Ray flexed his fingers, feeling the strange new energy coursing through his body.
"Wait… this… this is spiritual energy?"
It felt different as if a barrier had been lifted inside him.
He clenched his fist. His muscles felt stronger, his body lighter.
But after a moment, his excitement faded.
"Bruh this is weak."
It wasn't as big of a difference as he had imagined.
He tried to circulate the spiritual energy inside him but nothing happened.
He could feel it within him, but he couldn't pull it out externally.
It was like
Like having money in a bank account you couldn't withdraw from.
"Ugh," he sighed. "I can only strengthen my muscles a little? That's it?"
He was just grumbling to himself when
CRACK!
The door exploded into splinters.
Ray jumped back, landing on the wooden bed in shock.
Standing in the shattered doorway
Was Nyxiel.
"WOAHH! YOU CRAZY WOMAN!"
Ray clutched his chest, still recovering from the shock.
"You almost scared me to death!"
But Nyxiel didn't say a single word.
Instead
WHOOSH!
She vanished and reappeared right in front of him, mere inches from his face.
Ray's pupils shrank.
At that same moment
HIS SNAKE MOVED.
The white serpent instantly reacted, striking at Nyxiel in a flash.
But just before it could bite
BAM!
The snake's entire body was covered in ice mid-air.
It froze solid and dropped onto the bed like a frozen worm, making a tiny tick, tick sound as it hit the wood.
Ray's breath hitched.
His body was too slow to react.
Then, suddenly
Two fingers pressed against his forehead.
Nyxiel had touched him.
"Just how?"
Her voice was low, filled with pure shock.
"You… cultivated?"
She stared into his eyes, looking like she had just seen a ghost.
"You're One-Star Rank
That's impossible!"
Ray didn't respond. He just stared back.
Nyxiel, on the other hand, was freaking out internally.
"You… you were just a common mortal. I personally checked every part of your body. There was nothing inside you."
Her shock deepened.
"You were not supposed to be able to cultivate. Ever."
She swallowed.
Nyxiel had been sitting in a tree, thinking, when she suddenly felt a breakthrough inside the sect grounds.
She ignored it at first after all, it was impossible for Ray to cultivate.
But when she sensed his presence again
It had changed.
He was no longer just a mortal.
She ran to his room in a panic, and now she was standing face to face with something that shouldn't exist.
She took a deep breath.
"Wait…" she frowned.
Her gaze sharpened.
"You… don't have anything that allows you to cultivate."
Her words were cold, factual, absolute.
"Your body… still has no spiritual roots."
She placed her hand on his chest, scanning him again.
"You have no acupoints to absorb spiritual energy."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"And definitely no special physique."
She took a step back, eyes filled with disbelief.
"But somehow… somehow, I can feel spiritual energy increasing inside you every second."
She looked around the room.
"But the spiritual energy in the surroundings isn't moving at all…"
Her face twisted in pure confusion.
"This doesn't make sense."
She was bewildered.
No shocked beyond anything she had ever seen.
Then
SLAP!
Ray smacked her hand away from his forehead.
Nyxiel's eyes widened slightly.
Ray glared at her.
"Behave yourself."
His voice was cold.
"If I were stronger… and if you weren't my sect leader, your head would be rolling on the ground right now."
The room went dead silent.
Nyxiel just stared at him.
For the first time, she felt a strange pressure from him not of cultivation, but of Presence.
This guy really dares.
He wasn't afraid of her.
Even though she could kill him instantly, he still looked at her like he was above her.
"Ah…"
She suddenly took a small step back, her expression complicated.
A mix of surprise, irritation, and something else.
Nyxiel knew this was disrespect.
And yet
This guy seriously wasn't afraid of death, huh?
For a moment, she found it funny.
His eyes burned with fire, as if she had killed his entire family.
"This guy is crazy," she thought to herself.
He needed to calm down.
She sighed.
"Ah, don't worry about it." She waved her hand casually.
"I just got a little excited."
No, she didn't apologize.
She never apologized to anyone.
Even if she was wrong, she would never say sorry.
She would die before she ever apologized.
That was just her personality.
Ray, still pissed, loosened the collar of his robe and muttered,
"Take it as a warning. Next time, you won't be standing on your legs."
Nyxiel blinked.
Then, she smiled slightly.
"Yes," she replied simply Chuckling a little
She was still processing everything.
