do such things?" he shouted in response, wearing a wide grin.
"Feigning ignorance, the same as always." She shook her head as she continued, "What brings you here?"
"Ho? Are you interested in this old man?" He replied in a humorous tone as he gently lowered his right arm, the flame slowly dying before vanishing completely.
"Very," she purred, her voice like velvet, as she ran a languid tongue over her plump red lips. Her eyes, the color of a bloody sea, met his, their depths swirling with unspoken desires. A flirtatious smile played on her lips, full and inviting, beckoning him closer.
"Careful young lady, my old heart can't handle such teasing," he replied in a distraught tone as he slightly bent over, accentuating his hunched back and his hand grasping a certain area on his chest where his heart was located.
"You seem very lively to me, though; your heart has no problem handling the immemorial illusory array." She retorted while turning her blood-red eyes in a certain direction beside the old man.
Piercing into the sea of clouds at an absurd height of 9,000 meters stood an imposing pillar with a dull metallic color, glowing intensely with a silver hue as it reflected light, a hexagonal shape with numerous ancient runic symbols etched on its sides structured in intricate patterns, producing a loud humming sound.
It seemed to vibrate as an enormous amount of Qi traveled through it, transforming it before dispensing it outward. There were fours others identical to it, enclosing the mountain in a pentagonal shape.
The old man turned his gaze to the pillar and, with a thankful expression, replied in a grateful tone.
"Immemorial illusory array... I see.. thank you for enlightening this old man. As for handling such an elabarote formation, surely you jest." slowly shaking his head before continuing,
"Simply standing up straight is too much for this old man."
The beauty furrowed her brows, and her blood red eyes completely honed in on the old man's sharp grey eyes, looking at him as if trying to discern something.
Silence resumed as they stared at each other for a couple of moments before a sigh that sounded more like a moan was let out by the beauty as she spoke in a neutral tone.
*sigh*
"You won't tell me? Fine, can I ask you who that kid is?"
"Oh him? The old man turned to the small figure sleeping soundly on the ground beside him.
"This young one was kind enough to share his meager wealth with this old man. Such kindness is seldom seen these days. I remember-
Before he could continue speaking, he was suddenly interrupted by a feminine voice with a tone of humor.
"You really enjoy keeping secrets, old man." she stated, carrying a wide grin, she continued.
"I'm sure Emperor Hàoyú would love to hear that his wife was having an affair with-"
The old man heaved a deep sigh, cutting her off before she could finish as he stared at her with an expression full of pity before speaking.
"Seeing a beautiful lady beg like this, even an old man can't help but feel moved. Very well.."
Carrying a warm expression on his face. The old man smiled faintly before speaking in a neutral tone.
"He is my disciple."
....
Her blood-red eyes widening and her mouth agape, she remained silent for a moment. With the flirtacious expression no longer visible, she frowned as she said in an angry tone;
"But you told me—"
"I changed my mind," cutting her off once again, the old man said in a neutral tone.
...
Biting her lips with her hands clenched into fists, she questioned in an aggressive tone:
"What does he have that I don't?"
.....
The old man remained silent, staring at the luminous moon in the distance.
"Even after so many years.. you.."
"Fine." Turning to leave, she stopped for a moment, letting out a slight killing intent before continuing.
"Tell your disciple, my Demonic Sect welcomes him with open arms."
With those words, she disappeared into the horizon, a streak of crimson light fading into the night.
Scratching his beard while contemplating, the old man thought,
"Hmmm"
"My beard feels longer today."
----
Caressing his eyelids Zhihui**{AN; Adam is now Zhihui, so from now on we'll refer to him as that, just a reminder to avoid confusion}** opened his eyes slowly and recalled the previous events. Staring down at his hands with a somber expression, he let out a deep sigh before speaking in a solemn tone.
"I failed huh..."
"Hohoho, why the long face?" Suddenly, a hoarse voice resounded from behind him.
