The Heavens Will Shake (2)

I woke up on a mountain plateau. It had a beautiful view of the high mountains covered with forest. Their peaks were lost high in the clouds. An old man was sitting on the edge of the plateau in a lotus position. His gaze was fixed on the distance. He silently contemplated the surrounding beauty of nature and waited. He was waiting for me.

"The heavenly rank is the peak that can be reached in the mortal world," he suddenly spoke. "But even in the world of immortals, such techniques are rare. Especially this one. Hide it while you're weak. It can take you to the top. Or it can ruin you."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Teacher," he replied. "A memory of him."

We were silent. The sky above us began to turn black, clouds came out of nowhere. A couple of minutes later, the first thunder sounded. My calmness was slowly disappearing, replaced by a feeling of anxiety.

"They're coming. You only have one chance to master the technique. If you fail, you will die. I didn't create it for a weakling to get it," the old man suddenly said and disappeared. I suddenly felt the weight of the sword in my hands, and my Qi reserves were filled to the brim. The next moment, the mountains resounded with the howl of many throats. With my improved eyesight, I could see hundreds and thousands of monsters running towards me. They looked vaguely like people, if people suddenly became monsters from a horror movie. A man with a wolf's head, an elongated man without a face, a creature with six arms ending in bone blades… I can't count them all.

I met the first monster with a fire technique. Flames erupted, incinerating the creature without a trace. It's amazing how my strength has increased with the strengthening of the technique! With her strengthening, even the supply of Qi was replenished almost instantly!

Except the creature wasn't alone. They came in an endless stream, howling and growling, rushing forward. Straight to me. At some point, there was simply no place left free of bodies on the huge plateau, and the creatures continued to arrive.

I fought like the last time, and even my cultivation-enhanced stamina began to come to an end. The techniques became weaker and weaker, the blade seemed to be heavier right in my hands. And the monsters did not end.

What kind of test is this? The system, eh? But no windows appeared in front of me. I was left alone, against thousands and thousands of enemies. There was no longer a beautiful landscape to delight the eye. Only black bald mountains and nasty sticky blood.

"What do I need to do?! Give me at least a hint!"

No one answered me. Unless another monster rushed in and still got me in the shoulder. Blood immediately gushed out. It was not in such conditions that I wanted to test the updated technique, but nevertheless, Qi rushed according to a familiar pattern. The shoulder immediately burned with pain, and the wound began to glow and heal. It hurts, it hurts! Distracted, I almost missed another blow.

"Got it!" I barked and with a fist wrapped in fire, I took off the enemy's head. At that moment, I felt something strange. A tiny bit of Qi in the monster's body that I could absorb.

Surrounding the blade with a fiery aura, I began to chop down the monsters and realized that this was not a mistake. I didn't imagine it. I could actually absorb the Qi of living beings! I immediately remembered the name of the technique. The devourer. Ha, I think I've figured out why.

At the same moment, all the monsters disappeared. The apocalyptic landscapes immediately turned into beautiful mountains, and the same old man was sitting on the edge of the plateau.

"Congratulations. You're the forty-second person to have mastered this technique," he nodded at me. "My original name is Bai Sai. If you find yourself in the upper world one day, find me."

The next moment, he clapped his hands and the world began to crumble into ashes. I immediately began to feel pain, and a second later I opened my eyes.

I woke up in the same cave. I could barely move from the pain. It seems that it's not even the body that hurts, but the soul. Turning my head to the side with difficulty, I met the dragon's gaze. There was no malice or contempt in him anymore. Just a little apprehension. Strange. Why would a proud dragon be afraid of a frankly weak practitioner like me?

"You passed the test," he said. A familiar passage immediately opened up behind him. "Go away."

"What, and you won't even offer a flower for the path?" I managed to say.

"Go away."

Somehow he became taciturn. I didn't get up the first time, or even the second time. Just standing straight was already a challenge. Step forward and the ground tried to escape from under my feet. The sword saved me from a shameful fall. I wonder what the venerable head of the sect would say if he found out that his blade was being used as a cane?

