"Hmm? You have something important to discuss as well?" Kinson's response carried not the slightest trace of concern when he heard Lordi's words.
Instead, he laughed with carefree confidence, his entire demeanor radiating an assurance born from unshakeable backing.
After all, his Senior Sister—the legendary prodigy and sect successor—had finally emerged from her extended period of secluded cultivation. With her formidable presence now actively overseeing affairs within the entire holy sect, there wasn't a single soul foolish enough to deliberately provoke trouble for those under her protection. The political landscape had fundamentally shifted in his Deathveil Bloodline's favor, and everyone knew it.
Given these circumstances and the protective umbrella they now enjoyed, what sort of truly critical matters could possibly plague Lordi Payne, a mere Outer Sect disciple? At worst, he had probably gotten entangled in some petty squabble or minor territorial dispute—the kind of trivial conflicts that plagued young Qi Refinement Stage cultivators still learning to navigate sect politics. Such inconsequential troubles were the sort that Kinson could resolve with a single casual word dropped in the right ear.
"Hold up a second." With a dismissive wave of his hand that brooked no argument, Kinson gestured for Lordi to hold his peace and listen first. His eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement as he began. "The Vermithys truly lives up to its legendary reputation as a gathering place for the wealthy and powerful!"
"The buyers who frequented the auction house competed with one another in displays of extravagant spending that would make ordinary cultivators weep. Those one hundred and twenty legendary level Bone Tempering Pills you entrusted to me? They sold for an absolutely astronomical price that exceeded even my most optimistic projections!"
"Junior Brother Payne, the share that belongs to you alone from that sale won't be any less than this amount." Kinson raised his hand and formed a specific gesture with his fingers.
Lordi focused his attention on deciphering the hand signal. "20,000 D$t?! That much!"
Kinson smiled faintly, still holding his hand gesture.
When comprehension finally dawned, genuine delight flooded through Lordi. His voice rose with excitement. "What?! 200,000 D$t?!!!"
"Precisely correct," Kinson confirmed with a self-satisfied smile that spoke volumes about his pride in negotiating such favorable terms.
Holy abyss!
The amount represented a fortune that could sustain a modest cultivation family for years, or fund his own advancement through multiple cultivation layers.
However, Kinson's expression quickly shifted to something more mysterious and intriguing. "But you must understand, Junior Brother, that mere Spirit $tones—no matter how vast the quantity—represent only the most superficial level of what I've accomplished on your behalf. The truly momentous news I've returned to share with you has nothing whatsoever to do with common currency."
Kinson's tone was mild and confident. "What I've secured for you is something far more valuable: the exact resource you need most desperately at this critical juncture in your cultivation journey."
… What I need most desperately?
Lordi's mind immediately began racing through possibilities, though internally he couldn't help but feel skeptical.
He sighed inwardly. What he required most urgently at this moment was exactly what Senior Brother Wexford had just dismissed as trivial—Spirit Stones, and lots of them. Well, of course, if Kinson had somehow miraculously obtained something related to the Cosmic Path Foundation Establishment Technique, then naturally such an item would supersede any amount of Spirit Stones in terms of importance.
That legendary ascension method represented the pinnacle of cultivation advancement, after all. But how could Kinson possibly know anything about the Cosmic Path Dao Pillar?
Perhaps, Lordi reconsidered, this was about some other variety of heavenly treasure or divine material that could significantly boost his cultivation efficiency?
After all, despite the numerous pitfalls and near-death experiences involved in the process, that Ice Pith Fire that Kinson had previously arranged for him to acquire had proven genuinely useful once he'd successfully fused it. The Dao Flame had indeed enhanced his cultivation speed and provided benefits that justified the risks undertaken. Maybe this Senior Brother had once again stumbled upon something genuinely beneficial?
With these thoughts swirling through his mind and his curiosity thoroughly piqued, Lordi leaned forward eagerly. "Senior Brother Wexford, please don't keep this humble one in suspense! What exactly are you referring to? What have you obtained?"
"Now, now, Junior Brother Payne. You must remember—patience is a virtue." Kinson chided gently, clearly savoring the moment and drawing out the drama of his revelation.
The more eager and interested Lordi appeared, the more animated and enthusiastic Kinson himself became, feeding off the energy of the exchange.
With care and reverence, he reached into his storage pouch and slowly withdrew an ancient bamboo scroll, its surface yellowed with age and covered in the patina of centuries. The artifact appeared delicate, as though it might crumble to dust if handled too roughly.
Kinson had barely extracted the scroll fully from his storage pouch, had not yet opened his mouth to begin his explanation, when the AllFullOS System suddenly activated without warning.
~ Ding! *System Notification Chime*
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> Detected external data.
> Analyzing...
> Pattern identified: [Unknown Alchemy Formular]
> Formular Recording initiated...
> Progress: 10%...
Hmm? So it's an elixir pill formula? Lordi experienced a moment of confusion, his expectations suddenly redirected.
