Honghuang

[Fighting Techniques: Miscellaneous (0) (Utter Trash)]

"..." Gu Yuan was quite sure the panel's spirit was involved in the [(Utter trash)] part.

The truth was that Gu Yuan never had the opportunity to learn proper fighting techniques while he was a disciple of Dongxu Palace, he only barely learned a few moves from his father when he was younger.

Until now he always relied on his raw strength to get things done, rather than technique. The moves he learned from his father couldn't even be categorized properly as anything, it was a mix of kicks, palms, punches, and other things.

[It's the first time I saw someone with a technique in the (0) level. Congratulations.]

"Shut it," Gu Yuan took a deep breath and added points crazily just after.

(0) was utter trash, (1) was ordinary, (2) was above ordinary, (3) was small excellence, (4) was medium excellence, (5) was great excellence... Unfortunately, the technique's limit was (5).

Gu Yuan's memories suddenly began to have an addition, like he spent years in a void practicing like crazy to better use his own body to attack and defend. Every fiber of his being began to seemingly call out for his attention and was under his complete control.

The information he received through the panel wasn't like the systematic teachings of before, but more like pure experience without any kind of perk.

As if fought without any technique for ages, gradually having to learn by himself the best way to use his body.

Because his fighting technique originally wasn't a proper technique at all, so it was too flawed to be considered a complete technique, and its ultimate limit was low. Even after being upgraded to (5), it was powerless to help Gu Yuan to use his internal energy when fighting.

However, it enabled him to better control and use his full physical power, leaving very few gaps and flaws compared to before.

If before he was a novice fighter, he could now be considered a seasoned warrior who achieved complete mastery over his own power.

Gu Yuan felt his strength carefully and struck with a palm towards another giant boulder, but he stopped just an inch away from it. The power that was transferred, even though he didn't touch it... was enough to blow the bould up to smithereens.

He destroyed a dozen more obstacles before he was sure of his actual strength, "At least comparable to a (3) level ninth layer, probably stronger..."

His raw power didn't change because of the fighting technique, but he could use it much more efficiently to achieve greater power...

"Unfortunately, it's not a proper technique, I need to either perfect it on my own first or find another technique," Gu Yuan sighed and massaged his temples, "Perhaps I can add some of what I learned from my cultivation technique to it.

"With my current level of talent and comprehension, I should be able to do this much..."

Gu Yuan remembered the many points he consumed in total and was still shocked.

In total, he consumed 7560 points. It might not seem much, but the difference would be clear if explained like this:

Before his breakthrough, to reach (5) it would cost him about 1550 points. But because he advanced his realm, the price for each upgrade was increased.

Before his advancement, to reach (2) it would cost 10 points, (3) would cost 50, (4) would cost 250, and (5) would cost 1250.

But now the price changed, to reach (2) it cost 50, (3) cost 250, (4) cost 1250, and (5) cost 6000.

The prices obviously receded an upgrade. What was once the price to reach (4) was now the price to only reach (3).

Following this logic, the price to reach (10) was not the same as before, it was the whooping amount of 18,750,000 points.

[Do you understand why I urged you to upgrade everything to (10) before your breakthrough?]

"Yes..."

[Every breakthrough will make the prices recede a upgrade again, so be sure to not be impatient and upgrade everything to the limit before every breakthrough!]

"I suddenly remembered to ask," Gu Yuan's eyes shone with a strange light, "Is (10) the limit?"

[No. But you can't afford the price of (11), it's absurdly high. It's more cost-effective to stop at (10) and advance steadily.]

Gu Yuan was silent, as if not convinced.

[100,000,000 points]

"What?" Gu Yuan gawked.

[That WAS the price to upgrade to (11).]

"Fuck! Absurd!" Gu Yuan's eyes expanded as if about to explode.

[Forget about (11), it's not essential in the long run and will just grant you a mightier strength in each realm. Do you think it's worth your time?]

"...No, I guess."

[Then you aren't stupid to a helpless degree.]

"But I guess it will be a waste to not upgrade to (11)..." Gu Yuan sighed and racked his brain.

[Are you deaf? Didn't you listen to what I just said?]

"I got what you meant," Gu Yuan said dejectedly, "But how much it will cost in the future? The price will increase so much that I will never have the chance to upgrade to (11) again."

[You know what? Damn it, do as you wish, just don't blame me or the panel later.]

Gu Yuan thought hard but knew that the panel's spirit was right. If he waited to accumulate enough points to reach (11) with his cultivation, talent, and technique, he would probably waste too many years of effort and risk dying while trying.

Honestly, if he accepted (10), in the same amount of time he would advance his realm many times, increasing his strength so much that it would seem worthless to spend time upgrading to (11).

