Deep into the night, under the tranquil glow of the moonlight, stood a secluded wooden house, surrounded by a grove of whispering trees. The occasional distant echo of nocturnal animals punctuated the silence.
As one drew closer, faint sounds emanated from within, hinting that the seemingly isolated house was far from empty.
Inside, the cozy space housed a handsome young man sitting cross-legged on the couch, his posture relaxed yet alert. Beside him, a striking female figure in a similar position, her tight nightgown accentuating her graceful curves.
"I'm about to break through," the male announced, a tone of anticipation in his voice.
The female, sensing the shift in his energy, nodded in agreement. "I feel it too," she responded.
Abruptly, the house began to tremble, an unseen force stirring within its walls. Without any prior warning, a powerful gust of wind burst forth from the male, sweeping through the room with such force that it sent furniture tumbling and rattled the windows.
Just as suddenly, the chaotic energy calmed, dissipating into the air. "Sigh... that hit the spot," the male sighed contentedly, feeling himself become stronger.
Opening his eyes, he moved his joints feeling them many times stronger than before.
With a smirk on his face, he spoke "Surprisingly, only 4 hours passed and I've already broken through to the advanced stage of the foundation establishment level"
Turning to the woman sitting next to him, feeling the need to tease her, he was about to speak when a sudden gust of wind hit his face almost making him lose balance.
"Damn... seems like she's breaking through too," Jun thought, impressed and a bit envious. "Her talent is becoming more loose with her practicing her attributes."
The idea of being outpaced by her crossed his mind as he watched her slowly open her eyes, glowing with newfound power.
"Cough... You're unlocking more of your talent, Yinling. Just be careful not to rush and destabilize your foundation," he cautioned, a hint of concern and something else lacing it.
Yinling upon hearing this had a question mark hovering over her, if her ears weren't deceiving her, it almost sounded like Jun was jealous of her talent.
Feeling a little mischievous she decided to joke "Jun..." said Yinling exasperated, capturing Jun's attention.
"I... I feel like breaking through again" spoke Yinling excitedly observing his reaction.
Jun felt his heart sink, his smile straining at the edges. "Well... That's amazing! Just... be cautious," he managed to say, trying to mask his disbelief and a tinge of jealousy.
Did he hear her correctly? You want to break through again seconds after reaching a new level? Yes, he indeed feels a little jealous but why expose me like that? He didn't want to be left behind by her, this was one of his biggest fear in his previous life.
"SYSTEM, I need a task to boost my talent, NOW!" he screamed inwardly, desperate for an edge.
[Ding! No]
Choking a bit at such a blunt response he pleaded "Please..."
[No, they will come to you as you explore naturally]
Feeling a bit desperate, just as he was about to beg for a mission he heard a hard laughter coming beside him.
"pfftttt you should see that look on your face Jun" roared Yinling in laughter, clutching her stomach in amusement.
Realizing he had been fooled, his expression shifted "Yinling..." he said in a low tone "I am so going to get you back for this" he warned, with a twinkle in his eye that suggested he was already plotting his playful revenge.
He wasn't sure if he liked how she knew him so well but at the same time, it pleased him to know someone was using their time to get to know him.
Her laughter was contagious, and despite his initial irritation, Jun found himself chuckling along. It was a rare, light-hearted moment between them where they both laughed without a care in the world.
Her laughter gradually subsided, and she gave him a look that was both challenging and amused and flopped to the ground on her back.
Smiling helplessly at her actions, he conceited "Alright alright, you got me good, but you better be ready Yinling"
Deciding it was time, he stabilized his cultivation which only took 1 minute with his epiphany guiding him.
Looking at his status panel, he smiled at his progress "Soon its going to be time to upgrade my cultivation method" thought Jun. Maybe he should ask Yinling if he can see hers.
[
Name: Jun Xiayou
Age: 15
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Advanced (stable)
Talent: High-Grade affinity (9 seconds)
Energy Control: 23%
Attributes: Fire, Light
Skills:
Azure Soul Cultivation Technique (Mastered/yellow-middle),
Blue Wave Movement Technique (Mastered/yellow-high)
Speed Slash (Mastered/yellow-top)
Energy Spear Technique (elementary/Immortal level)
Human harmonization healing technique(elementary/Eternal level)
Weapon: Everglade Star Sword (Yellow top-rank)
Inventory: Midnight Shadow Sword (low level yellow)
Description: Homeless pig bum trying to eat swan meat...
]
Curious about his newfound level of energy control, Jun asked the system. "System, have I unlocked a special ability now that I've reached over 20% in energy control?"
If his knowledge is correct about games, shouldn't he get a special ability when he reaches a certain percentage?
[Ding! Back to the host! Just as you guessed, once a cultivator reaches the 20% marker in energy control, they can completely separate their energy from their bodies allowing for more versatile and strategic attacks such as mobile attacks, timed attacks, and more depending on the attribute the user has]
"You mean to tell me I could have been shooting energy balls full of the fire attribute at young masters all this time" roared Jun internally.
{Ding! Yes! Is there a problem host?]
"Calm down Jun, calm down" repeated Jun trying to calm his anger. Remembering what his system just repeated, he soon forgot all of that and felt a rush of adrenaline hit him making him get up instantly, which startled Yinling who was lying on her back staring mindlessly.
Rushing outside past the front door frame where a door should stand, he soon arrived outside in the darkness of the woods. Coming to a tree, he placed his hand on it and turned on his epiphany phase.
Manipulating his energy so it would leave his body, he realized it was extremely simple, it felt almost second nature to him. Seeing his energy leave his body felt weird but surprisingly it tickled a little.
After this, he poured in some of his fire attribute "Why is nothing happening" questioned Jun.
But thanks to his epiphany phase, he quickly figured out there reason. Previously when trying out his fire attribute, the energy that accompanied it had been extremely violent and chaotic, nothing like the calm energy he poured into the tree.
Luckily with it being his own energy, he felt a connection to it and tried changing the properties of it from a calm soothing feeling to a chaotic vibration in line with how he used it.
Luckily, he had enough foresight to put some distance in between him and the unstable energy ball.
As he changed the properties of his energy, Yinling emerged from the house, drawn by his sudden departure. Her timing was impeccable.
BOOM
A massive explosion erupted, leveling the trees in a wide radius and leaving a stunned silence in its wake. Jun stood amidst the chaos, a wild grin on his face, thrilled by his power.
However, his triumph was short-lived as he turned to look at the damage around him. There she stood, amidst the remains of their house, her expression a mix of astonishment and rage.
Realizing the extent of the destruction he'd caused, Jun could only muster a sheepish smile,
"Uh the rabbit did it?"