Chapter #18: Fourth and Fifth Milestone!

...

Ye Chen was taken aback by the King's offer. he had not anticipated such a gesture from him, especially given the King's stature and the formality of the Empire, he was sure that the reward he's talking about is HUGE, like HUGE HUGE.

King Zhu Longwei's gaze was steady, his expression was genuine. "Such accomplishments must be taken seriously. Even my direct descendants that are fed off with resources can't surely do such a thing like yours."

Ye Chen glanced at his mother and uncle, then took a deep breath. "Uncle, I am deeply honored by your offer. But everything's thanks to mother and grandfather."

The King raised an eyebrow and remembered something. "Let me ask you about something, Ye Chen. Can you handle something more of that level? Your mother told me about your current situation."

Ye Chen met King Zhu Longwei's steady gaze. "Uncle, the progress I have made is indeed extraordinary. But, to tell you the truth I can handle even more than that. The cultivation power I've achieved is, in fact, due to the vast amount of Spirit Stones I've used. With more Spirit Stones, I can further enhance my abilities and push my limits."

The King's eyes narrowed slightly, "Your mother mentioned your unique constitution and your cultivation method. Are you confident that you can safely use even more Spirit stones without any bad effects whatsoever?"

Ye Chen nodded firmly. "Yes, Uncle. The 'constitution' I have can allow me to safely utilize the power from Spirit Stones in a controlled and efficient manner. It's what mainly allowed me to expand my technique to it's current level."

King Zhu Longwei remained silent for a moment, his mind weighing the potential risks. Finally, he nodded. "Very well. I trust in your abilities and your judgment. I will arrange for a significant supply of Spirit Stones to be provided to you. Use them wisely, Ye Chen."

Ye Chen bowed deeply, "Thank you, Uncle. I will surely not disappoint you. With this support, I will continue to grow stronger and repay everything to the Empire."

The King's expression softened slightly. "I believe in your potential, Ye Chen. Your achievements thus far have proven that you are a rare talent. Continue to hone your skills and cultivate your power."

The family and the King shared a few more words before parting ways.

...

Back in his room inside the manor, Ye Chen sat on his bed feeling a mix of anticipation and excitement. The conversation with his uncle, the King directly secured him a significant supply of Spirit Stones which will then quickly help him in his progress to reach new heights in his cultivation journey.

He took a deep breath, and he focused on the System's interface in his mind. The familiar interface appeared, showing his progress and milestones. He had reached the fourth and fifth milestones during that time. It was time to claim the rewards that would further enhance his circle.

"System, show me the milestone rewards." Ye Chen commanded mentally.

Milestone Reached: Fourth Milestone.

Reward: Advanced Function - Spirit Stone Conversion

Details: The circle now has the ability to convert ordinary materials into Spirit Stones.

Milestone Reached: Fifth Milestone

Reward: 10 Random Elemental Stones(Tier 2) + 200% Cultivation efficiency.

Ye Chen felt a surge of energy as the system activated the rewards. A shimmering light surrounded him. Next, a small pouch appeared right next to him, directly materializing out of thin air. He reached out and took it, opening it to reveal ten glowing stones. Each stone radiated a unique elemental aura, and he could immediately identify their types based on the color and the sensation he felt when he touched them.

The Flame elemental Stones radiated a warm, intense heat, while the lightning crackled with electric energy. The Time exuded a strange, ethereal aura, and the Space seemed to distort the air around them. The Wind emitted a gentle breeze, and the Earth emits an earthy, nature like smell.

"System, upgrade." Ye Chen muttered.

Swoosh!

The different types of elemental stones slowly converged into the illusory sphere, emitting a mesmerizing light of all colours which then casted a rainbow-ish array of colors that surrounded him.

Fire Elemental Stones (Tier 2): 2 x 100% Fire Affinity

Lightning Elemental Stones (Tier 2): 3 x 100% Lightning Affinity

Wind Elemental Stones (Tier 2): 2 x 100% Wind Affinity

Earth Elemental Stones (Tier 2): 1 x 100% Earth Affinity

Time Elemental Stones (Tier 2): 1 x 100% Time Affinity

Space Elemental Stones (Tier 2): 1 x 100% Space Affinity

Ye Chen felt an incredible surge of energy as the elemental affinities integrated. Each element infused in his body, making a torrent of power coursing through his veins. Flames danced at his fingertips, high-voltage of electricity crackled around him, winds swirled, and the ground beneath him seemed to resonate with his presence and with just a single command, he can manipulate them. Then for the last two affinities, Time seemed to slow and speed up at his command, and the space around him felt like he can bend it to his will.

