A sudden crack tore through the sky, and a figure tumbled out before the rift sealed itself shut. Who could this person be, if not Chen Li, sent by the black tortoise? Perhaps due to the black tortoise's power, Chen Li descended like a feather, gently landing on the ground. If not for this, the sheer height of his fall—combined with his depleted spirit energy—would have left him gravely injured.
The moment he touched the ground, Chen Li spread his spirit sense and immediately scanned the surroundings, confirming there was no danger that could harm him. Only then did he sit cross-legged and begin absorbing spirit energy. His first drop of spirit liquid had dried up, and if he didn't replenish it soon, his cultivation might regress.
At that moment, a message flashed in his vision:
[Due to a mysterious power, your fate has slightly changed.]
Seeing this sentence, countless thoughts flooded Chen Li's mind.
"This must be the work of the black tortoise. He's so powerful that I agreed to his request without even thinking! I should've at least demanded some heavenly treasures in return," Chen Li muttered in frustration.
Then his expression darkened as a new worry crept into his thoughts. "Wait... He said this mission was the price for saving my life. When exactly did he save me? What danger was I in? Was it from the Myriad Forest... or that strange fishing old man? Will my Senior Sister be safe?"
A sense of unease gripped him, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. He didn't even know where he was.
Chen Li turned his frustration toward his system, complaining, "Why are you only telling me now that my fate has been altered? Why didn't you warn me earlier or protect me from it?"
[If you wish for protection from mysterious powers influencing you, you may reserve merit as a shield,] the system replied.
Chen Li's eyes lit up. "Really?" But when he glanced at the pitifully small light of merit he had left, he sighed and set the matter aside.
"System, can you at least notify me if some power tries to influence me? And tell me whether it's good or bad?"
[This system does not currently have that function. You can create such a function by using merit,] it answered.
"Wait... Are you saying I can create custom functions with merit?"
[Yes.]
"In that case, I want to create that notification function!"
[Not enough merit.]
"How much merit do I need?" Chen Li asked, but this time, the system remained silent. Annoyed, he changed his question.
"System, is my Senior Sister safe?"
…
The system didn't respond. Its silence was deafening.
Chen Li frowned but decided to drop the issue. This wasn't the first time the system had ignored his questions. The only answers he ever received were vague and limited to its main functions.
"It must be a new system," Chen Li concluded with a mix of frustration and resignation. "No wonder it's so incomplete. But at least I can customize it with merit."
The thought gave him some comfort, though his current lack of merit left him with no immediate options.
When his focus shifted back to cultivation, he sighed in frustration. The absorption rate of spirit energy was painfully slow. Back in the sect, he had felt like a fish swimming freely in a vast ocean. Here, he felt trapped in a small tank. Perhaps the absence of a spirit vein in this environment was the cause.
After some time, Chen Li stopped cultivating and opened his eyes, having barely restored one drop of spirit liquid—far from sufficient. He needed to refill his dantian completely. After all, this was the Spirit Sea Realm, not the Spirit Drops Realm. Cultivating in such a poor environment could take centuries to fill his spirit sea.
Just as he was about to choose a direction to explore, the thunderous sound of galloping horses broke the stillness. Alert, Chen Li leapt to the top of a tall tree, scanning the source of the sound. He spotted a group of cavalry fleeing in panic, chased by black-robed figures who covered themselves entirely except their eyes.
The black-robed figures were clearly cultivators, though novices, while only three among the cavalry seemed to be cultivators, the rest being mortals. What caught Chen Li's attention was the way the black-robed group held back, as if toying with their prey rather than attacking outright, or perhaps they had another motive in mind.
However, Chen Li didn't concern himself with their intentions. What he needed now was merit—lots of it. To gain merit, he needed to help others, and this was the perfect opportunity. How could he let it slip by? As the saying went, "Giving a cup of water in summer is more helpful than giving a pot of water during the rainy season."
With his decision made, Chen Li calculated the cavalry's route and chose an ideal spot to intercept them. He quickly moved to that location and waited.
Soon, the cavalry arrived, their horses kicking up clouds of dust. Though they noticed a handsome man standing calmly in the middle of the road, none of them paid him much attention; they were in a life-and-death situation, and stopping for a stranger was the least of their concerns.
However, the man at the front, who seemed to be the leader, suddenly pulled back on his reins. His instincts told him that this man was a cultivator—and a powerful one at that, far stronger than the black-robed pursuers. If this man was their enemy, escape was impossible. But if not, they might still have a chance.
When the leader stopped, the rest of the cavalry followed suit. A soldier in armor to his right, clearly anxious, protested, "General, why are we stopping? In a situation like this, we cannot afford to care about anyone else! We're not afraid to die, but if you fall here, the front line won't hold against the demons for long. Please, think twice!"
The general paid no attention to the soldier's words and instead turned to greet Chen Li. "Your Excellency, have you come to take my life?"
Chen Li raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the man's composure. "You're facing death, yet you're so calm."
The general nodded, his voice was steady "Life is fleeting, but I have no regrets."
Chen Li smirked slightly. "Your subordinate mentioned that if you die here, the front line will crumble under the demons' assault. Aren't you worried about your country?"
The general replied calmly, "Your Excellency, I am a general, not the king."
Before the conversation could continue, the black-robed pursuers arrived and stopped at a distance, clearly wary of Chen Li's presence. Their leader seemed to sense that Chen Li was no ordinary figure.
Chen Li glanced at them and spoke with calm authority, "I plan to save these people. Leave now."
The leader of the black-robed group stepped forward, his voice was cold but unwavering. "Senior, would you risk becoming our enemy for the sake of these mortals?"
Chen Li smiled but said nothing. Instead, he retrieved a sword from his space ring and infused it with a mere tenth of his spirit energy. With a simple horizontal slash without technique, he unleashed a powerful wave of energy that surged toward the black-robed group.
Though black-robed men combined their strength to resist the attack, they were sent flying, crashing to the ground with blood trickling from their mouths. Their injuries, though not fatal, left them shaken.
Struggling to stand, the leader of the black-robed group cupped his hands respectfully and said, "Senior, thank you for your mercy." With that, they retreated without another word.
Watching them leave, the anxious soldier beside the general burst out, "Your Excellency, you should have killed them all! They're worse than beasts. Sparing them will only invite future trouble—they'll seek revenge, not gratitude!"
Before Chen Li could respond, the general scolded, "Wu Meng, do not be rude! His Excellency just saved our lives. How dare you speak such ungrateful words?"
The general then dismounted his horse, bowed deeply, and apologized. "Your Excellency, please forgive my brother. He spoke out of turn in his panic."
Chen Li waved it off. "It's fine. I want to ask you something. Do you know of the Xuan Kingdom?"
A flicker of surprise crossed the general's face before he answered truthfully, "Yes, I know it. It is this very land—my country. But now it's called the Great Xuan Dynasty. The name 'Xuan Kingdom' belongs to ancient times."
The general paused, his gaze lingering on Chen Li's face as if trying to decipher something.
Chen Li remained expressionless and asked, "Where are you heading?"
"We're returning to the capital," the general replied respectfully.
Chen Li gave a slight nod. "If you don't mind, I'd like to accompany you to the capital."
"It would be our honor, Your Excellency," the general answered promptly.