Before he could fully process this revelation or formulate questions about which specific formula Kinson had obtained, his Senior Brother launched into his prepared speech with obvious pride. "You possess a Perfect Grade Refined tier Bone skeleton constitution, Junior Brother—a formidable base that sets you apart from ninety-nine percent of cultivators. "
"However, advancing from the Sixth Layer of Qi Refinement Stage to the Seventh Layer presents unique challenges for someone of your caliber. You must undergo the Bone Jaden Transformation process using the Jade Tempering Pill, otherwise your progression will be blocked and you'll find yourself unable to..."
"Huh...? Wait, what?!!!" Kinson's smooth presentation stumbled to an abrupt halt as his gaze finally focused properly on Lordi's cultivation aura, really examining it carefully for the first time since his junior brother's arrival.
To sense a cultivator's level was to listen to the silent music of the world itself—a melody written not in notes, but in weight, in density, in the subtle rebellion of light against the unseen.
Around a low-level rogue cultivator, the air might shimmer, a heat-haze of untamed qi that rippled like a mirage. It spoke of effort, but not of true path discipline. To perceive a true master, however, one learned to feel the gravity in the very moisture of the air.
As a cultivator ascended, their aura ceased to merely fill space; it began to command it. The spiritual energy packed itself into a profound, silent stillness—a zone where light did not dance, but bent, burdened by the sheer potential held within.
And among all powers across the world, none commanded gravity like the disciples of the Abyss Pit Sect. Their cultivation was not a gathering of mist, but a forging of stone. This was especially true for those who walked the brutal, unforgiving path of the Bone Tempering Art. This demonic technique did not merely refine qi; it purified the very skeleton and will, compressing spiritual energy into a crushing density.
A Qi Refinement stage disciple of the Abyss Pit Sect, honed by this art, did not possess an aura of shimmering haze. Theirs was a high-speed, swirling mantle—a translucent, pond-smooth stone that encased their form in relentless motion.
To pit such a Qi Refinement Stage cultivator against a dozen rogue practitioners of the same nominal level was not a battle; it was an execution. One witnessed not a clash, but the inevitable result of a steel sphere meeting raw eggs—a single, devastating, crushing moment.
Yet, within that formidable, stone-like density, the secrets of progression were revealed. The cultivator's own burgeoning spirit energy, their inner strength, pressed outward against its formidable cage.
With the breakthrough, the pressure would find a flaw, a hairline fracture in the translucent shell. A crack would appear, thrumming with each breath, a luminous scar of progress. That symbolized a birth of First Layer Qi Refinement Stage cultivator.
This was how Abyss Pit Sect, the ruling powers of this world, measured the Qi Refinement stage: by the rings of its fracture.
First Layer Qi Refiners got one crack in their spirit flow. While a cultivator of the Eighth Layer breathed with eight concentric cracks pulsing like phantom year-rings across the surface of their personal, grinding stone aura.
Same, the peak Qi Refinement Stage would have nine cracks across their battle aura. And beyond this stage lay a transformation. The Foundation Stage expert's aura did not crack. It exploded. The self-made stone did not just break; it was annihilated from within, becoming the raw material of a hurricane—an unyielding, furious whirlwind of fierce intent, where the condensed gravity of before was now unleashed as a storm of sovereign power.
In his initial excitement upon seeing Lordi arrive, Kinson had been so preoccupied with his own news and so eager to share his accomplishments that he'd completely failed to assess his junior brother's current cultivation level. Only now, as he prepared to launch into detailed explanations about the Jade Tempering Pill's importance, did he actually pay close attention to the aura emanating from Lordi's body.
His eyes widened big, nearly bulging from their sockets in shock. "What…?!!! Junior Brother Payne, you... you've already reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement? … How… When did this happen?"
The revelation struck him like a lightning bolt.
Mother of Abyss!
Was this youth eating Bone Tempering Pills as though they were common candy, advancing his cultivation level at such a reckless and impossible pace?!
No, even if someone literally ate precious legendary level elixirs like sweet treats without pause, this speed of advancement on cultivation still defied all reasonable explanation! The progression simply wasn't normal by any standard of cultivation practice.
Kinson's mind reeled as he performed rapid calculations. Just one month ago—a mere thirty days in the past—this Lordi Payne had been at the peak of the Sixth Layer of Qi Refinement Stage, standing on the threshold but not yet having broken through to the Seventh Layer.
Now, barely any time having elapsed at all, this young man had somehow catapulted himself not just to the Seventh Layer, but straight through it and all the way to the peak of the Eighth Layer!
Even the most phenomenally genius cultivators with remarkable talent and access to unlimited cultivation resources couldn't possibly advance at such a meteoric rate. The speed was simply unprecedented, defying every known principle of cultivation theory and practical experience in Kinson's belief.
Thank you for reading.
Finishing this story felt good, truly. Though I am tired.
Lately, I've been looking for work. The latest rejection arrived, as expected. It's fine. Sometimes I feel like a sad, disposable NPC character in a horror game—one whose story loop never really changes.
I sit here, in front of the screen, and wonder what comes next. I'm not sure.
My hope is simple: to find a job, to earn something. To perhaps save enough for the treatments that might let me stay a little longer. It's a quiet hope.
I find it hard to look at the screen clearly now. The emotion comes without permission, and I don't know how to stop it. So this is my 2025.
Perhaps tomorrow will be gentler.
I wish you a true and happy New Year in 2026. May your path feel clearer than mine.