How?
How was this possible?
Just hours ago, he was nothing.
She had never seen a body as useless as his.
And now, he was cultivating.
Without a spiritual root.
Without an acupoint system.
Without anything.
It defied all logic.
"Are you really able to cultivate now?" she asked, still not fully believing it.
"Yes."
Ray picked up his white snake, which was still frozen solid like an ice popsicle.
He gave Nyxiel a pointed look.
She snapped her fingers.
CRACK!
The ice shattered, freeing the snake.
It hissed, glaring at Nyxiel with murderous intent before slithering back onto Ray's shoulder.
Nyxiel chuckled.
"Haha… your little pet is pretty smart."
She was actually impressed.
"The intelligence this low-level beast shows is almost like… it's taking orders from a human."
She studied it for a second.
"Interesting."
Then, she turned back to Ray.
"Congratulations, Vice Sect Leader."
She clapped her hands, a smirk on her lips.
"You're miraculous."
Her eyes gleamed with undeniable curiosity.
"I still can't believe you pulled this off."
"Care to explain?"
She crossed her arms, staring at him.
"Because in all my life, I've never seen, heard, or read about anything this insane."
She leaned forward slightly.
"It's impossible."
She paused.
"But here you are."
Ray's brow twitched as he heard Nyxiel's response.
His irritation only grew.
"Not worth mentioning." He waved a hand dismissively. "Just remember my words you picked up a very big opportunity today."
He was annoyed.
Not just because of her intrusion, but because he had been too slow to react.
He hated disrespect the most.
But he also knew
Respect comes with strength.
And right now, he was too weak.
Even if he wanted to fight this crazy woman, it would be stupid.
She was leagues ahead of him.
That was fine.
He always pays back his debts.
And one day, he'd settle this, too.
Taking a deep breath, he calmed down, his face returning to his usual composure.
"Don't ask me any questions." His tone was cold but controlled.
"Just know… you're a very lucky person to have gotten a chance upon me."
His gaze sharpened.
"Just be thankful."
With that, he turned and walked out of the room.
Behind him, Nyxiel's lips twitched.
She followed silently, trying to hold back her laughter.
"How cocky" she thought, amused.
"He's acting like a princess on her periods."
She had seen many arrogant men, but Ray's attitude was truly something else.
Still, she couldn't deny
His determination was real.
She saw it in his eyes.
"This guy, Even if I threatened to kill him, he wouldn't spill a single secret."
Nyxiel knew people.
And this cocky bastard?
He wasn't bluffing.
He really wouldn't tell her a damn thing.
She let out a small cough, pushing aside her curiosity.
"Yes, Vice Sect Leader." She smirked slightly.
Then, in a more playful tone, she added
"So you weren't bragging when you said you'd become a Great Emperor in five years?"
Her eyes gleamed with interest.
"You're actually starting to make me think that your dream isn't just nonsense."
She chuckled.
"It's almost like a fairy tale."
Now, they were standing in the middle of a dense forest.
Rocks, trees, overgrown grass everything wild and untouched.
Ray's eyes narrowed as he looked around.
Something felt off.
"You said this place is our sect, right?"
Nyxiel nodded.
Ray frowned harder.
"Where's the sect?"
He turned to her with a deadpan expression.
"I don't see anything. No tall peaks, no buildings, not even a small hut for handyman disciples."
A cough.
Nyxiel suddenly looked awkward.
Ray stiffly turned his head toward her.
His face darkened.
"Don't you dare say we don't even have a sect building."
"Umm" Nyxiel scratched her cheek, awkward laughter slipping out.
Ray froze.
His soul left his body for a second.
"You"
He took a deep breath.
"You're telling me"
"We don't even have a sect building?"
A moment of pure silence.
Nyxiel gave a weak smile.
"It's not like that"
Ray facepalmed.
His forehead throbbed.
"What kind of sect leader are you who doesn't even have a sect building?!"
Nyxiel pouted slightly.
"Hmph! It's because I was alone here!"
She crossed her arms.
"There were no disciples. No one to use the space. So I didn't need a big place."
Ray slowly beat his forehead with his fist.
He felt like he had made the worst decision of his life.
"Why, why did I have to meet this knucklehead of a woman?"
Nyxiel ignored his frustration.
Instead, she raised her hand
And suddenly, a small golden card appeared between her fingers.