26-34

B2 - Chapter 26: Training

He grimaced when his palm sliced through flesh effortlessly, almost bisecting the faceless humanoid the room created for him. The extremely dead thing disappeared into thin air.

William used [Thunderous Palm]. It was too effective.

Since the humanoid being was the creation of the formation in the room, his system couldn't show any of the attributes. It would have been helpful to see the specific attributes to evaluate how strong the humanoid was.

"State the desired level of your opponents."

Instead of saying the general cultivation he thought would be sufficient, he decided to try something else. "Create one that can withstand my strike."

"Creating Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Realm opponent specializing in close combat."

"Fuck!" William yelped in surprise.

A heavy fist smashed into his raised forearm, pain exploding from the point of contact. It was easy to ignore, especially when it wasn't accompanied by a system alert telling him of lost health.

This was all a simulation. It was an impressive illusion, but that's all it was.

William's Qi-covered palm speared into the humanoid's face, or rather, attempted to. It hit nothing but air.

Pain exploded at his elbow before it was quickly followed with his chest almost caved in from a brutal punch.

"Defeat. Would you like to try again?"

He blinked when his body was reset. All the damage disappeared instantly.

The enemy created by the room had returned to its original position a hundred feet away.

William knew he couldn't accomplish anything with the opponent at this level. He didn't think it was the cultivation that was making it impossible. It was the martial arts.

It was laughable how defenseless he was without [Force Multiplier].

"I want my opponent to be restricted to defense only."

"Accepted."

William tensed, expecting it to rush at him.

When it didn't advance, he wanted to facepalm. Of course, it didn't. He was the one to make it only defensive.

Since that was the case, he would make his move.

The distance between him and the humanoid was covered in the blink of an eye. A Qi-covered palm thrust at its chest soon after.

There must be a significant difference between their Agility since William's palm slammed into a forearm instead of a chest.

He pulled his hand back, ignoring the sting from the brick wall that apparently stopped him. His consolation prize was that the humanoid's forearm was bleeding slightly, so he at least caused some damage for his own satisfaction.

Time to try [Thunderous Kick].

William took a small step back from the motionless humanoid before nodding to himself. This would let him do the most damage with a kick.

His leg flew towards the humanoid's ribs like a whip. He expected that he would get blocked again. And it was.

William's shin met the humanoid's forearm and bicep with a sharp crack, leaving some damage but even less than his palm did.

He brought his leg down and hopped back, wondering why it had been so ineffective. He had been under the impression that his kicks were stronger than anything he could do with his hands, but that didn't seem to be the case here.

… New martial skills were needed.

Sure, he could curb stomp enemies even stronger than this humanoid with [Force Multiplier], but that was limited to two uses and two minutes. After that, he would die either from the penalty of overusing [Force Multiplier] or from the enemy he couldn't kill in time.

William suddenly recalled what the voice told him. The thing it created was specialized in close combat.

"Remove the opponent's specialization."

"Accepted. The opponent is no longer specialized in close combat."

The humanoid was restored to full health.

He tried again. [Thunderous Palm] first.

His palm speared toward its chest again, but the block wasn't as clean this time. Like before, the humanoid blocked him with the forearm, but instead of being slightly injured, he felt bone snap underneath his palm.

The humanoid was pushed back slightly when its broken forearm slammed into its chest, but there was no other damage caused.

William pulled back with a frown. He didn't think the difference would be so drastic.

"Restore it back to full health."

"Accepted."

He didn't waste time in repeating the kick. He targeted the ribs again, a grunt leaving his lips as his legs powered to the target.

As expected, there was an attempted block.

The last time William tried this, the humanoid shrugged it off like nothing had happened. That was no longer the case.

The arm that was trying to absorb the kick shattered, his shin almost slicing through it before crashing into the original target.

William could feel the ribs give way under his shin, cracking under the force of his attack, and collapse inward before his foot was lodged inside the humanoid's chest.

It disappeared not long after.

"State the desired level of your opponents."

He ignored it, thinking about what he had just experienced.

All he had asked for was to have an opponent who wasn't an expert in close combat, and that had changed from him being unable to cause significant damage to being able to deal out death with a kick.

Of course, this was also with a restriction of the humanoid only being defensive, but the point still stood. Knowing how to fight was perhaps more critical than knowing flashy moves.

Forget martial skills. He needed to learn a martial art first. That way, he could find the perfect skill to complement his fighting style.

William tilted his head, thinking of how the room could create those humanoids that were skilled in close combat.

"Teach me martial arts… or close combat."

"Request sent to manager on-site. Head to the lobby and present your pass to a staffer. Exiting Martial Skills Practice."

"No! Wait—" William cut himself off when the grassy field disappeared, replaced with the dull room. "Enter Martial Skills Practice mode!"

He waited for the room to react, but after a few seconds of nothing, he groaned in exasperation.

"Enter Cultivation mode!" That was William's last-ditch effort. Nothing happened.

He was locked out for wanting to learn martial arts. It wasn't such a big deal, all things considered. It was even great, but getting cut off when finally learning something interesting about his martial skills was infuriating.

Plus, William had no intention of going to the lobby without Lan Yang. As distracted as his mentor was and as short of a time he had to know the man, he still trusted Lan Yang over whoever this manager was.

He also needed to ask him what martial arts would be the best fit for him.

The only problem was that he doubted Lan Yang had returned to the room. The man was probably still keeping an eye on those bracelets and those who showed an interest in them.

William didn't even mind. Lan Yang was picking out the equivalent of an engagement ring, so of course he would be careful.

That didn't stop him from being annoyed that his time in the room was cut short.

Both of those were valid issues in William's mind. Lan Yang was fretting over his Dao partner's potential new gift, and William was annoyed about the room booting him out.

He eventually shrugged and let out a sigh. Not everything would be smooth.

He left the Qi Refining room and froze when he saw Xu Feng in the process of placing two Spirit Stones on the table.

Xu Feng had a similar reaction as he looked at him with surprise, which he quickly got over. "Brother Wei, I want to use the Qi Refining room for longer than I expected. This is my payment for it."

"Er, that's fine," William nodded awkwardly. "Thank you for telling me."

"Yes," Xu Feng smiled, "I shall return to the room and leave you be."

He watched the boy about to enter the Qi Refining room directly to his right. "Wait."

Xu Feng stopped and looked at him quizzically.

"Since we are going to be around each other for possibly the next week, why don't we get to know each other?" William fought to keep the frown off his face, feeling that he phrased that incorrectly.

Luckily, Xu Feng didn't see anything strange in it. His eyes almost lit up in excitement, making William confused. "It would be my pleasure, Brother Wei."

B2 - Chapter 27: Xu Feng

Perhaps this hadn't been his best idea.

William had impulsively told Xu Feng that they should get to know each other because he looked like a scared puppy.

The problem he now faced was that he didn't know where to start, and Xu Feng was of no help since he seemed more than happy to keep smiling at him as they sat across from each other. A small table separated them in the middle.

William cleared his throat. "So, Brother Xu, what made you want to buy the guest spot?"

"Oh," Xu Feng's smile slipped off his face, baffling William, "I apologize, Brother Wei. I wish I could pay you its true worth, but I couldn't afford to without losing the chance to bid in the auction."

He had already assumed it was worth much more, but that was set aside when he accepted Xu Feng's offer.

"I never said anything about wanting more from you," William reassured before asking curiously, "but now you brought it up, what do you think I could have gotten for the spot?"

Xu Feng frowned, his thoughts almost visible. "Maybe fifty Spirit Stones? It would depend on whether the buyer could use the discount effectively. Someone like Senior Lan would gladly pay hundreds since he is bidding on the most expensive items in the auction."

"That makes sense," William nodded calmly. Not that he was sure if it came out that way. Internally, he was screaming in rage.

If he knew it was this valuable, there was zero chance he would have given a damn about looking respectable in front of that Nascent Soul Realm Elder.

Fifty Spirit Stones.

Five thousand Qi Stones.

That's what he gave up like an idiot to avoid looking like a money grubber. It wasn't often he thought Wang Xiaoling's presence would be a benefit, but he sorely missed her at the moment.

If the queen of misers were here, this would have never come to pass. Then again, she would have swindled most of it from him.

"Brother Wei?" Xu Feng's voice broke him from the self-loathing that was drowning him.

"Sorry, I was distracted, Brother Xu," William said weakly, "Did you ask me something?"

Instead of answering, Xu Feng took out ten Spirit Stones and carefully placed them on the table. "I can see this is affecting you, Brother Wei. This is the most I can spare right now, but I will pay you the full fifty in the future."

