26 Serene

After moving comfortably far away, Jim tried to use Dimensional Travel to return home, it returned a cooldown time, seems he couldn't go home for an entire month. 'Guess i'll make the best of it...' Cultivation techniques didn't seem to be rare here, so he could use them openly without turning heads.

Activating Shadow Meld and Ninja Step, he headed forward. He estimated six hours had passed, but the environment wasn't changing at all.

[Illusion Resistance Skill Obtained]

'What?' Jim activated Appraisal

[Flowing Cloud Territory Barrier]

[Traps Unauthorized Individuals In An Illusion]

[Crafted By 5 Star Formation Master Tan Dinso]

"Formations, huh...' Noticing that he had obtained a resistance skill, Jim wasn't worried, he continued moving to keep raising Shadow Meld and Ninja Step.

[Shadow Meld Level Max]

[Shadow Meld Derivation Skill - Perception Interference Obtained]

[Ninja Step Level Max]

[Ninja Step Derivation Skill - Ground Shrink Obtained]

[Illusion Resistance Has Reached Level 4]

Suddenly, Jim felt something change, he continued ahead and reached a trail. 'Must be out of it', Trying out Ground Shrink, Jim took one step forward, suddenly he was several meters ahead, he didn't feel as though he put in the force to go as far as he did. 'Is it like teleportation? Feels a bit different though...'

[Ground Shrink Level Max]

'No derivation skill?' Oh well, Jim was starting to get bored again, he circulated Surging Thunder Steps. *Bam!* The result was slamming headfirst into a tree, his body didn't hurt, but when he looked at the tree he noticed it was completely unharmed. "Appraisal."

[Gobin Tree]

[Absorbs Surrounding Qi, Extremely Durable]

Looking around, all of the surrounding trees were the same species. Entering the Tools category, Jim bought a common quality Woodsman's Hatchet. *Thunk, Thunk, Thunk* Rythmic sounds echoed through the forest. Jim looked at his work and frowned, he had only damaged the bark slightly despite using his full strength, the damage was spread all over the place too, displaying his lack of accuracy.

Jim used Body Movement and Godhand, he lined the axe up and slowly chopped at the tree, regulating his swings to hit the same point every time.

[Lumberjack Job Obtained]

[Woodcutting Skill Obtained]

[Axe Technique Skill Obtained]

Equipping the Lumberjack job, he continued hacking at the tree.

[Lumberjack Job Has Reached Level 12]

[Woodcutting Level Max]

[Woodcutting Derivation Skill - Woodworking Obtained]

[Axe Technique Level Max]

[Axe Technique Derivation Skill Failed - Requirements Not Met]

Finally, the tree began to fall, hours had passed since Jim started and his body was covered in sweat. Jim decided to gather more wood, he cut down the second, the third, the fourth, fifth, sixth.

[Lumberjack Job Level 40]

[Lumberjack Job Max - Status Fusing]]

Jim had confirmed it, equipped jobs add to his status, but maxed jobs continue adding the entire value even when unequipped. Jim found he couldn't store the sixth tree in his Inventory. 'Is it out of space?' He grabbed the tree and lugged it into a nearby clearing, then bought a few common tools.

Processing the tree into planks, he purchased Nails from the storage and began building a small doghouse as practice.

[Construction Skill Obtained]

[Woodworking Has Reached Level 2]

[Hammer Technique Skill Obtained]

It was really shabby, he started making a second one, then a third.

[Construction Has Reached Level 4]

[Woodworking Has Reached Level 6]

[Hammer Technique Has Reached Level 3]

Thinking the third one wasn't too bad, he started building a shed, then a cabin.

[Construction Has Reached Level 7]

[Woodworking Level Max]

[Woodworking Derivation Skill - Carpentry Obtained]

[Hammer Technique Level Max]

[Hammer Technique Derivation Skill Failed - Requirements Not Met]

Absorbing himself in increasing his skills, Jim used up all six huge trees. Beds, cabinets, dressers, all sorts of furniture had been created.

[Construction Level Max]

[Carpentry Level Max]

Jim took a well deserved rest, afterwards he decided to start using some of the new techniques learned at the sect, he started with Shadow Emperor Infinite Duplication. An inky mass started bubbling up from the ground in front of Jim, suddenly it dispersed. 'Ugh...' His Qi had run dry, seems the technique is too advanced for him to use currently.

A huge boar came out of the forest, it had six tusks lining its jaw and must have been 10 feet tall. The instant it spotted Jim it started snorting and preparing to charge.

Jim shot forward with Bursting Thunder Steps and circulated Lower Light Fist, the Boar's head exploded before it had time to react.

[Bursting Thunder Steps Has Reached Level 4]

[Lower Light Fist Has Reached Level 2]

Jim took out all of the puppets he had previously created and commanded them to keep watch in the area as he sat down and attempted to use Serene Mind Mental Technique.

Immediately after using it, everything fell away from around him. Jim was floating in a void, there was no light, no sound, no he couldn't detect a thing. No feeling, no thought, no self, no Jim.

*Gasp* Jim woke up shivering, the feeling of fading away into nothing was disturbing, but he also felt a strange clarity within. 'Well, let's try it again'

Jim felt himself sinking, vertigo gripped him for a moment before he was once again in the void, he steeled his resolve to stay within for longer. An unknown stretch of time had passed when Jim came to, he felt something inside had changed. His Qi flowed faster, it was more condensed and powerful, he could feel something else too, hundreds of points within his body where Qi congregated. They were slowly swirling, turning, like a tire on a moving car or a whirlpool. 'Are these the so-called meridians?'

Jim started circulating Copper Body and Jade Crane techniques, he could feel the change in the meridians as the Qi moved, each of them were in the path of the techniques. When the circulated Qi passed through a meridian, the rotation caused the Qi to speed up, Jim felt the ease in usage of each technique increase.

Running Serene Mind again, Jim suddenly heard something pop. Waking up, he inspected his body. It felt like an invisible barrier had crumbled within. a refreshing feeling filled him. "Status"

[Name: Jim]

[Species: Human?]

[Level: 7]

[Experience: 2,518/8,000]

[Job]

[Stats]

[Cultivation Realm: Middle Foundation]

[Qi: 1,236,698/1,236,698]

[Skills]

[Powers]

[System Functions Unlocked: Log, Status, Shop, Skill Assist, Cooking Assist, Level Up, Improved Rest, Stat Allocation, Inventory Lv. 2, Job System, Powers, Second Job, Third Job, Skill Share]

[Strength: 2,500]

[Dexterity: 1,750]

[Vitality: 2,500]

[Agility: 750]

[Magic: 1,860]

[Spirit: 2,512]

"Yes! Next Cultivation Stage!"