Ryan sat on his throne, eyes closed, trying to absorb everything that had happened in the past few hours. The threat of the Xiao Tian Clan, the legacy of the Celestial Sect, and the looming confrontation he could no longer avoid. He knew that staying weak was no longer an option.
In that moment, the system's voice echoed in his mind:
[Power Analysis Activated.]
A blue screen appeared in front of him, filled with information he had never seen before.
[Cultivation system in this world follows these stages:]
1. Primordial Qi
2. Qi Gathering
3. Deep Qi
4. Vein Opening
5. Golden Qi
6. Dao Foundation
7. Initial Saint
8. Great Saint
9. Heavenly Dao
[User: Ryan]
[Current Level: Deep Qi (Advanced Stage)]
Ryan's eyes widened. He wasn't even halfway through the path of cultivation—how could he possibly face monsters like Long Xin or even the leaders of the Xiao Tian Clan?
Before he could dwell further, another window appeared, showing the strength of the sect's current disciples.
[Analyzing Sect Disciples' Strength:]
Ling Xiao – Vein Opening (Early Stage)
Li Mei – Qi Gathering (Advanced Stage)
Jiang Hai – Qi Gathering (Mid Stage)
Ryan's body tensed when he saw that Ling Xiao was stronger than him!
"How is this possible?" he muttered, feeling a wave of unexpected jealousy. He was the sect leader, yet one of his disciples had surpassed him?
Clenching his teeth, he asked the system seriously:
"Do you have any method to rapidly increase my strength? Any way to... cheat?"
The system remained silent for a moment before a new window popped up.
[User request detected...]
[Suitable item found: Talent Advancement Elixir]
A faint light appeared in front of him, carrying a small bottle filled with a golden, softly glowing liquid.
[Talent Advancement Elixir – Increases user's talent by one grade.]
"Talent?" Ryan frowned. He had never thought much about it before, but a strong instinct told him to check his current talent level.
[Analyzing talent...]
[Talent: Very Ordinary (Lowest Level)]
Ryan's body stiffened, as if he had just been slapped.
"...What?"
He was the leader of the Celestial Sect, yet his talent was the weakest of all?
Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the elixir without hesitation and drank it in one gulp.
[Elixir absorbed...]
[Talent upgraded: Very Ordinary → Ordinary]
"Is that it?" Ryan felt slight disappointment, but he knew any improvement was better than none.
[Talent Levels:]
1. Very Ordinary
2. Ordinary
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Rare
6. Genius
7. Monstrous
8. Divine
Looking at the higher tiers, Ryan felt a stronger drive awaken within him.
"So this is just the beginning..." he muttered as he rose to his feet, no longer consumed by feelings of weakness and despair.
---
Journey to the Celestial Ancestral Shrine
After a brief discussion with his disciples, Ryan decided to move immediately. The Celestial Ancestral Shrine was his only hope of rapidly increasing his strength before the Xiao Tian Clan could crush the sect.
The journey across mountains and plains was eerily quiet—but it didn't last.
As they passed through a narrow rocky path, a group of armored bandits leaped from the shadows, surrounding them.
Their leader sneered, "So this is the Celestial Sect's leader? We didn't expect you to walk into death on your own."
Ryan showed no fear, his gaze cold. Clearly, the Xiao Tian Clan wasn't wasting time.
BOOM!
One bandit charged at him, but in a flash, Ryan's image vanished like an illusion!
He appeared behind the attacker, whispering in his ear: "You chose the wrong enemy."
Then he struck with the Heavenly Wind Fist, sending the man flying as a fierce battle erupted.
Jiang Hai unleashed sword techniques that seemed to slice the air itself, while Li Mei darted between enemies with blinding speed, launching hidden techniques.
Within minutes, only the bandit leader remained, trembling on his knees.
"Im… impossible…" the man stuttered.
Ryan leaned in coldly, "Who sent you?"
But before he could answer, a black mark exploded on his forehead, and his body collapsed lifeless.
Ryan narrowed his eyes. A suicide seal? Their enemy was covering their tracks carefully.
---
Arrival at the Valley of Lost Souls
After defeating the bandits, they finally reached the edge of the Valley of Lost Souls. The air here was heavy with strange energy, as if time itself was distorted.
Moments later, transparent entities with twisted faces and glowing eyes appeared.
"Who dares enter this valley?!"
But suddenly, a soft blue light emanated from Ryan's body.
A voice echoed in his mind:
[Celestial Sect Legacy Activated – Spirit Protection Mode.]
Before they could proceed further, a powerful voice boomed behind them.
"You thought you could escape?"
Ryan turned swiftly to see Long Xin standing there, his aura darker and more menacing than ever.
Long Xin smirked and said coldly:
"The shrine will be your grave, Ryan."
The end chapter
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