"… Is there something wrong with you?" William blurted out, making Xu Feng give him a confused look.

This was either the most naive kid in the Tianxia Empire, or this was some ploy to quickly gain his trust. Either way, there was wealth behind Xu Feng.

If William had to bet, he would guess the latter. He had seen how quickly cultivators stopped caring for anything unrelated to their interests, and Xu Feng suddenly showing how much of an innocent and ethically upright person he was set off all the alarms in William's mind.

"Did you want everything now?" Xu Feng grimaced before moving to take out more Spirit Stones.

"Stop!" William stood up, making Xu Feng drop his hand to the hilt of his sword. He noted that and continued, "I don't go back on my word, Brother Xu. Take those back and use them for what you need."

This pained him, but he couldn't fleece someone from another sect. Not when he was a newly admitted Inner Disciple and had the attention of Elder Yu and the Grand Elder.

The chance to make money on the guest spot was lost at the entrance of the auction house, and he would have to accept it, no matter how much he didn't want to.

"Thank you, Brother Wei!" Xu Feng quickly snatched the Spirit Stones placed on the table.

"Hm," William sat back down, "Senior Yang said you are from the Heavenly Sword Sect." The geography lessons Zheng Tao gave him were already helpful. "That's at the border of the Empire, right?"

"Yes, Brother Wei. We are a small sect, but I believe it's the best one in the world!"

William raised an eyebrow at the boldness. He didn't care too much about it. Still, he imagined other disciples would take personal offense that someone claimed any other sect was greater than the Jade Healing Sect.

"That's nice to hear you think highly of your sect, Brother Xu," William teased, again noting that Xu Feng's hand dropped to the hilt of his sword.

So, the boy wasn't as sweet and naive as he portrayed himself. If the mildest of jokes had a reaction like that, then this had to be a fake persona.

In the meantime, William kept his Qi in a constant ready state to active [Force Multiplier]. He seriously doubted it would ever be needed since attacking him here would be suicide, but he wasn't going to use logical thinking as a reason to be unprepared.

If Xu Feng dared to make a move, he would end up as a smear on the walls.

… On second thought, he should ensure his assumption of easy victory was true. He usually used [Observe] on a target, but Xu Feng's age made William curious about his Luck attribute.

So [Detailed Observe] it was.

[-20 Spiritual Energy]

Name: Xu Feng

Age: 14

Level: 109

Cultivation: Foundation Establishment (Early Stage)

Health: 2100/2100

Spiritual Energy: 685/685

Spirit: 137

Strength: 139

Stamina: 141

Agility: 173

Luck: 60

Xu Feng was young. It was an obvious statement, but one that had to be pointed out. Far younger than William had assumed.

He was under the impression that Xu Feng might be around Li Xinyue's age. After all, she was considered a rare type of cultivator, but seeing that he was actually around the same age as himself baffled him.

William thought about what had been necessary for him to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm at this young age. Xu Feng suddenly didn't seem so naive and innocent anymore, unless all he needed to do was breathe to cultivate at a monstrous pace.

However, Xu Feng's Luck attribute made it hard for William to accept that the fast cultivation was normal. It was stupidly low.

He hadn't used [Detailed Observe] on many people, but without fail, the more impressive the cultivator's Luck attribute was, the faster their advancement had been. Xu Feng must have had outside help of some kind.

"It's true," Xu Feng defended himself. "We are like a family instead of a sect."

William's dissection of the boy's stats hadn't taken more than a second or two. Still, he almost forgot why Xu Feng responded so adamantly.

"Well, so is mine," he decided to be stubborn, acting his physical age for once. "I'm guessing the Jade Healing Sect is larger, but everyone is accommodating. How do you think my cultivation is so high?"

"My senior brothers say that can help me advance even faster. I can match Brother Wei when I am your age!"

William paused. "My age?"

"Yes, Brother Wei must be fifteen," Xu Feng smiled. "I am only fourteen years old."

This was the first time someone had called him older than he was. It felt nice. After having most of the cultivators he met calling him 'cute' and 'adorable,' it took a toll on his ego. It didn't help that every cultivator that had called him that also happened to be a woman.

… Speaking of women, he just realized that it was far more common to see women instead of men in the sect. Nothing outrageous that stood out immediately, but enough where it would be noticeable eventually. That would have to be something he would need to bring up with Lan Yang.

He snapped his thoughts off the sect's demographics and returned to the matter of Xu Feng, who still looked far too proud. William started to think the politeness came from Xu Feng's mistake of thinking he was younger.

It's too bad he had to break the bad news.

"I'm not older than you," William said bluntly, enjoying the blank look on his face.

"… You're not?"

"Not at all," William confirmed with a grin, "In fact, I'm younger."

"Impossible!" Xu Feng stood up in shock, "How? Did you also bathe in a spiritual lake, too?"

He was about to deny that but then remembered the lake in the oasis. With how dense the Qi was, it could be considered a spiritual lake.

"I'm just that awesome, Brother Xu." William settled on ignoring it entirely. It did no good to confirm or deny it.

"… For some strange reason, I don't think you're wrong," Xu Feng muttered, looking even more like a lost puppy than he had at the start.

Before William had the chance to feel bad that he forgot his original intention to be friendly with the kid and instead started arguing about who was better, the door opened.

"You're already out," Lan Yang commented as he immediately walked to the entrance of the bidding area, "Follow me. It's about to start."

William shared a look with Xu Feng before doing as told.

B2 - Chapter 28: Auction Start

He was already stepping out into the bidding area when he noticed that there were no footsteps behind him.

"You don't want to participate?" William asked with confusion. What was the point of coming to an auction if you didn't participate?

Xu Feng hesitated before he nodded firmly and walked toward him. "It's hard to decide between the Qi Refining room and the auction."

He could understand that. After William saw how the auction was held to satisfy his own curiosity, he intended to lock himself inside the Qi Refining room.

"I'm guessing your sect doesn't have something like that," William commented as they left their room.

Every seat in the bidding area was packed. Most were clearly from outside the Jade Healing Sect. A few people glanced at them after their entrance but quickly returned to the soft conversations they were having previously.

Lan Yang waved them down, already having taken a seat with two others empty beside him.

"Very funny, Brother Wei," Xu Feng huffed as they made their way to Lan Yang, "It's rude to say that when you obviously know it doesn't."

"Why would it be obvious?" William didn't know much about the Heavenly Sword Sect besides its location. The sect wasn't mentioned as something special either, so he didn't know any specifics.

"The only sect with Qi Gathering rooms of this capability is yours."

He glanced at Xu Feng and found the boy staring at him strangely. "I'm new here."

"… Clearly," Xu Feng muttered before smiling brightly when they reached their seats, "Thank you for saving us places, Senior."

"I didn't. They were already reserved," Lan Yang said gruffly, "Junior Wei, how did you like the Qi Refining room?"

William raised a brow at the blatant way Xu Feng was ignored. "It was good."

"Just good?" Lan Yang stared at him.

"I was told to go to the lobby to speak with a manager," William dove right into the issue. "Apparently, approval is needed before I am allowed my request. It was sent to the manager. If it wasn't for that, the room would have been great."

"I see," Lan Yang narrowed his eyes in thought, "We'll do that after this auction round."

"Thank you, Senior Yang," William said sincerely, "I also have some other questions, but they can wait."

"Hm," Lan Yang nodded absentmindedly as he stared at the empty stage below.

William followed his gaze to where the bracelets had been placed at the viewing. "Did you see anyone else interested in what you wanted?"

"Some, but nobody to be concerned about," Lan Yang was still tense. "I'm mostly worried about the Wei Clan member. He might cause trouble just for amusement."

That didn't seem too far from his own perception of Wei Ming. "Is it going to be auctioned today?"

"Thankfully, no. The cauldron is scheduled for this round," Lan Yang sighed. "Ignore me, Junior Wei. I'm too invested. Just enjoy the auction and bid on something for fun."

As a cultivator with the great wealth of two Spirit Stones, William didn't think he could buy much of anything. Unless…

"Are you offering to cover my bid, Senior Yang?" He asked hopefully.

"We'll see after by the end."

William's eyes lit up, but he kept his mouth closed. The bracelets would likely be the decider.

Xu Feng was content being left alone as he read something that looked like a menu at first glance. There were more on the shared table before them.

William assumed it was for the bar and was going to take a look, but the lights suddenly dimmed, leaving only the stage to be brightly lit.

