The Thirst of Power

"My luck shows as '???'. Care to explain?" he asked, his tone sharp.

The system paused. "Ah... that is strange... Is it a glitch?"

Lao Xie's brow twitched in irritation. "You're the system, and you're asking me?"

"Well, Host… I'm not omniscient. It's probably just a minor glitch," the system responded without concern.

"How reassuring." Lao Xie rolled his eyes. "Primordial Ancient Spirit Root? What the hell is that?" His tone was still dark, but curiosity sparked beneath the surface. "Even the sects have only recorded the Ethereal Harmony Root. Something like this is unheard of."

"Eh? What is that?. From what I know, the highest recorded root is the Divine Phoenix Root," the system replied. "Perhaps more will be revealed with the next update."

Lao Xie's eyes narrowed. "Update?" His voice dripped with skepticism. "What version are you running now?"

"Currently, I am version 1.0. In order to trigger an update, you'll need to advance your cultivation."

Lao Xie scoffed. "My cultivation is listed as N/A. No wonder… I've never been able to cultivate before. My lack of talent made me the perfect target for harassment and bullying."

"The reason for your inability to cultivate was your previous physique—the Heavenly Cursed Physique. That cursed physique devoured all the spiritual qi you absorbed, blocking your meridians. It truly lived up to its name."

Lao Xie's eyes darkened at the memory. "So that's why…" His voice was low, filled with venom. "That cursed physique stripped me of everything."

"But now that you've reawakened your new physique, there's nothing holding you back from absorbing qi. Go ahead, Host. Try to sit down and absorb the surrounding qi."

Lao Xie remained silent for a moment, calculating. He would play along, for now. But he would keep testing the system, pushing its limits. If there was one thing he had learned in his long life, it was that power was rarely given freely.

"I guess." he said at last, settling into a meditative position. "Let's see if this new physique is as grand as you claim."

With that being said, Lao Xie closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation of his newly transformed body. His muscles still throbbed with a dull ache, but underneath that pain, he felt a strange lightness, as though a great weight had been lifted from him. The cold, heavy chains that once shackled him to mediocrity, the cursed physique that had denied him power... were gone.

He inhaled slowly, feeling the air fill his lungs, and extended his senses outward. The world around him was quiet, but he could feel something else now... a faint, invisible pulse in the atmosphere. The qi. It was everywhere, subtle and elusive, but unmistakable.

He let out a long breath, his thoughts calculating. Let's see if this new physique is worth the hype.

Lao Xie sat cross-legged on the rough floor, positioning his hands in a basic meditative posture. He had seen the cultivators do this a thousand times, smug and superior as they absorbed spiritual energy from their surroundings, flaunting their talent that he never had. Fools. They're all beneath me now.

He closed his eyes again, tuning out the lingering soreness of his body and focusing solely on the qi in the air. With every breath, he imagined pulling the energy into him, commanding it to obey. At first, nothing happened, just the empty silence of the room and his slow, rhythmic breathing.

Then, like a ripple in a still pond, he felt it. A trickle of energy, faint but present, flowed toward him. His heart raced. Is this it? His body instinctively reached out for more, drawing in the qi from the room. The trickle grew stronger, turning into a steady stream, flowing into his body like a river of life force.

A slight smirk tugged at his lips. It's working.

The qi swirled inside him, filling his meridians, flowing through his newly reshaped body like fire in his veins. The sensation was exhilarating, like drinking the purest elixir. His senses sharpened, and his muscles tightened as the energy coursed through him.

Swoosh~

A glowing panel materialized in front of him.

"Host is experiencing a major realm breakthrough."

Body Tempering 1st stage… 3rd stage… 7th stage… 9th stage…

The surge of qi intensified, flooding Lao Xie's meridians like a roaring river. His body trembled under the pressure, but his eyes gleamed with dark satisfaction. He embraced the torrent, pushing himself further, forcing his body to absorb every ounce of spiritual energy from the surrounding air

More. His thoughts echoed with hunger. I need more.

Swoosh~

Qi Refinement 1st Stage… 2nd Stage… 3rd Stage..

Suddenly, a blood-red panel flashed into view.

"Warning, Warning. Excessive Qi absorption detected. Host is at risk of Qi Deviation."

Lao Xie's lips curled into a snarl. Qi Deviation? His focus remained unbroken, the flow of qi growing more erratic as he strained against the limits of his new physique.

"Careful, Host," the system's usual cheery tone cut through the chaos, oblivious to his rising frustration.

A sharp tug disrupted the flow. The qi faltered, the rhythm shattered.

Lao Xie's eyes snapped open, a fierce glare piercing through the glowing panel. Why are you interfering? The system's constant interruptions were beginning to test his patience.

"Your meridians are still adjusting to the transformation. Too much qi too quickly could overwhelm you," the system explained, its voice infuriatingly calm.

Lao Xie narrowed his eyes, irritation flashing across his face. Overwhelm me? Ridiculous. But his body betrayed him, a deep ache throbbed within his newly reconstructed meridians, a reminder that the system, for once, might not be entirely wrong. His impatience gnawed at him, yet he knew that pushing too hard could backfire.

"Tchh.." He then took a glance at his information tab. 

INFORMATION

Name: Lao Xie

Age: 15

Cultivation Stage: Qi Refinement 3rd Stage

Physique: Heaven-Piercing Sword Physique

Race: Human

Luck: ???

Spiritual Root: Primordial Ancient Spirit Root

"Qi Refinement?" he muttered under his breath, his brows furrowing. "Did I just skip an entire realm… the Body Tempering realm?"

"Indeed, Host," the system responded, as chipper as ever. "With your Heaven-Piercing Sword Physique, a heaven-grade physique, there's no need to temper your body before cultivating. You've bypassed the Body Tempering stage entirely."

Lao Xie's eyes narrowed. "Is that so huh? How convenient." His lips curled into a slow, calculating smirk, though suspicion lingered beneath the surface

Suddenly..

Ding~