Zhihui immediately figured out the idenity of the voice, not by the sound but by the revolting stench of mud and urine flowing into his nostrils from its direction. Pondering for a moment, without turning around, he said in a low voice:
"Master, this disciple has failed you."
"Hmph, Lose your arrogance; even at my level, I cannot consume a tenth of that mountain."
"So then.."
"You passed; your final test is over."
Zhihui's face brightened greatly. Carrying a huge smile on his face, he opened his mouth wide and shouted:
"WHAT IS LOVE?! OH BABY, DON'T HURT ME, DON'T HURT ME, NO MORE!"
"HEHEHE, FINALLY!"
The old man told him he could begin cultivating after he had passed the tests given to him, now that the last one was complete. Zhihui couldn't help being excited.
Coming out of his psychotic episode after a few moments, Zhihui regained his bearings, his face a tinge of red as he thought 'old habits die hard'
"Hohohoho," the old man laughed. He had long since known of his disciples strange episodes and could only attribute them to a drawback of his high intelligence.
"Do you feel any different?" settling down after some time, he asked.
"Now that you mention it", Turning his focus inward, although it was barely noticeable, it was hard to ignore the strange sensation he was feeling. A peculiar energy was moving through him, revitalizing his body, but that wasn't it; deeper inside him, Zhihui could tell something had changed.
'System?'
*ZZAP*
The crackling sound of a spark reverberated through his mind, and while the sound itself didn't have anything unusual about it, Zhihui couldn't help but feel slightly disheartened whenever he heard it. He didn't know why, though; he had asked the system about it before and received no reply.
Like a mother welcoming her son after his long journey, the warm feminine voice that he had grown fond of rang out in his mind.
[ The host has unlocked Psyche! Congratulations! ]
[ Current Psyche; Beggar ]
' Psyche? What does that mean?'
[ Putting it in a way that the host can understand, psyche is another term for soul; however, there is a slight difference—a difference that the host will come to learn as the host's soul strength increases. For now, the host soul or psyche is that of a beggar, containing certain traits. ]
'I don't really get it'
[ SYSTEM ADVISES HOST TO INCREASE IQ ]
'This again, System, how do I actually increase my system IQ? Last time I checked, it was locked.
[ Hosts current soul and brain cannot handle even a single unit of system IQ; when hosts brain is developed enough, progress in system IQ will be feasible. ]
'I guess there's no use thinking about it for now,' drawing his attention back to the strange energy he felt. Zhihui pondered a bit before asking in a curious tone.
"Is this Qi?"
"Yes."
"Now focus on opening your meridians."
"Meirdians?"
"Qi, or Essense, exists in nature both in the world around us and in you and me, but the Qi currently in your body is impeded by unnatural pathways such as your organs; it moves through it slowly and slugglishly like a horse trying to run through a deep swamp.
However, if true essence, or Qi, penetrates into the meridians and flows there, then it would be unimpeded like a fast horse in the open field.
Once you open your meridians, that is when you truly become a cultivator."
The old man gently placed his palm on Zhihui's temple as he continued, "I've passed onto you my breathing technique; it will hasten the process."
Zhihui had an expression of shock as he read through the information that had been sent directly into his mind: 'Over the years, I've seen a couple of fights between cultivators. There are really humans with supernatural powers in this world, and now I'm finally becoming one.'
Zhihui sat in a lotus position, taking a moment to calm himself before entering a meditative state. Inhaling and exhaling slowly with a certain rhythm, Zhihui began to practice the breathing technique, and as he did so, he could feel something entering him, traversing through his body in pathways he had never felt before.
It was akin to another set of nerves, but at the same time, they were completely different. He could feel more and more pathways being opened, but it was getting harder as he did so. Intoxicated with the sensation of becoming more powerful, Zhihui frowned as he observed this.