[Name: Xia Qing | Level: 199]

A woman who could rival Mei Lingxi walked onto the stage with a charming smile. Her long black hair was coiled up in a bun, secured by a striking green jade hairpin that contrasted the form-fitting red robes embroidered with dragons and phoenixes.

Xia Qing stood at the center, looking at the clapping disciples on the first floor with bright eyes.

William was proud of himself for not staring wistfully at her like Xu Feng was doing. He was more curious about how she was allowed to have dragons and phoenixes embroidered into her robes.

He was reasonably confident that it was reserved for the Imperial Family.

"Shame this will likely be her last auction. She should be advancing soon," Lan Yang muttered, "It'll be odd to not have the flower of the Inner Court be the auctioneer."

"Are the bracelets for her, Senior Yang?" William teased, but immediately regretted opening his mouth.

The glare Lan Yang gave him could have destroyed cities. "No."

He nodded rapidly, his heart only calming down when Lan Yang turned his attention back to the stage. So, that was off-limits.

Good to know.

"The Jade Healing Sect welcomes you to the one thousand seventy-second annual auction!" Xia Qing waited for the claps to slow. "Before I bring the first lot to the stage, allow me to remind the newcomers of the rules. They are the standards suggested by the Tianxia Empire."

"One," she held up one slender finger. "Most lots are assigned numbered grades. The higher the number, the higher the cultivation needed to make full use of it. Do not bid on an item meant for a lower cultivation than you currently have. The opposite is not prohibited."

William tilted his head, initially finding it ridiculous, but he supposed lower cultivation almost always meant less funds. He guessed the sect didn't want to lock out its own disciples.

"Some lots have not had their grades identified," Xia Qing continued. "There are no restrictions on who may bid for those."

"Two," two fingers were held up, "To our patrons on the Red Floor and Gold Floor. Once you make a bid, only ten more bids are allowed after yours, none of which can be from you. Once the ten bids are submitted, or the bidding is finished, you have the opportunity to buy the lot by beating the last bid."

That took a good second to process, and it seemed Xia Qing knew that would be the case since she paused for an extended period. He could see Xu Feng was in the same boat as him.

But in the end, William realized this was the ultimate gamble. Sure, it might work out and cut off the bidding quickly, but how often would that be the case?

The more likely scenario was a cascade of bids, some because they were interested in the item and some purely due to curiosity about why it was desired by a peer. The price could shoot up quickly.

Even if the original bidder had the option of buying it for a larger price than the last bid, it could easily fall out of an affordable range.

"Third!" Xia Qing's red lips formed a smile, showing her white teeth to the crowd. "The Empire requires us to accept Qi and Spirit Stones, but nothing stops you from using your sect points! Happy bidding!"

The dimmed light brightened again as Xia Qing waved from the first lot to be brought onto the stage.

"Senior Yang," William leaned toward him and spoke quietly, "how often does that ten bid rule fail to bring in a high price?"

"Rarely," Lan Yang said grimly, likely due to thinking about the bracelets again.

He nodded in reply. It was as he thought.

William might not get to see cultivators lording over each other, warning others to stop bidding due to their great backgrounds. Still, he would see a tremendous amount of wealth being thrown around due to the same type of ego.

He saw the first item get uncovered and settled in for the show.

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B2 - Chapter 29: Broke

"As in the past, let's open the auction a grade one lot, the Blood Essence Pill!"

William blinked in surprise when the wall behind the stage showed a closeup of the blood-red pill. He wasn't an expert on the appearance of pills, other than the Vitality Restoration Pill, of course, but he did have the opportunity to see other pills in the Treasure Pavilion.

They were all white.

From his minimal reading on alchemy in the library, the white color of pills represented purity.

"This pill is perfect for when you need something more than a standard restoration pill! It will let you recover from more serious injuries, and there is even a chance to regrow a recently lost limb!"

William noticed the excited movements of the people sitting below. He remembered how he regrew his leg by gorging on Vitality Restoration Pills. The description of the Blood Essence Pill suggested that should have been impossible, as he had guessed.

"The Jade Healing Sect can produce five Blood Essence Pills each month. Winning this lot will give you rights to the pills for the next year! Let's start the bidding at one Spirit Stone!"

The bids poured in.

"Five Spirit Stones to the handsome man on the right!"

"Fifteen Spirit Stones!"

"Forty!"

"Seventy-eight Spirit Stones! Last call for a higher bid!" Xia Qing paused dramatically before clapping, "Sold!"

William watched all this silently, his hands clenched tightly. This was just the first lot.

He glanced at Xu Feng, finding him staring at the stage with longing. This time, he didn't think it was at Xia Qing, but for the year's supply of pills that had just been sold.

As for Lan Yang, he was still lost in his own thoughts.

"Brother Xu, it looked like you wanted to bid on this."

Xu Feng finally turned his attention away from the stage to look at him. "I did, but I'm not here for that. My senior brothers and sisters wouldn't be able to use the pills."

William noticed that Lan Yang shifted in his seat.

"Ah, I see," he thought about the pills being classified as grade one, "So they are all of a higher cultivation than you?"

"Yes," Xu Feng nodded, admiration in his eyes. "They are all in the Core Formation Realm at the minimum."

William's eyes widened in surprise. Xu Feng had reason to think that his sect was the best if this was the case.

He implied that there were seniors of his in the Nascent Soul Realm. What did that mean for the cultivation of the elders of his sect?

It was hard for him to believe that the Heavenly Sword Sect wasn't more well known if all of this was true. Perhaps it hadn't come into focus in the lesson plan that Zheng Tao had created since it was more focused on the Empire itself.

"All of them?" Lan Yang interjected, surprising both of them. "Even Zhou Chen and Xue Li? It hasn't been long since I've seen those two."

"… Senior?" Xu Feng stared at Lan Yang in surprise, "You know my senior brother and sister?"

"Saying I know them is a bit of an exaggeration," Lan Yang corrected, "but I have competed against them in the past."

"Oh," Xu Feng still looked stunned.

"Well? Have they advanced to the Core Formation Realm?" Lan Yang prodded, seeming to William like he was too insistent when they were mere acquaintances.

"Yes, Senior," Xu Feng confirmed. "It was only a few weeks ago."

Lan Yang fell silent, something neither of them wanted to break. There had to be another reason for the questioning. He spoke again when the next item was ready to be auctioned. "Give them my congratulations."

Xu Feng nodded and chose to say nothing further.

William cleared his throat when the next lot was displayed on the wall. Another pill.

Unlike the Blood Essence Pill, this was purely white in color. It was set in something similar to a jewelry box, plush fabric surrounding it as it sat securely in the center.

"Up next is a grade three lot, the Soul Tempering Pill!" Xia Qing announced proudly.

This time, he saw all the cultivators on their floor straighten in their seats.

"The last time the Jade Healing Sect was willing to let such a precious pill leave its territory was twenty years ago. Don't lose your chance to own the pill that can change your cultivation path!" Xia Qing's eyes sparkled as she stared at the pill, showing how much she desired it.

"The pill is one of the few that can strengthen a cultivator's soul in the Nascent Soul Realm! A necessity to surviving the heavenly tribulation," She reluctantly tore her gaze from the pill. "The bidding starts from one hundred Spirit Stones! Every bid must be a hundred higher—"

"One thousand," a voice boomed from above.

Xia Qing didn't miss a step. "One thousand Spirit Stones from the Gold Floor!"

"One thousand five hundred."

William looked to his right, staring at an unfamiliar man who put in the bid.

The following bids came in quickly as more and more people started to join in.

"Senior Lan," William leaned toward him and whispered, "Can you buy any of this in the sect's catalog?"

Lan Yang was following the bidding intently but still spared him some attention. "No, nothing in the auction can."

He nodded in thought. That made sense. Otherwise, there was no reason for any sect members to bid on pills that appeared in the auction.

"Five thousand," Lan Yang suddenly said out loud, shocking William into muteness.

"And five thousand Spirit Stones is the tenth and final bid!" Xia Qing announced, "To the man on the Gold Floor, would you like to beat the bid by a hundred Spirit Stones?"

"Yes," a voice replied calmly from above.

"Sold!" Xia Qing clapped.

William didn't pay attention to anything or anyone other than Lan Yang. He assumed the man was well off when he gave Mei Lingxi a blank check, but this was a different level.

Lan Yang met his eyes before addressing the other person in just as much shock, "Sword boy, why don't don't you order something from the bar?"

Xu Feng nodded rapidly as he stood up and went to the bar. However, William did see numerous backtakes on his way there.

