The night was quiet, the air cool with the approaching dawn. Xian Di stood alone in the courtyard, his spear held firmly in his hand. Despite his aching body from the previous days' battles, the system's latest task weighed heavily on his mind. It had been clear and direct, offering no guidance, only a promise.
[System Panel]
New Quest Issued
Objective: Master both the Flame Piercing Spear and Serpent's Shadow Maneuver to Beginner level within 2 days.
Reward: A Heaven Grade cultivation manual will be issued upon completion.
Xian Di glanced at his spear, his mind focused on the task ahead. There was no time to rest. The promise of a Heaven Grade manual was too great an opportunity to pass up, but mastering both techniques in such a short span would push him to his limits.
He inhaled slowly, calming his mind. His breath was deep, matching the steady rhythm of his heart. Then, without hesitation, he began.
The Flame Piercing Spear was first. Xian Di moved swiftly, thrusting the spear forward with controlled precision. The tip of the weapon flared with Qi, a faint glow that marked the energy he poured into each strike. But something was still off. His strikes, though powerful, lacked the efficiency he needed.
Again and again, he repeated the movement, each thrust faster and sharper than the last. The spear cut through the air, the glow around it becoming more focused with every strike. Xian Di could feel his Qi flow stabilizing, his body moving in perfect sync with the spear's weight.
Hours passed in this relentless practice, his focus unwavering as he pushed himself harder. The spear became an extension of his will, and soon, his movements felt fluid, the energy concentrated at the weapon's tip, ready to explode at any moment. The system's quiet notification appeared.
[System Panel]
Flame Piercing Spear Progress: 80% to Beginner level.
A flicker of satisfaction crossed his face, but there was still work to be done. Without pausing, Xian Di shifted to the Serpent's Shadow Maneuver. He began to move, his feet gliding across the courtyard with practiced grace. The maneuver demanded more than just speed—it required unpredictability.
Xian Di darted between the trees, his figure becoming a blur as he slipped in and out of shadows. His body flowed through the movements like water, his footwork light and precise. He moved faster, imagining enemies around him, dodging invisible strikes and retaliating with swift steps.
Each step brought him closer to mastering the technique. His movements became harder to trace, his presence fading into the darkness, blending with the night. There was no wasted motion—everything flowed together, seamlessly and swiftly.
Finally, Xian Di's mastery neared completion. His heart pounded with exhilaration as he prepared to test both techniques together. With the spear in hand, he launched forward, the Flame Piercing Spear glowing brightly as it cut through the air. But this time, his body moved with the fluid grace of the Serpent's Shadow Maneuver.
In a single motion, Xian Di vanished from his original position, reappearing in a flash as his spear thrust forward with devastating force. The air cracked with the power of the attack, the Qi igniting as it exploded outward. His feet barely touched the ground as he twisted through the air, his figure shifting from one spot to another with ease. Each movement was both a strike and an evasion, his body dancing between offence and defence in perfect harmony.
The spear's energy pulsed with every thrust, its tip glowing as it released the stored Qi with each strike. Xian Di's form blurred as he moved, faster than the eye could follow, his mastery of the two techniques evident in every step, every strike.
The courtyard was silent when he finally stopped, the power from his display still lingering in the air. The system had been satisfied.
[System Panel]
Flame Piercing Spear: Beginner level achieved.
Serpent's Shadow Maneuver: Beginner level achieved.
Xian Di stood still, his chest rising and falling steadily. The techniques had been mastered, their power now fully unlocked within him. But before he could reflect on his success, pain shot through his mind, sharp and relentless. He gasped as his hands shot to his head.
Knowledge flooded into his mind—an overwhelming torrent of information that burned itself into his consciousness. Each layer of the manual was revealed in brutal clarity, but Xian Di quickly realized that the codex wasn't something he could fully master in one moment. Its potential was vast, far beyond anything he had imagined.
The first stage granted him the ability to manipulate the space around him, to heighten his awareness of distances and step through small voids, shifting short distances with ease. But the deeper powers—warping space, creating rifts—were beyond his reach for now.
His mind still spinning from the absorption of the codex's teachings, Xian Di sat cross-legged and entered into a state of deep meditation.