So I went ahead. Slowly, leaning on the sword and grunting like a hundred-year-old grandfather. It probably looked funny from the outside. As soon as I entered the corridor, the passage closed behind me. It was only at this moment that I allowed myself to exhale and slowly slide down the wall. It was close. If it wasn't for some kind of treaty restricting the ancient reptile, then I would have died for sure.

Despite the pain, I felt that I had become stronger. Much stronger. It's like my physical characteristics jumped all at once. Unable to resist, I opened the status.

[Name: Kai Shen]

[Qi Reserve: 1/120]

[Rank: Mortal (12/12)]

[Techniques:

A Song of Pure Flame

[Rank: Spiritual]

Allows you to collect external Qi

Allows you to control various fiery manifestations

The flame of life cleanses the body and spirit

The flame of life heals wounds

[Level 3/5 (0/100000 Qi)]

Dance of Coals

[Rank: Mortal]

Significantly increases the user's speed

[Level 1]

Black blizzard

[Rank: Spiritual]

Summons a colossal hurricane of black ice, disrupting the flow of spiritual energy

[Level 1/5 (0/1000 Qi)]

The Devourer

[Rank: Heavenly]

Allows you to absorb the Qi of defeated creatures

[Level 1/7 (0/1000 Qi)]

[Talents:

Blood of the Shen Clan

Flame Hardening]

After reading my status, I started giggling like I was crazy. Well, now I can get Qi for killed enemies. Just like in some kind of game. A complete set, a ring as an inventory, Qi as experience, a system as a system. Of course, the tasks appeared, because I completely do not understand what is happening around me. One thing I know for sure is that I need to get stronger. And then I can get rid of all my enemies.

With that thought in mind, I closed my eyes and fell asleep. I just didn't have the strength left. I woke up alive, which made me incredibly happy. The pain didn't go away at all, but at least the floor stopped running away from under my feet. So I went ahead. A long passage led me to a massive door. I had enough strength to open it. To be surprised that it disappeared, replaced by a stone, as soon as I came out — no.

In the end, I found myself on a familiar icy wasteland. A familiar mountain towered in the distance — how far had I drifted… It's going to be a long way. It's a pity that my sword can't fly. It seemed silly to me once. Now I want such an artifact myself. Assimilating what to say.

And I ran. The icy wind was blowing in my face, my overstressed spiritual body was giving off pain, but I just wanted to finally be in a place that I could call safe. Along the way, I met a couple of monsters — an animated lump of ice and a huge white rat. It seems that Lee said something about her, calling her a harug. It's been a long time.

I tried out my new technique on it. The devourer worked flawlessly, and along with the flow of someone else's Qi, relief from pain seemed to come to me. Nonsense, of course, but the filled spiritual reserves, at least, did not ache so much.

[+ 11 Qi]

A sign appeared in front of my eyes. Well, that's right, the demo version of the system has been changed to the full one. Moreover, with this Qi, I could develop further.

When the stars lit up in the sky, I saw tiny human figures ahead. I sped up and soon could make out a familiar face.

"Kai? Are you alive?" a girl with a gray streak rushed to meet me. "We thought you were dead!"

"Aina. I'm so glad to see you," I smiled sincerely. "Why are you here?"

"We were actually looking for you. Let's go to the Fort soon."

They didn't ask me any unnecessary questions along the way. Apparently my appearance spoke for itself. Nevertheless, a smile did not leave my lips. It was only when I was doused with a powerful flow of Qi that I came to my senses. A chiseled female figure was descending from the sky, and her blue eyes were looking straight at me with anger.

"Young Kai, were you so afraid of meeting me that you decided to die? Apparently, you really have something to hide."

At her words, my heart sank into my heels and missed a beat. And the next moment, an alien force surrounded me and lifted me into the air. Welcome back to the Fort, or what?