"You have something to say?" Lan Yang addressed him this time.

"Does the auction house allow you to bid freely?"

"Freely?" Lan Yang frowned, "Do you mean above the ability you have to pay?"

William nodded.

"No, it doesn't. Nor did I really want to buy this. I recognized that voice as one of the guards that followed Wei Ming. I just wanted to empty their funds slightly."

"Oh," he stared. He wasn't sure how wise it was to provoke that man. Still, it was nice to know his mentor was wealthy beyond imagination. "That makes me feel better about what Sister Lingxi is doing."

"… What do you mean?" Lan Yang asked with narrowed eyes.

"Well, the Grand Elder took us to the Jade Lotus Teahouse. We loved it and wanted to return, but the price was far beyond us. I imagine Sister Lingxi is enjoying that tea daily with the free rein you gave her."

"JADE LOTUS?" Lan Yang almost shrieked, drawing eyes from others and stopping Xu Feng in his tracks with panicked eyes. The boy was balancing three drinks that looked like shakes.

"How were you even allowed in?" Lan Yang hissed with a much lower voice once he realized the attention he had attracted. "Wait, don't answer. It's the Grand Elder."

William wasn't sure how to take this. The tea the Grand Elder treated them to was ten Spirit Stones. Even if Mei Lingxi had that twice daily for an entire week, it came to a hundred and forty Spirit Stones.

He shuddered at thinking it was affordable, but considering this was a worst-case scenario, it shouldn't be devastating for someone with Lan Yang's wealth.

"Will that affect your bidding, Senior Yang?" William asked carefully.

"No, it won't."

He calmed a little, but that was too soon.

"Because I borrowed all of this, Junior Wei," Lan Yang hissed.

William had many questions. The biggest one was how Lan Yang could borrow this much if the idea of losing a hundred Spirit Stones distressed him.

That wasn't his business, but he could still satisfy his curiosity.

"… Why would you give Sister Lingxi the freedom to spend whatever she wished?" William had to ask. This could have been easily avoided.

"Because I needed to fix my image after our disastrous introduction!" Lan Yang seemed to be in actual pain at this point.

That shouldn't have made him smile, but it did.

"It's not too late to tell Sister Lingxi to stop spending," William offered. It had only been several hours since they separated, so it wasn't the end of the world.

"After I gave my word?" Lan Yang said sharply. "No, I don't think so. But you can forget about me potentially covering your bids, Junior Wei."

He forgot about that offer. It made him want to protest at the unfairness, but there was no obligation Lan Yang had to buy him something. At least he learned that the man thought keeping his word was a top priority.

… That was good.

B2 - Chapter 30: Anomaly

William stayed silent, smartly choosing to let Lan Yang calm himself down.

Thankfully, Xia Qing had started speaking on the next item. A white flower that resembled a tulip with a soft purple glow on the edges.

"This grade two lot is from His Highness, Prince Rong Yun!" The wall behind her showed Rong Yun sitting next to Wei Ming. When the prince noticed he was on display, he smiled and gave a small wave.

"The Tranquility Tulip is exclusively grown by the Imperial Family in the capital. They are usually given out as gifts to dignitaries of sufficient status, but now, you have a chance to own one yourself!"

William saw Xu Feng hurrying back with three different drinks. For some reason, he had returned to the bar to replace the shakes he had previously. Now, it looked like a cocktail.

"Tranquility Tulips are perfect for creating a calming atmosphere for cultivating more efficiently. For the lucky few, it might even help you understand Dao! The bidding starts at ten Spirit Stones, with bids in minimum increments of five Spirit Stones!"

"Ten Spirit Stones!" Xu Feng called out the moment he arrived in their little area.

"The opening bid is from the Red Floor!" Xia Qing announced with a blinding smile. "Use the ten bids left wisely!"

The price quickly climbed, but thankfully for Xu Feng, it didn't seem out of his reach. At least, his body language suggested that to William.

"The final bid was for six hundred and forty! Original bidder, would you like to beat that bid?"

Xu Feng nodded rapidly before realizing he had to speak. "Yes."

"Sold!"

"Congratulations, Brother Xu," William said with a confused smile, unsure why he rushed to buy the flower. It didn't seem practical for someone in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Xu Feng collapsed into his seat with a wide smile while carefully balancing the drinks he held without spilling a drop. "Brother Wei, I'll be able to give you those fifty Spirit Stones earlier than I thought."

William was tempted to accept. He really was, but as good as the offered money seemed, was it worth it?

If Xu Feng had access to so much even when he was barely older than him, and Lan Yang seemed to have the capacity to borrow a truly ridiculous sum, how valuable was it really?

It also couldn't be forgotten that Ren Bo also had access to a surprising amount of wealth.

Spirit Stones might not be as challenging to acquire as William had assumed, especially not for someone like him.

He no longer fooled himself by thinking he wasn't considered a 'genius.' It might have resulted from his cheat of a system, but it still didn't change the obvious.

The Jade Healing Sect was ready to heavily invest in him, and they showed no signs of hesitation in showing him how much. Not when he was able to meet the Grand Elder, who was apparently usually aloof with sect matters. Not when Elder Yu pulled all the strings she could to get him into favorable situations.

No, William decided he didn't have to worry about Spirit Stones. At least, not to a point where he had to accept them in a situation where it might be better not to.

"Brother Xu," he raised a hand to stop Xu Feng from insisting, "I already said that I don't need it. Unless you don't see me as a friend."

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There was another reason William was willing to forgo the Spirit Stones. It might make him sound mercenary, but it was hard not to think about the benefits of forming a friendly connection with a cultivator like Xu Feng.

Though, the boy's low Luck attribute did baffle him.

Even if Xu Feng turned out ordinary in the future, the sect he belonged to sounded impressive. With Lan Yang recognizing some disciples, it wasn't some elaborate scam.

"If you insist," Xu Feng sounded reluctant as he backed down, but that sullen expression didn't last long. "Oh, Senior Lan, Brother Wei, I bought you some drinks. That man called it the Ice Berry Cocktail! If you won't accept the Spirit Stones, you must let me treat both of you."

Lan Yang raised a brow before he nodded, taking a sip of the red drink with a slight smile. Looked like this calmed him a little. Good.

William decided to follow suit.

"Thank you," William accepted the offered cocktail and sniffed it discreetly. It didn't smell like alcohol. A small sip chilled his entire body with surprising quickness. It didn't seem like there was any other effect. "Good pick, Brother Xu. Guess you made the right decision when you switched drinks."

"Ah, that," Xu Feng glanced to Lan Yang, "The credit belongs to Senior. He said he disliked the Sweet Jade Lotus Shake, so I got these instead."

William couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped if he tried. Not when Lan Yang also struggled to keep a straight face.

So that was why Xu Feng froze when Lan Yang was panicking about the Jade Lotus teahouse.

"Yes, an excellent choice," Lan Yang cleared his throat and stood up, drink still in hand. "Junior Wei, you needed help with the Qi Refining room, correct? I'll get the manager here so you don't waste time watching the auction… unless you wanted to stay here?"

"Oh, no," William denied quickly. "I'd rather go back to the room, Senior Yang."

"I'll be back shortly." Lan Yang left them quickly.

"Looks like Senior doesn't detest me as much," Xu Feng said with a smile.

"Hm," William thought of the strange way Lan Yang acted around the boy. There was something more behind it. "Is Senior Yang close to your senior brother and sister?"

"You mean Brother Zhou and Sister Xue?" Xu Feng frowned. "This is the first I've heard about it. I don't think they ever mentioned Senior."

William nodded as he stared at the next item prepared to be auctioned, taking small sips of his cocktail.

It wasn't a surprise that he didn't know. It was entirely possible that they only met by chance and considered each other acquaintances. Still, it felt off.

"I suppose it doesn't matter," he shrugged.

"That's true," Xu Feng agreed, pausing for a little, staring at the stage before asking, "Brother Wei, do you not intend to bid on anything? You seemed uninterested in everything so far."

"Well, I guess it depends on what will be auctioned," William chuckled uneasily. The only way he would bid was with Lan Yang's grace, which was no longer available. "I'm mostly here to enjoy the auction itself."

"I see," Xu Feng nodded with admiration. "It is no wonder Brother Wei has such a high cultivation. My Master tells me that gazing at the myriad of mysteries will lead me to the Dao. This enjoying of the auction must be similar."

Xu Feng said that with such confidence, all William could do was smile in response.

… He was dragged into the auction so Lan Yang could convince some girl to become his Dao partner. Poor girl. There was no myriad of mysteries in that.