"How much it costs now?" Gu Yuan asked.

[100,000,000,000, good luck~]

Gu Yuan opened his mouth and didn't know what to say for a moment, but he finally cursed out loud, "Fuck you! You tricked me!"

[I don't know what you are talking about.]

"A troll spirit! you damn troll spirit!" Gu Yuan's voice was full of anger, "I bet this so-called (11) is a lie made by you."

[Think whatever you want.]

Gu Yuan snorted and erased his ambition from his mind, he was sure that achieving (11) was simply a lie.

After calming down, he began to consider his next steps. The way he was, he wasn't in urgent need of points. As long as he cultivated according to his level (10) cultivation technique and was steady and careful, his cultivation foundation would remain at level (10).

Rather than points, what he wanted the most was spiritual energy and other resources. The common wilderness had very thin spiritual energy, the only reason he could cultivate and advance quickly was because his technique was good enough, but even it had a limit.

If the spiritual energy was denser, his cultivation speed would soar and he would be able to quickly reach the peak of the Body Tempering Realm.

He had some understanding of the territory he was in because he studied a lot while at the Dongxu Palace, that was all he could do anyway.

A few months away from where he was there was a territory ruled by monsters and beasts called Misty Forest Maze. Although it was the territory of Dongxu Palace, it wasn't completely controlled, because it was very difficult for ordinary humans to live there, and also because a mighty existence detained the powerhouses of the human race.

Only cultivators would visit that place in search of resources, and it was divided into four layers. Gu Yuan was planning on heading to the outermost layer, where the danger was lower but the spiritual energy was still much denser than the ordinary wilderness.

...

In another place far away, there was a hidden floating immortal palace in the sky. It was surrounded by mist and dense energy and had four great gates in the four cardinal directions, and the name "Honghuang Palace" was written on the gates.

"Senior, I came to ask for advice."

In the center of the palace, in the main hall, a graceful figure entered and bowed to the dignified man sitting in a magnificent throne. He wore golden clothes and an exquisite crown.

"Fairy Ming Xuan, what do you seek?" the man on the throne didn't even open his eyes, and just asked, "If it's about the confusing mysteries, you better forget about it."

"It's not that," Fairy Ming Xuan shook her head and explained, "I found an odd number."

"Oh?" the man opened his eyes and a strong pressure began to permeate the whole hall, "What kind?"

"It was a young boy, still at the very beginning of cultivation," Fairy Ming Xuan didn't dare to be careless and explained, "However, he was too strong! Despite being at the first layer of the Body Tempering Realm, he was as strong as someone at the ninth layer of the same realm!

"I checked it, his cultivation didn't regress and his foundation was intact. He was truly as I saw it, and even stranger... despite having the worst kind of spirit root, it was mutated and comparable to an ordinary heavenly spirit root."

The aura of the man on the throne fluctuated and he had a shocked expression as well, he made a few signs with his hands, as if calculating something but was even more shocked to discover he couldn't calculate the boy.

His expression changed drastically and he closed his eyes and tried another method.

Fairy Ming Xuan didn't show any impatience and waited calmly for several minutes.

When the man opened his eyes again, he left a turbid breath out of his mouth and was a bit pale, but a few words left his mouth, "Set Variable."

Fairy Ming Xuan's expression turned bitter and she sighed, but her eyes glimmered with determination.

"Why did you save him?" the man asked, despite not having been told by her that she saved the boy, "You should have left him alone."

"Because I want to grasp a glimmer of hope... I am not conciliated," Fairy Ming Xuan clenched her fists and had a determined expression, "I want to use him as my opportunity!"

"Reckless," the man shook his head disapprovingly, "Despite having received Honghuang's teachings, you acted so unfitting, was it a waste for you to learn so much and reach such high Realm?"

"At least I can have hope again," Fairy Ming Xuan took a deep breath and bowed again, "Please give me advice."

"What? You went and did as you liked, now you also want my advice?" the man showed an angry expression but he didn't act against her, "A Set Variable is a being that for one reason or another is actively used for the immeasurable tribulation of a world, I can't foresee his actions. If you want to use the chaotic situation to advance, you better start from high to low, low to high."

Fairy Ming Xuan's eyes glimmered and she said, "Thanks for clearing the way for me, senior!"

"However, even someone at my Realm has to be extremely careful when it comes to the immeasurable tribulation," the man sighed and massaged his temples, "I can't help you directly, and even saying those things to you brings me a great burden. Go away, and don't return, our cause and effect ends here."

"I will never forget Honghuang's teachings!" Fairy Ming Xuan said with a deep tone and left the hall with a determined expression.

"Alas..." the man sighed and closed his eyes again, "It's near."