Everyone's progress

"Li Xian! Wake up, Old Li."

Later that night, Li Xian was roused from his slumber by his buddies Chen Dong and Kang Li, returning from the office. Chen Dong, initially a bit upset that Li Xian wasn't answering calls or messages, softened when he saw his friend asleep on the couch.

Both knew that Li Xian disliked sleeping on the couch, suggesting he had probably dozed off without realising, explaining the lack of responses.

Li Xian, with red eyes from Kang Li's persistent nudging, sat up on the couch, still in a daze.

"Let's have some food, Li, and then you can catch up on your sleep. Freshen up a bit; we brought some food with us."

Kang Li calmly suggested to the still-sleepy Li Xian. Li Xian stretched his arms before standing up, walking toward the bathroom in his bedroom. Along the way, he accidentally bumped into the bedroom door, letting out a yelp. Surprisingly, this seemed to jolt him more awake.

After washing his face, Li Xian finally felt completely awake. He joined Chen Dong and Kang Li for dinner, and the three of them sat in the hall, enjoying their meal while watching a comedy show on TV.

"When is your flight tomorrow?"

Chen Dong asked Li Xian without turning his head, while Kang Li looked at Li Xian, waiting for his answer.

"It starts at 11 o'clock in the morning. But I should be there a bit early, I guess. When I searched online, it showed me that it will take some time for the boarding process. I'm thinking of starting by 9."

Li Xian explained as he ate his food. Surprisingly, the three of them had never taken a flight, not even domestic ones, as they never had the chance nor the need for one.

"Hm! Then we both won't be able to see you off!"

Kang Li exclaimed, as their working time started at around eleven too. If they went with Li Xian, they wouldn't be able to make it back to work on time.

"It's alright! I can manage by myself."

Li Xian said, understanding their timings.

"Hm! Old Li, are you sure you don't want Chen to contact Ziyi? I mean, it's a new place and out of the country, after all."

Kang Li chimed in, expressing his concern. Even Chen Dong turned his head to look at Li Xian, sharing the same worry.

"No! Don't bother her. I think she probably went there because of her work. Also, I have already arranged for my accommodation there. So, there won't be an issue about food and stay."

Li Xian declined the help from someone he had known for a long time but didn't have much contact with.

"Alright! It's good that you have this adventurous spirit. Take this with you for now, and make sure to contact us if there is any help you need there."

Chen Dong finished his dinner, placing some money on the table before heading toward the kitchen. Kang Li also hurried away, knowing that if he stayed, Li Xian would insist on returning the money.

Li Xian simply turned his head and looked at the two people huddled inside the kitchen. He couldn't help but feel touched. Even though both of them were in a better financial position, their salaries weren't large enough to casually give away money.

Li Xian took the money and checked. It was 5000 yuan, a significant amount for all of them. It was almost one and a half months' salary for Li Xian.

Initially, he wanted to give the money back, but he felt that it would be insulting to his buddies, who offered it to him with genuine hearts. Instead, he placed the money in his wallet.

"I will make sure that you will always be with me and all the glory that I will enjoy in the future. That is my promise to both of you."

Li Xian made a silent pledge to himself and his friends. In this challenging world, such genuine friendship is hard to come by.

Later that night, Li Xian sat on his bed and checked his mobile, which had many notifications.

Li Xian opened his chat and entered the most important group, finding multiple messages.

Alex: [ Ladies and Gentlemen, today I made good progress in my practice and completed four sets in the first stance.]

Petra: [Hehe! That's still low, human. Today, I finished the six sets of the first stance, but the second stance is very hard, and I couldn't make it to even the first set. 😞]

Alex, in his training area, couldn't help but twitch his mouth after seeing Petra's message. A robot, human-like in appearance, held some kind of juice in a glass, feeding him at regular intervals.

He considered replying to Petra but decided against it to avoid provoking others in the group.

Gromm: [Good! That's good, Petra. I've also only done six sets in the first stance, but I was very close to finishing the first set in the second stance. It is indeed hard, but I think I will be able to tomorrow.]