"Right, Brother Xu, what made you buy that Tranquility Tulip?" William was desperate to change the attention from cultivation wisdom, which he had little of.

"I wanted to buy something that would benefit all my seniors, and the Tranquility Tulip was perfect!" Xu Feng's eyes gleamed. "I've heard it is still effective for Nascent Soul Realm cultivators."

"Ah, I see. So you were sent here to buy for your seniors?"

"… Not exactly. This was meant to be my gift from advancing to the Foundation Establishment Realm, but what's the point of buying something that will only benefit me?"

William blinked in surprise. He didn't expect that. Either Xu Feng was an elite brown noser, which could be true with how polite he was to Lan Yang no matter the disregard, or it could also be possible that Xu Feng was precisely what he looked like.

Something William discarded due to his recent trust issues and the unlikelihood of it being true with the nature of cultivators.

The possibility that Xu Feng was kind.

"Junior Wei!"

William tore his eyes away from Xu Feng's visage to see Lan Yang calling for him. He stood from his seat and downed the rest of his drink, "I'll be heading back in, Brother Xu."

"I'll follow after today's auction ends, Brother Wei."

He nodded before returning to the room, wondering if someone like Xu Feng could exist without getting killed. Then again, the boy was quick to touch his hilt when teased about his sect.

Not a doormat, but also not endlessly prideful.

William was interested in getting to know Xu Feng better.

B2 - Chapter 31: Back to the Grind

"You get along with the sword boy," Lan Yang commented when he entered the room.

"I like him," William shrugged, staring at the large green jade tablet held in his hands. "What's that, Senior Yang?"

"This is what you needed from the manager," Lan Yang lifted his hand, as if to show off the tablet. "So, she told me you wanted to learn martial arts."

"Yes?" William replied unsurely, wondering if this was a problem.

"There are a few Sentinels that have a barebones knowledge of it, and all have learned through experience instead of practice." Lan Yang explained, tilting his head curiously. "You are not a body cultivator. Why bother?"

That was a fair question. He didn't set out to be a pseudo-body cultivator, not when he passed up the cultivation technique that would lead him to the true path of body cultivation.

"My martial skills are all close combat. The Qi Refining room made me realize how poor I am with the only thing I can do."

Lan Yang stared at him, clearly puzzled. "So why did you not fix this by learning a ranged skill?"

"How? The ones in the library didn't seem worthwhile, and I had no way to get one from outside sources." William didn't mention the main reason he didn't bother too much was the Heaven-Tier martial skill that he had yet to pick. There were some choices there that would solve his current deficiency.

"Picky," Lan Yang smirked. He handed William the tablet and motioned for him to enter the Qi Refining room, "I'll see if anything suitable shows up in the auction. If it does, I'll call you out."

"Really?" William couldn't even act like he wasn't stunned. "I'm not complaining, nor do I want you to take back that offer, but did you forget about how you borrowed thousands of Spirit Stones?"

"… No, I didn't," Lan Yang said with narrowed eyes. "I borrowed enough to buy the bracelets even if I didn't have the discount the Red Floor would give me. With the sword boy offering to pay more, I would be ashamed to not do the same."

William thought that was a flimsy reason, but he wasn't about to put more effort into reminding Lan Yang this might be a bad idea for his wallet. "Thank you, Brother Yang."

"There we go!" Lan Yang rolled his eyes. "That's what you should have said at the start. Has anyone told you that you talk too much, Junior Wei?"

He stared. If anything, he didn't talk enough. Most of these thoughts were kept bottled up because of too much paranoia. So many issues he currently had could be solved simply by asking the right person… or it might also lead him to death.

There was a reason he was too paranoid.

"Now you don't speak," Lan Yang chuckled. "Make good use of that tablet, and maybe I'll have good news for you."

"Wait," William stopped him from leaving. Something had been at the back of his mind that he had ignored until now. "A voice in the Qi Refining room responds to me, almost like a person is overseeing the room. That can't be right, is it?"

He knew it wasn't, but it was a stretch for him to immediately think about artificial intelligence. That couldn't be a thing in this world.

"It's a feature built into the formation running the room," Lan Yang replied with a shrug. "Don't ask me any specifics since I am far from a formation master, but there are elders in the sect that specialize in it. I'll introduce them to you if you want. They will be able to tell you how it works."

"Thank you, Senior Yang. I'll hold you to that."

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"Hah!" Lan Yang laughed. "You're learning. Focus on your training, Junior Wei. Use the room well."

William could barely nod before his mentor left to return to the auction.

"Well, I hope you meet my expectations," he muttered to the tablet in his hand as he entered the Qi Refining room.

The door closed behind him, and the voice spoke.

"Choose your mode: Cultivation or Martial Skills Practice."

"Martial Skills Practice."

"Module detected. Place tablet on connection area."

A part of the wall started to glow softly in a shape that happened to be the size of the jade tablet in his hands. The more he discovered about the room, the more his curiosity about formations grew.

His interest in them was initially to protect himself since it seemed that most things worth protection were done so with formations, but the room revealed a utility that he had considered. The closest thing he could compare formations to were computer programs.

Even that wasn't exact since formations often directly affected the real world. They were versatile, with possibilities that seemed endless.

... Maybe artificial intelligence, or an equivalent, wasn't an outlandish idea.

He placed that tablet on within the glowing part of the wall and let go.

"Martial arts training module accepted. Position yourself at the center of the room."

William did as the voice instructed. He found himself back in the grassy plain.

"Calibration needed. Showcase your maximum striking power. Refrain from using martial skills."

A floating, transparent box appeared in arm's reach, the word 'punch' above it.

William couldn't help but laugh. He had a system gamifying his cultivation, and now, it was like he was in an actual game.

He didn't waste time. His fist punched through the box. It disappeared, only to be replaced with something similar, only a little lower.

This box had the word 'kick' above it.

That's what William did. His shin sliced through the waist-high box.

It disappeared.

"Matched. Early Stage Foundation Establishment. Defeat the created opponent. Refrain from using martial skills."

William grunted in surprise, barely raising his forearm to block a fist. It landed a solid hit on him, the dull pain automatically making him think of blowing the created humanoid away by activating [Thunderous Palm].

He didn't fail the task given to him immediately. He shifted to the side to avoid the next punch. It left him free to counter.

William landed an uppercut on the humanoid's torso, making it stagger back slightly. He didn't wait for it to recover and followed the strike with a haymaker right to its unprotected, featureless face.

It crumbled underneath his fist and instantly disappeared.

"Creating opponent with a minimal knowledge of martial arts. Defeat the created opponent. Refrain from using martial skills."

This time, William was ready. He jumped back to avoid a swift kick aimed at his knee. The newly created humanoid looked to have some type of form it was holding.

All he knew was the equivalent of an alleyway brawl, and the only reason he was majorly successful in all his fights was an overwhelming power difference.

He was shown this reality over the next few seconds.

William tried to block a punch like usual. His forearm snapped, bone sticking out. He ignored the shock of failure and tried to land an uppercut. It was blocked by the humanoid's leg.

The next thing he knew, his jaw was fractured, and he was lying on the ground.

"Training level calibrated."

William's body was reset back to a perfect condition. He stood up, still stunned at how easily he had lost. To something that only had 'minimal knowledge.'

"Recommended start is at the novice stage. You may also pick the intermediate and expert stages. Would you like to start at the novice stage?"

[Side Quest: Become a martial arts expert]

[Information: You have discovered that you lack skill in martial arts and wish to fix that. Become an expert who can overwhelm peers of similar physical strength and agility.]

[Reward: 70000 XP]

[Penalty: Decreased reputation with Elder Yu and Lan Yang]

[Accept: Y/N]

The quest was a no-brainer. William was already motivated to become an expert, and the quest only added to that. The penalty was of some concern, but failure wasn't even something he considered possible. This quest had no time limit.

"Yes," William said with determination in his voice.

[Side Quest Accepted | Become a martial arts expert]

"Training started."

Interlude: Mei Lingxi

Mei Lingxi hummed in pleasure as she sipped the hot tea.

It wasn't as good as the tea from Jade Lotus Teahouse, but it was the next best thing. She wasn't talking about the tea itself, though it was acceptable, but more about the whole atmosphere.

Mei Lingxi had been worried that she would no longer be able to snap her fingers and make overeager male cultivators do her bidding. She was not used to the way Lan Yang had casually brushed her aside and put his full attention on Wei Liang.