Not only that, but Zhihui couldn't help but feel there was something weird about the breathing technique; no matter how much he concentrated or tried, he couldn't seem to affect the rate at which he was absorbing Qi. It was random; it was as if he could only simply wait and let luck decide whether Qi would enter his pathways. 'How strange, it's like...'
"This breathing technique is called Humble Beggar Arts," the old man remarked.
"The name really suits it; reminds me of begging." Zhihui replied, nodding his head.
"Hmm, there are similarities, but it is by no means random."
As he heard this, Zhihui also noticed something else: he felt lighter, not that he had lost weight or felt any change in his body, but...
After looking through his tattered robes, Zhihui turned back and looked at the old man with an expression of incredulity as he asked, "Master, have you seen my copper coins?"
The old man turned away from Zhihui's gaze, staring at the white clouds meandering through the blue sky as he spoke in a solemn tone.
"Desciple and greed have been the deaths of countless cultivators. In this world, your only true belongings are within—your soul, body, and mind! Never allow material possessions to cloud your judgment.
Zhihui: "...."
"This old man has your copper coins." The old man proudly professed
Zhihui's mouth was agape as he thought, 'Stealing copper coins from his own disciple? Isn't that a bit too shameless?!'
*Cough*
"How's your progress?"
Zhihui simply shook his head and smiled bitterly before speaking.
"So far, I've opened two meridians, but it's becoming a lot harder to do so."
"You've opened your meridians?" The old man's eyes widened as he shouted.
"I think so."
his tone neutral again, he inquired.
"Then can you direct your qi?"
"Let me see." Adam turned his focus to his meridians filled with Qi; this time instead of trying to sense and absorb it, he tried to redirect it to his right hand, which he found extremely taxing, but he persevered and was able to redirect a small amount of Qi to his palm. His palm then began to emit a tiny grayish gas, similar to smoke.
Zhihui clenched his fist as he felt the energy condensing in his palm.
'It finally begins'
Meanwhile, the old man was at a loss for words at the sight of what he had just witnessed. It is important to note that while children with good backgrounds begin cultivating at the age of 5, it is at the age of 5 that they begin sensing Qi, most not being able to absorb them into their opened meridians and direct it until the age of 9–11, depending on talent and other factors.
It was at the stage where one had been able to open a meridian and direct Qi that they would enter the first level of cultivation, Qi Condesation, something like Zhihui's case was unheard of.
'What a monster! Not only is this unheard of at such an age, but his Qi is already undergoing changes. If it's him, maybe...'
"It seems you have some talent" the old man said with a faint smile on his face.
"Really? How do I compare to you, back when you were my age?" Zhihui replied in a tone full of excitement.
*Cough*
The elderly man's smile vanished, replaced by a somber expression as he commented.
"You have now officially embarked on your cultivation journey."
'This reaction, hehehe, I must be more talented,' Zhihui thought as he rubbed his palms together slowly with a slight grin on his face.
He then looked at his master with a face full of gratitude before cupping his fists and bowing his head slightly.
"Thank you, Master, This disciple will not forget all that you have done for me."
"One day I'll repay this debt," he declared in a resolute tone.
Raising his head back up and looking around him, Zhihui asked:
"By the way, master, where are we?"
At this time, they were located on the top of a mountain peak that stretched towards the heavens.
A chilling cold that threatened to freeze one alive spread across the peak as songs of wind reverberated throughout.
White clouds were gathering together as they circled the mountain peak, like a small island in an ocean of clouds, with the sun shinning down in all its grandeur from above. It was a magical sight to say the least.
The old man raised his brow and questioned,
"We are on top of a mountain peak. Is there something wrong with your eyes? Tsk, tsk, such a disciple, the heavens are truly unfair.
Zhihui didn't respond; he knew that when his master became like this, getting information out of him was impossible.
"Continue meditating; I'll be back soon."
and with a gust of wind the old man vanished...
....
Moments later.
Zhihui eyes began to swirl in a vortex like manner as he thought to himself;
'Its time'