Gromm messaged, feeling a bit regretful about not completing the first set in the second stance.

Luminara: [ Both of you are doing pretty well. I'm able to finish my first set in the second stance today, but that's only due to luck, and I was able to barely make it.]

A graceful figure with glowing skin typed the words on her device with her slender fingers, which were glowing in a golden shine.

Luminara was very satisfied with her practice today, feeling her strength had grown a lot more than yesterday. Her smile radiated, making her surroundings glow even more brightly.

Gromm: [Oh! It's not always luck. It's your talent and perseverance, Miss Luminara. 💪]

Gromm acknowledged Luminara's talent and strength.

Petra: [Ha! What about the other human? Why isn't he replying anything? (🤔)]

Even after waiting for ten more minutes, no message came from Li Xian, which annoyed them a bit.

Luminara: [Don't bother about him. I think he is all talk. Let's get down to business. How long will it take for you all to get the materials required for points redemption? I think it will take one or two more days at most. I will be able to get my hands on some Lunar flowers. (💪)]

Alex: [Even though it's hard, I already found the orchids required. Just give me two more days; I will be able to get them.]

Alex, who just prayed for his fellow human buddy, couldn't help but reply again, as this is serious business.

Gromm: [Almost similar, just a day or two.]

Petra: [Ah! It's a bit challenging on my side, but it won't take more than 3 days. (😊)]

Everyone then again waited for Li Xian's message. But this time they are truly annoyed, as this will effect their mission, if Li Xian is incompetent.

Alex: [Buddy?...]

Luminara: [...]

Petra: [...]

Gromm: [Humph!]

But seeing that no reply was coming from Li Xian, everyone went away after waiting for some time.

Li Xian scratched his head as he looked at their messages.

Li Xian: [It will take two or three days for me too. I'm already on my way, and that is the reason I couldn't reply. (🙏)]

After replying, Li Xian waited for their messages. But for more than fifteen minutes, no one replied to him. Li Xian thought they were all either busy or probably fell asleep, just like him, and closed the chat.

Unbeknownst to him, all of them checked his message, and all of them were actually happy that he was also on the right track. It's just that they were all giving him the same silent treatment that he gave them, even though he already explained it.

Li Xian then checked the message and call notifications from his buddies before closing them. He then noticed a message that he wasn't expecting.

Olivia: [Hello! Thanks for choosing our hostel. If you found any difficulty reaching our location, please kindly call or message through this number. I will be able to help.]

Li Xian: [Thank you! I will keep that in mind.]

Li Xian replied, feeling appreciative of the kind message from the owner of the hostel.

Even though he knew they were just being professional towards their customers, Li Xian appreciated the thoughtful gesture.

Stats:

Name: Li Xian

Race: Human

Lifespan: 83 years

Stat Points: 0

Cultivation: None (4/100) (+) [Exp required for the next level]

Martial Skills: None

Items: Orion martial techniques [Currently at entry stances]

Missions:

Mission 1: Affiliate Program

Type: Permanent

Description: Whenever a member of the group spends a point in the Buy section of the group, 10% of the spent points will be rewarded to the host.

Current accumulation: 0 [Transfer] - Clicking on Transfer will instantly transfer points to Stat points.

Upgrade requirements:

 1. Group members should reach 10.

 2. All the founding members except for the admin should reach Warrior level martial artist.

Mission 2: Take a walk since you are weak for better metabolism

Type: Daily [Ends once the host reaches Warrior level]

Description: Take a good walk and get stat points as rewards for reaching milestones.

Milestones: Every five kilometers one stat point.

Current accumulation: 6 [Transfer] - Clicking on Transfer will instantly transfer points to Stat points.

Strength Rating: Can lift a chicken (80 kg)[OverHead] and Can move like a Snail (11sec/100 meters). 

Li Xian checked his stats and felt satisfied with the increase of one year in his lifespan and a gain of ten kilograms in strength.

However, he didn't observe any change in his speed. Despite not noticing any change, he had a gut feeling that he was indeed faster than before.

After pondering for a while, he reached a consensus that the increase in speed might be negligible.