In fact, she couldn't recall anything similar happening in the past. There were signs that she learned to pick up during her time as a cultivator. No matter how subtle, she knew when attention was on her. She used it as a weapon when she was in Xuanjing City.

With Lan Yang's unabashed disinterest, Mei Lingxi wondered if she had accepted a position beyond her station.

Prince Yuan often boasted of how there were women far more attractive than her in the upper echelons of the cultivation world, but that had never been something she took to heart. It was hard to when the boasting only started once she firmly rejected his advances.

Lan Yang's reaction made her think that perhaps the Inner Court of the Jade Healing Sect was filled with rare beauties that she had somehow missed on the initial trip when the Grand Master treated her.

That was not the case. At all.

Mei Lingxi hadn't immediately rushed to buy whatever she desired with the blank check given to her. Instead, she strolled around the common grounds and observed.

She was still unmatched, her looks unparalleled. The overeager cultivators surrounding her meant she wasn't biased.

There were two of them clamoring to pay for Mei Lingxi's tea while unsubtly talking about their great and powerful backgrounds. If she was someone lesser, perhaps it might have worked. Unfortunately for them, she had heard all of this before.

Sure, the names they were throwing out were more impressive, but it was all the same in the end.

She didn't leave her mortal life, rejecting a future as a magistrate's wife only to be something similar in her immortal life.

Mei Lingxi couldn't think of a worse future for herself.

Thankfully, she met Wei Liang. Her Young Master. She blinked, pausing in the middle of her sip.

Referring to him as Young Master in her mind was new.

"Beauty Mei is amused by my joke."

Mei Lingxi's attention was returned to the man across from her. It was rude of her, but the two men who invited themselves to sit at her table were so forgettable that she avoided mentioning them by name.

Mainly because she couldn't be bothered to remember them.

She would have shooed them away if it wasn't for their eagerness to point out the places of interest in the common grounds.

Mei Lingxi gently placed the teacup on the saucer, a practiced smile on her lips. "It's rare to find someone who can make me smile so easily."

"Hah, Beauty Mei, don't be fooled by him. I've seen him recite these jokes, hoping to use them on any woman willing to look at him."

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She glanced at the man on her right. It came to mind that it might be best for her to give the two placeholder names to identify them. Asking for their actual names was far too late, and even if it wasn't, it was likely unwise.

It wouldn't do to make them think she was more interested than they delusionally thought she already was. That was a mistake she made when she first started to work at the Treasure Pavilion. A wealthy patron assumed that her interest in making him spend money was the same as her interest in him.

"You must know each other well," Mei Lingxi smiled, internally rolling her eyes at how the man smirked at his… friend? Rival? She couldn't really tell.

"We grew up together. He's practically my brother. Trust me when I say he is all talk."

She tilted her head slightly. With a 'brother' like this, where was the need to have an enemy?

Rat. That was the perfect placeholder name for this trash of a man.

Mei Lingxi turned her attention back to the man across from her, wanting to see his response.

There wasn't one. He just chuckled awkwardly and looked away. She supposed it had something to do with his background lacking compared to Rat.

Doormat. That would be this one's designation.

"Practiced or not, it made me smile," Mei Lingxi chuckled, though this was directed at Rat. After all, she didn't want Doormat to feel too comfortable. Again, another easy way to gain an unwanted pursuer.

She waved at the hostess, ignoring Rat's attempts to speak to her.

"Would you like to order something else?"

The hostess was a cute girl, one that was acting far too bubbly. Mei Lingxi sympathized. She was the same when she was inexperienced in dealing with patrons in the Treasure Pavilion.

"No, thank you," Mei Lingxi shook her head. "I'd like to pay."

"Certainly!" The hostess pulled out a blank slate. "May I see your pass?"

"Beauty Mei, please, let me take care of this!"

She waved off Doormat and handed the pass Elder Yu provided to the hostess. It was pressed to the slate, which glowed a soft white.

"There you are," the pass was returned to Mei Lingxi. "Fifty credits were deducted from the account. Thank you!"

The hostess promptly left, and she was set to do the same. Rat and Doormat had mentioned some interesting places that fit her current needs. Besides, she was finding it hard to stomach their increasingly irritating personalities.

"Thank you for keeping me company. Both of you," Mei Lingxi gave them the same practiced smile, almost hoping that they would realize how fake it was. "Unfortunately, it looks like we must part ways."

"Beauty Mei, that doesn't have to be the case," Rat stood, giving her what he must have thought was a charming smile. "You said that you were new here, and what better way can I show the sect's welcoming nature than by being your guide?"

"I'll have to decline." That was the first direct statement Mei Lingxi had said to these two. "I'm interested in the lectures you mentioned. The one about formations, and I prefer to be alone when focusing."

"I could help you."

Mei Lingxi stared at Doormat in surprise. She figured he had lost whatever courage he had mustered. Good for him, though it still wouldn't change anything.

"I specialize in formations," Doormat said with pride. "I even have a chance to enter Black Tortoise Peak in the future!"

"Is that so?" Mei Lingxi put her full attention on Doormat. "Do you have connections with anyone on Black Tortoise Peak?"

"I do!" Doormat looked proud. "My Senior Brother entered the peak last year."

"I see," Mei Lingxi weighed her decision, but it was a no-brainer. "Perhaps you can help me if I have questions about the lecture."

"I would be glad to, Beauty Mei!" Doormat almost shook in excitement while shooting Rat smug looks. "Maybe you can leave us to it, brother."

Mei Lingxi rolled her eyes discreetly when they started taking unsubtle shots at each other. Most cultivators under a hundred years old often acted like this around her.

She would make sure to let her Young Master know the sacrifice that was made here. She had little interest in formations, but her Young Master seemed to drool after formation manuals. He obviously felt the opposite, so this was all for him.

Mei Lingxi glanced at the Jade Lotus Teahouse in the distance. That was another thing she needed to tell the Young Master about.

She had every intention of enjoying herself on Lan Yang's dime, but that had quickly disappeared when she thought of the ramifications of being such a spendthrift. She would have done nothing wrong, but Lan Yang's impression of her Young Master might have taken a hit.

That wouldn't do, especially since Lan Yang was the Young Master's mentor.

Mei Lingxi's thoughtfulness led her to a much cheaper teahouse, and it also saddled her with Doormat and Rat.

Yes, she needed to let her Young Master know so he would be appreciative. He could pay her back in the far future.

B2 - Chapter 32: Novice Stage

One thing he appreciated about training in the Qi Refining room was that he never ran out of stamina. It was temporary since everything was simulated.

William wasn't sure how long he had been getting absolutely destroyed by the novice stage humanoid, but it wasn't an exaggeration when he thought it had to be at least a day.

It was mentally tiring, feeling the bones of various parts of his body getting snapped repeatedly right before the killing strike ended the spar. It was good that he was also improving quickly enough to eventually match the featureless humanoid blow-by-blow.

William was no longer as hopeless as he had been at the start. The fights still ended with his face receiving a killing strike in the form of a brutal kick or an equally skull-cracking punch. Still, instead of that happening within a few seconds, it took several minutes.

Just like the fight he was putting up now.

Its hand was pulled back. Obviously telegraphing the attack, but William had been destroyed enough where he didn't lunge at the false opening.

There was a slight shift in its leg. Far too subtle for him to notice normally, but repeated ass-kickings had forced him to learn by necessity.

This was the moment his ribs would be cracked under the weight of a brutal kick.

William took the gamble that his assumption was right.

He lunged forward with his leg lifted. The momentum the humanoid needed for an effective kick was killed. It left him free to counter.

His fist ruptured the skin on the humanoid's torso, cracking the ribs underneath. The blow was followed by another. Then another. Again and again until his fist pierced through the humanoid's body.

It disappeared. The first time that happened while it was in the novice stage.

William felt satisfaction seep into his tired body as he took heavy breaths, waiting for the room to reset his injuries and restore his stamina.

"Opponent at the novice stage defeated. Would you like to try again or move on to the intermediate stage?"

He was back to his peak physical condition. It was still strange how he was out of breath one second, then back to completely normal the next.

William had returned from the edge of death and even regrown a limb, but restoring Stamina? He had never experienced that in the real world.

There had to be something that would have a similar effect. He made a mental note to find out. It would be as valuable as the Vitality Restoration Pills.

He was coming to realize that against skilled enemies of similar cultivation, it was likely that he would be exhausted even if he had won. It could be a disaster if he still needed to fight others after that.

The most obvious solution in a scenario like that was to use his ever-reliable trump card, [Force Multiplier]. However, it wouldn't be a trump card if he resorted to it too much. The drawback he would have to suffer was harsh enough that he was hesitant to use it lightly.

