Xiao, who had been cultivating, suddenly opened his eyes.
"It's day already? Guess I need to meet with Fang. I didn't even reach the Qi Condensation stage... just a little more cultivating, and I'll be there," Xiao thought as he stretched to shake off the fatigue, then started making his way to the town square. On his way, he pulled out the scroll Fang had given him and read it.
With his experience reading scrolls, and being a cultivator, it was easier for him to remember the details.
By the time Xiao reached the town square, he had practically memorized the scroll and was surprised by how complex it was, especially for a village as small as this one.
Xiao headed to where Fang was waiting. Fang looked like he had been working all night with how tired he seemed, though it could have just been leftover fatigue from the previous day's work.
Fang looked up and said, "You look weirdly refreshed. Did something happen last night?" Fang's expression was confused, though Xiao couldn't help but notice a slight smile on his face.
"No, nothing happened. I'm just happy to have finally slept in a bed," Xiao replied, hiding the truth about not being in the infinite hallway. "When can I get started?"
"Let me grab the materials, and you can begin. By the way, did you read the scroll?" Fang asked.
"I did. Do I just paint the designs on the pedestal as described in the scroll?" Xiao inquired.
"Exactly. Just be careful not to hold the brush too long, otherwise you'll get tired and could pass out. I'll fetch the supplies," Fang said, heading into the house. He returned with the same brush and bucket from the previous day, setting them down in front of Xiao.
"All you need to do is finish this today and tomorrow morning. The festival starts in the afternoon, so you should be done just in time, and be able to go to it" Fang explained, before walking away fast like he didn't want to be near the brush and bucket for another second.
Eager to finish the task quickly, Xiao picked up the brush—and immediately felt a jolt of shock.
"It's absorbing my Qi," Xiao thought, his eyes widening in surprise. "No wonder no one wanted to take this job. Without pure Qi, it would be draining their life force. Why didn't Fang warn me?" Xiao questioned this, then started thinking about the bigger picture. If Fang had told him, then no one would do the work.
"It seems he thinks I'm a sacrifice who will just accept whatever he does to me," Xiao said with a smirk before getting to work.
Xiao began painting the complex designs on the pedestals. There were nine in total, and six had already been completed. Xiao knew that if Fang wanted to, he could have finished the job himself.
Now understanding the danger, Xiao realized he needed to pace himself. As his Qi depleted, he would rest and allow it to replenish before continuing.
Throughout the day, Xiao noticed that each time his Qi replenished, his body grew slightly stronger, and the Qi seemed to flow into him faster than before. After around eight hours of work, he had finished painting two more pedestals.
Drained from the effort, Xiao returned the brush and bucket to Fang, pretending to be utterly exhausted—like he had aged years in the process. Fang said nothing, confirming Xiao's growing suspicion.
"Whatever that altar is, it's not something good," Xiao concluded, suspecting that it would reveal its purpose during Zhu Liu's eldest son's anniversary.
Determined to reach the first stage of Qi Condensation before the festival, Xiao knew he needed to push himself tonight.
Before leaving the village, Xiao decided to return to the infinite hallway to see if there was something he had missed.
As he walked through the hallway, he noticed something he hadn't realized before.
"Huh, that doesn't make sense." Xiao thought back to how the hallway seemed infinite and well-maintained, despite the dangers.
"It's because my Qi is slowly disappearing," Xiao guessed. "If people don't have Qi, their life force must be drained instead."
This realization only made Xiao more suspicious of Zhao and the Zhu family head.
"Why would they want to trap people here?" Xiao wondered, but knowing he wouldn't get an answer yet, he chose not to risk exposing himself and left the hallway.
"Something big is about to happen in this village," Xiao guessed, and his instincts told him he was right.
"I need to prepare for tomorrow," Xiao resolved, heading back to the forest. Although he could have left the village then, his intuition urged him to stay, something important was about to unfold here.
Once back at his resting place by the tree, Xiao opened the system shop, hoping to find something useful for the coming day.
"System Shop," Xiao said, surprised by what appeared before him.
(507 system points)
System Shop:
Unlock Yang Medallion: 3000 system points
Xiao was stumped. He looked at the medallion Meilin had given him and was puzzled by what made it so special. He even tried infusing it with his Qi, but it was repelled. Confused, Xiao decided to leave it for later.
'For now, I need something to protect me in case of danger,' Xiao thought.
"System, show me items that can protect me for 500 system points or less," Xiao commanded.
System Shop (Filtered):
Talisman of Defense (Low): 200 system points
Breeze Whisper Robe: 500 system points
Talisman of Instant Teleportation (10 meters per 100 system points): [100-∞] system points
Xiao examined the options carefully. All of them seemed useful, but he needed to pick the one that best suited his situation. The Talisman of Defense would help protect him from surprise attacks, and he could afford two, but it would only protect him twice before leaving him vulnerable.
The Talisman of Instant Teleportation was also tempting, but with only 50 meters of range, it wouldn't be a game-changer, plus it was a one-time use item.
The most attractive option was the Breeze Whisper Robe. It would increase his agility and protect him from low-level attacks. Plus, the robe wouldn't disappear after use, it could be repaired with his Qi.
After weighing his options, Xiao made his decision.
"Buy the Breeze Whisper Robe," Xiao said, determined to be prepared for whatever came next.