He was in awe at the different types of elemental power at his disposal. The blend of fire, lightning, wind, earth, time, and space elements flowed harmoniously within him, which made him feel invincible. The room slightly buzzed with energy as he could barely contain his excitement.

But suddenly, a knock interrupted his thoughts. Ye Chen opened the door to find two royal guards standing there. One of them was holding a luxurious, looking box, intricately designed with silver, and gold inlays. The guard holding the box bowed and presented it in front of him.

"Young Master Ye Chen, His majesty sent this to you." the guard said respectfully.

Ye Chen accepted the box gratefully, feeling its weight. he knew that there must be a substantial amount of Spirit stones inside. As he opened the box, the sight of countless Spirit stones greeted him, the potency of the energy they're radiating made him feel familiar. 

'Sky-Tiered Spirit Stones!' that's the first thing he though.

"Thank you," he said to the guards, who bowed again before leaving.

Ye Chen placed the box on the floor and commanded, "System, use these to upgrade the circle."

The Spirit Stones began to glow, their energy being absorbed by the circle. The intricate patterns within the circle expanded, becoming even more complex and powerful. The circle's size increased by a few times and its golden runes and symbols became even more vibrant.

5,173,525 Square Meter!

Ye Chen sat in the middle, his eyes closed as he observed the surrounding, and the size of his circle that increased by a few times.

...

As he opened his eyes, a determined smile crossed his face. "With this power, I will protect my family and the Star Empire. Nothing can surely stand in my way."

Ye Chen stood up and left his room. As he walked through the corridors, he overheard a conversation between two guards.

"Did you hear about the upcoming competition?" one guard said excitedly.

"Yeah, the Imperial Competition that happens every decade, and there's less than a year left before it happens." the other guard replied.

"Apparently. the prize for the Champion this time is something incredible. They're saying it's a Heaven-Rank Sword, a rare treasure that can boost one's cultivation and a bunch of Spirit stones.

"And apparently, the geniuses competing this time are far stronger than the last one. This is going to be a fierce competition."

Ye Chen's interest was piqued. He knew that participating in the Imperial Competition could be a golden opportunity for him to test his new abilities, gain valuable rewards, and most importantly, get experience.

...

Out of nowhere, curiosity got the better of him. He picked up a random stone on the ground, then activated the circle for a brief moment. In less than a blink of an eye, the stone transformed into a Spirit Stone. A top-tier one! He was surprised that it only took a moment for that transformation to occur. Again, he activated the circle in which before movements were made, the Spirit stone turned into an Earth-Tier one. The realization of the circle's new abilities surprised him greatly.

Thinking of the possibilities, Ye Chen went to different areas to gather stones. With the help of his Earth Affinity, the collection process became relatively quicker. With the help of his affinity, he can sense and draw out the hidden stones effortlessly. By the afternoon, he had already collected a mountain of stones.

In the front yard, he initially planned to inform his sister and mother about his yet another retreat. However, upon learning that his sister was at the Knight's Academy of the Empire, being personally trained by one of the captains, and it would take no more than a week to finish. Moreover, he understood that with this kind of phase, he would have to leave the Empire and be separated from them for a long, long time.

He knew that they cannot always be together, and what better way to adapt to these situation other than this?

The next day, Ye Chen approached one of the royal guards with a request. "Can you pass on a message to the King for me? I need an ideal ground for cultivation, something like the Spirit Peak back in my home area. Tell his majesty this, he'll understand."

The guard nodded, bowing respectfully before leaving an after-image in front of him.

...

Less than an hour later, the guard returned wtih good news. "The King has granted you access to the cultivation grounds of the Empire. It's a place where Spiritual Herbs, Spiritual Beasts, and such are cultivated."

Ye Chen's eyes lit up with gratitude, he knew that this would be a good chance to repay the favors of the King. "Thank you. Please convey my thanks to His Majesty." with that said, he threw out the recently transformed Earth-Tier Spirit stone to the guard then left.

The guard's eyes lit up then bowed respectfully. "Of course, thank you, Young Master Chen."

...