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Another more sustainable solution was to get good at martial arts. Really good.

"How long have I been training?"

"Twenty-five hours, thirty-one minutes, and fifty-eight seconds."

Just over a day of being destroyed by the novice stage.

William didn't fool himself by thinking he could consistently beat the novice stage humanoid. Not at all, but at least he now had a chance.

He decided to accept the coming torture and move up a stage.

"Change to the intermediate stage."

"Training started."

William's eyes sharpened, tracking the movement of the newly created humanoid. It was already in his personal space, fist cocked back and ready to end the fight.

He recognized this move. It was common in the novice stage at the start. A feint that was meant to distract him from the true danger.

William shifted, one leg sliding forward. Ready to stop the attack from below. On the slight chance the fist wasn't a feint, he was prepared to block that, too.

Pain exploded from his knee. He was barely able to register that it had shattered when a fist plowed into the bottom of his jaw.

"Defeat. Would you like to try again?"

His body was reset back to perfect health, leaving him to stare at the immobile humanoid. If he tried again, he would die before he even knew what was happening.

That excited William.

Not the dying part. That was depressing. It was the thought of being able to reach this level that excited him.

Even though the humanoid was practically at the same cultivation with similar physical attributes, he hadn't been able to see how it killed him. This was the result of intermediate-stage martial arts.

He wanted that. He needed that.

Still, he was nowhere near ready for this stage.

"Go back to the novice stage."

"Accepted."

***

William smacked the incoming fist to the side. His leg shot up to knee the humanoid in the bottom of its ribs. He felt them crack sharply.

He slammed his elbow down on the humanoid's thigh, stopping it from doing the same to his ribs. He put all his weight into the punch with his free hand.

William felt satisfaction when he saw its featureless face crater inward. The humanoid disappeared.

"Opponent at the novice stage defeated. Would you like to try again or move on to the intermediate stage?"

There was no reset to fix his injuries. He had none. In fact, the last time he had been touched by the humanoid had been over five fights ago.

It was safe to say that William was now unbeatable in the novice stage.

"How long have I been training?

"Thirty-six hours, fifty-seven minutes, and twenty-two seconds."

All things considered, it was much faster than he had initially assumed. With Lan Yang telling him it was rare to find cultivators that bothered to learn martial arts, William believed that it was a difficult skill to learn.

He had mastered the novice stage in a day and a half. That was practically nothing to the long-lived cultivators, so there was no reason this wasn't widespread.

Unless mastering the intermediate stage would take exponentially longer, with the expert stage even more so. The issue with this was the quest he had received, mainly the reward.

[Reward: 70000 XP]

That sounded like an impressive amount of experience points, and it would have been when he was still in the early Qi Gathering Realm, but not now. All it would do is take him past the next few levels.

The reward implied that becoming an expert would be reasonably easy to do.

"Junior Wei!"

William blinked owlishly, almost confused at hearing something that wasn't the genderless voice the room had.

"Senior Yang?"

"Exiting Martial Skills Practice."

The vast grassland disappeared, the dull room replacing it as the door opened. Lan Yang stood at the entrance with a wide smile.

"The staff have alerted me that some skill manuals that might suit your needs will be auctioned soon."

He stared for a moment before a broad smile appeared on his lips. "Let's go, Senior Yang!"

B2 - Chapter 33: Ranged Martial Skill

William left the Qi Refining room and froze after he saw Spirit Stones piled on one of the seats.

"Xu Feng left that for you before he locked himself inside the Qi Refining room after the first day of the auction."

He approximated the Spirit Stones and raised a brow. "There's enough for forty days."

"You're right."

William hid the excitement he felt deep inside. He had shown himself to be someone above such shallow matters like wealth, even though he was salivating at taking possession of the Spirit Stones piled on the seat.

"Let me guess," William said wryly, "Xu Feng insisted on paying me and took advantage of my absence."

"You're right again!" Lan Yang said with a slightly mocking tone.

"Well, I'll talk to him when he leaves the room." William was banking on that talk to be less than productive. He had no intention of letting his Spirit Stones leave his possession, no matter how much he claimed he didn't need the wealth.

He had to fight the urge to turn back and stare at the Spirit Stones as they exited the room.

"So, how much have you progressed with martial arts?" Lan Yang asked casually, leading him to their area.

"I've mastered the novice stage. I hope to do the same with the intermediate stage before the auction ends."

"Novice stage?" Lan Yang stopped with a frown. "How much time was spent cultivating?"

"Er, none?" William replied unsurely, concerned at the way he was being looked at. "I've been practicing martial arts nonstop."

Lan Yang tilted his head with confusion. "I have to say I didn't expect that. Those who show interest in martial arts take a few hours to master the novice stage."

He struggled to keep the grimace off his face. With Lan Yang's expected timeline, he had still been getting his face beaten in without being able to land a solid hit on the novice stage humanoid.

"What's the usual time for the other stages?"

"Those vary much more," Lan Yang continued to their seats, motioning to the one beside him. "The intermediate stage is usually mastered in a few months, and the expert stage a little over a year. Mind you, this is if one is fully dedicated to martial arts. These are the fanatics that skip cultivation in favor of it."

William's expression matched Lan Yang's; a frown was prominently displayed. Those timelines weren't outrageous, but disregarding cultivation for a year when a cultivator was young would be akin to self-mutilation.

It wasn't done by anyone sane.

He was starting to understand why martial arts were given little thought. It was most beneficial when at low cultivation but detrimental to learn. When the time cost was negligible due to high cultivation, so were the benefits martial arts could offer. Shifting the effort to other areas would be more worthwhile at that point.

"No, fanatics is too mild of a description. Lunatics would be more fitting," Lan Yang said, insulting those who learned martial arts.

William ignored his muttering. "Is expert the highest stage then?"

"Of course not," Lan Yang replied instantly. "There is the master stage beyond that and grandmaster after. But it is impossible to reach those stages with the Qi Refining room. You will need someone accomplished in body cultivation to be your master."

"Body cultivation," William repeated slowly. "So those stages are reserved for them, I assume?"

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"Reserved isn't the correct word. Anyone with enough determination can try. However, as I said, they are all lunatics if they aren't body cultivators."

"… Senior Yang, is this your way to tell me that I should quit trying to learn martial arts?"

"This is my way to tell you it shouldn't be your priority. The martial arts grandmasters hold immense power, but traditional cultivation can easily match or beat their best with less effort."

"I see," William nodded. He understood why Lan Yang was being so forceful about this. To a normal cultivator, it might be better spent actually cultivating instead of practicing martial arts. However, to William, cultivating wouldn't be worth it unless he was receiving an unbelievable amount of experience points.

It sounded like the snobbiest way to think of himself, but he wasn't like other cultivators.

William shoved the sudden feeling of superiority and was about to ask Lan Yang more about these martial arts grandmasters but was blocked by the older cultivator's palm.

"She's introducing the first skill manual."

He blinked at the hand before turning his attention down to the stage. He had almost forgotten about the reason he left the Qi Refining room.

The same applied to Xia Qing, something he was sure Xu Feng would find unbelievable. The sword-wielding boy probably had her imprinted in his mind.

"It's not usual that we allow human-tier manuals in our auction, but the Rising Merchant House has contributed greatly. Exceptions were made, and I'm sure many of you will be interested. We have found that none of the items offered by the Rising Merchant House are simple."

William stared at the wall behind Xia Qing. Instead of a close-up view of the item being sold like with all the previous times, there was large text explaining what the skill manual could do.

"This grade two lot will greatly interest disciples in the foundation establishment realm! The Swift Step—"

He tuned Xia Qing's voice out and read the information on the wall. The name of the skill made the effect obvious. It increased the movement speed by up to three times the baseline while the skill was active.

It's not exactly what William would call a ranged martial skill, but it certainly fit his current repertoire well. It would allow him to close the distance with far greater ease without having to resort to [Force Multiplier].

The only unfortunate thing was that it was a human-tier martial skill. With how [Force Multiplier] had a depreciated effect after he advanced to his current cultivation realm, it would be safe to assume the same will happen with [Swift Step].

"Let's start the bidding at ten Spirit Stones!"

"What?" William said in shock at the starting bid. It didn't help when the bids poured in. "Senior Yang, what am I missing here? This is only a human-tier skill."

"Movement skills are some of the harder manuals to find. Most are held tightly by sword sects, so anything outside their control is valued highly."

"Oh," William shifted in his seat when a woman on their floor bid a hundred Spirit Stones.

"We have a bid from the Red Floor!" Xia Qing smiled brilliantly at their floor. "Ten more bids are allowed. Good luck!"

William was tempted, but he wanted a true ranged skill, not one that might help his helplessness when his enemy was too far away for one of his punches. He did his best to ignore the bids that were slowly eroding the ten allowed.

"You want this skill," Lan Yang commented as the fifth bid was announced.

"It would be nice to have, but I'll still be left with the same issue I have now."

"That's true," Lan Yang nodded. "Be sure to be the first bidder on this floor if you want an upcoming skill. No need to ask me for permission. I can approve or deny after the fact."

William nodded in acceptance, thinking about the rule that seemed counterproductive to the auction house, no matter what he initially thought. With Lan Yang's instruction to be the first bidder from the Red Floor, it was easy to figure out the importance of doing so.

Xia Qing took the tenth and final bid. "To the original bidder on the Red Floor, would you like to beat the bid by ten Spirit Stones?"

"Yes," a soft voice replied without hesitation.

"Sold!"

Predictably, [Swift Step] was acquired by the initial bidder that started the countdown.

"Senior Lan, no matter what you say, it seems like this ten-bid rule is terrible for the auction house to put in place. So far, every single person seemed more than happy to beat the highest bid at the end. The price isn't going high enough."

"Wrong," Lan Yang declared immediately. "The sect profits no matter the price, and you overestimate how high the bids can go without conflict erupting. All cultivators have their own personal limits, and when those are passed, trouble arises. This happened in the early days of the annual auction before the sect decided it wasn't worth the headache."

"The next lot is another item from the Rising Merchant House!" Xia Qing interrupted Lan Yang's explanation.

"And there is the other reason why the sect doesn't care," Lan Yang smirked. "Outside the imperial auctions, our sect holds the most prestige in the Empire, with a reputation for fairness and safety. It is an honor for one to be able to list their wares in this auction."

"One of the very few ungraded lots in the auction! The earth-tier martial skill, Heavenly Thunder Scripture!" Xia Qing announced without taking her eyes off the skill manual, as if she wanted to take it for herself.

William heard a hush fall over the auction hall as he read the text that appeared on the wall.

B2 - Chapter 34

"Even I'm tempted," Lan Yang muttered.

He ignored that. "Senior Yang, I want this one."

William had doubts that he could be the first bidder with the interest most on the Red Floor were showing. As they should.

He reread the text on the wall as Xia Qing continued her speech about how rare the skill manual was, as if anyone needed more motivation.

[Heavenly Thunder Scripture] allowed the user to harness the power of thunder as the name suggested, with mastery of the human-tier skill allowing for the infusion of those properties into the body. Very useful for close combat.

At the earth-tier, the user could summon thunderbolts from the sky, unlocking the full potential of the martial skill.

William felt like he was fated for the [Heavenly Thunder Scripture]. It was too perfect of a martial skill for his needs. Enhancing close combat while providing a strong range option at the higher tier.

The only negative he could think of was the need to be under the sky to fully use the capability of [Heavenly Thunder Scripture]. It was a concern, but the skill's benefits allowed him to overlook that.

"So does every other cultivator in the auction," Lan Yang said with a frown. "This might be one of the most expensive items sold, other than the headliners."

It wasn't a good feeling to have his hopes dashed so quickly. Still, the smallest amount was hanging by a thread. "Maybe it won't cost too—"

"No," Lan Yang interrupted, "even you can see how much interest it has gathered."

"I'd still like to try," William replied stubbornly. "There's no harm in doing so."

"Hm," Lan Yang narrowed his eyes at him. "Very well, but don't be too disappointed when it's out of reach."

He nodded but knew that would be the case anyway. It was an impossible ask. Feeling disappointment was natural if this martial skill got away from him.

"Let's start the bidding on this lot at one hundred Spirit—"

"One hundred!" William stood from his seat and raised his pass high to make sure there was no chance he could be missed. He knew he had interrupted Xia Qing in the middle of her senate, but he couldn't help himself.

"Looks like someone doesn't have the patience to wait," Xia Qing laughed. "This isn't the norm, but I'll take the bid! But first, let me explain the minimums."

"Sit down," Lan Yang hissed. "You broke an unwritten rule."

William didn't argue and fell back to the seat. He noticed that Lan Yang might be onto something about that unwritten rule. Every single person on the Red Floor was staring directly at him, not bothering to hide the anger they were feeling.

He blinked and looked away, pretending he couldn't see them glaring daggers.

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"Each bid must be fifty Spirit Stones higher than the current bid," Xia Qing paused before staring up in the direction William was sitting. "Since the impatient guest is from the Red Floor, the ten-bid rule comes into play immediately. I now welcome the new bidders!"

"One thousand!"

William blinked like an owl, staring at the lower floor in shock. This had to be the highest bid from that floor so far, and with Lan Yang's apparent surprise, it was likely the case.

"From one hundred to a thousand! To the man on the left—" Xia Qing was interrupted.

"One thousand one hundred!"

William liked this. The second bid wasn't much higher than the last, relatively, of course. This was still an amount of Spirit Stones he personally couldn't fathom.

"One thousand two hundred!"

Three bids were used up. Only seven more go. There was a chance. William could feel his hope rising, especially when he saw that Lan Yang didn't seem concerned at the bid level.

This was still within range—

"Three thousand."

William's heart dropped, not only because of the drastically higher bid, but also because Lan Yang was shaking his head. It was out of range.

"Oh my! Three thousand is now the winning bid!" Xia Qing's excited voice sounded muffled to William. The disappointment was setting in.

He had plans on what to do if he could win [Heavenly Thunder Scripture]. His choice in the yet-to-be-picked heaven-tier martial skill would have likely changed if he already had a reliable ranged skill.

Now, that was out of consideration.

"Three thousand four hundred and fifty!"

William didn't care that the bid had come from the lower floor. What did it matter at this point? The martial skill wouldn't be going to him.

"I said don't be too disappointed, Junior Wei," Lan Yang comforted awkwardly. "I know the feeling of losing something you desire, but maybe this could be a hidden benefit. What if you find something that fits you better?"

"Yeah." William couldn't even try and make himself sound upbeat. If something better came up in the auction, the cost would exceed [Heavenly Thunder Scripture].

"No more bids?" Xia Qing called out. "All you need to be the highest bidder is fifty more Spirit Stones than the last. Don't lose your chance to own this one-of-a-kind martial skill!"

William hadn't realized it till now, but the bids had stopped after the person on the lower floor took the lead. That was only the fifth bid.

It seemed like the price was too high.

He looked away from the jade token containing the [Heavenly Thunder Scripture] on the stage, not wanting to torture himself with the sight of something he could never have. That inadvertently let him catch the people standing just to the side of the stage.

William had rarely bothered to take his eyes off the items being sold during the auction, and the time he did, it was to glance at the one who made a bid. He didn't know if standing near the stage was common, but that didn't matter.

He recognized the ones standing there.

"Senior Yang," William spoke over Xia Qing trying to draw in more bids, "who are they?"

Lan Yang looked to where he was pointing. "Those are the owners of the item. They have the option to be anonymous, but since a merchant house is the owner, it is beneficial to have their identity known."

"Oh," William blinked dumbly.

When Wang Xiaoling had taken ten thousand Gold from him for an 'investment,' he had written that off as a lost cause. Besides being annoyed for a few days, he didn't think much of it. After all, why should he? It was supposed to be a lost cause.

So seeing the miserly, short-tempered, self-proclaimed number-one merchant Wang Xiaoling, the overly affectionate guard Li Jie, and Fatty Xu standing off to the side of the stage was a shock.

Especially since the misfit group was supposedly the owners of Rising Merchant House.

"Looks like there are no more bids," Xia Qing announced regretfully. "I'll close the bidding for this auction in five… four—"

William tuned her out and looked at Lan Yang with sharp eyes. "Senior Yang, are you sure those are the owners?"

"Hm?" Lan Yang took his sweet time to answer. Xia Qing's countdown was at one. "Of course. The rules don't allow anything else."

"… One. The bidding is over!" Xia Qing called out. "To the original bidder on the Red Floor, would you like to beat the highest bid by fifty Spirit Stones?"

William saw Wang Xiaoling and her group celebrating. He could vaguely hear Lan Yang consoling him again. Everything was muted. He had tunnel vision because he was getting ready to do something that only a scumbag would do.

Gambling with money that wasn't his.

"Yes!"