The ten Spirit Stones lay in Aryan's palm, each one a small, irregular crystal that seemed to drink the lamplight and emit a soft, milky glow.
They were cool to the touch, yet he could feel a vibrant, concentrated energy thrumming within them, a stark contrast to the thin, diffuse Qi of the surrounding air. This was crystallized life force, the currency of cultivators, and a significant treasure for a family like his. Each stone represented months of scrimping and saving, a tangible piece of his family's hope now resting in his hands. Its weight felt heavier than any training stone. It was the weight of expectation.
He took one stone and settled it between his palms, assuming his meditative posture.
Closing his eyes, he activated the Supreme Immortal Scripture. This time, instead of just drawing Qi from the air, he focused his intent on the crystal.
The effect was instantaneous, a controlled detonation of energy in his hands. If absorbing the ambient Qi was like breathing in a gentle mist, this was like plunging his head into a waterfall of pure power. A torrent of pristine Qi didn't just enter his meridians; it scoured them, a cleansing flood that was almost painful in its intensity. The Supreme Immortal Scripture, acting like a divine engine, greedily consumed this high-quality fuel. His cultivation cycles, already miraculously fast, accelerated to a blistering pace.
He could feel his body thrumming with power. Every cell was being saturated, nourished, and strengthened. The warmth in his dantian intensified, and the Qi within it grew denser, compressing with each completed cycle. The progress he would make in a full day of normal cultivation was achieved in less than an hour. The difference was night and day. It was the gap between the poor and the rich, the fundamental inequality of the cultivation world.
With enough resources, even a pig could be made to fly. And he, with the Supreme Immortal System and a taste of resources, intended to soar beyond the heavens.
After several hours, the Spirit Stone in his hand had lost its luster. It was now a dull, grey piece of rock, its energy completely depleted. He opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing in them before calming. He felt a distinct tremor on the bottleneck of the third layer of Qi Condensation Realm. He was already on the verge of breaking through to the fourth layer of the Qi Condensation Realm. At this rate, reaching the sixth or even seventh layer of the Qi Condensation Realm before the Azure Dragon Academy's examination was no longer a dream.
His new strength brought with it a sense of clarity. Brute strength and a high cultivation level were the foundation, but they were not the whole house. He needed skills. He needed techniques. He needed to learn how to fight.
With a thought, he called up the Supreme Store and navigated to the "Fighting Techniques" category, filtering it to "Mortal Grade."
[Iron-Thread Fist (Low-Grade)] - A simple technique focusing on hard, straight punches. Easy to learn, limited potential.
Price: 150 SP
[Flowing Willow Steps (Low-Grade)] - A basic movement technique emphasizing evasion and footwork.
Price: 200 SP
[Gale Palm (Mid-Grade)] - A palm technique that generates a weak force of wind with each strike, capable of unbalancing an opponent.
Price: 450 SP
He scrolled through the list, his mind analyzing each option. His 520 SP gave him choices. The Gale Palm was tempting. It was a complete technique with offensive power. He was about to select it when a thought gave him pause. His mind, the mind of Amit the engineer, analyzed the problem. Buying a technique was like buying software. Practicing in the courtyard was like running it in a clean, simulated environment. But a real fight? That was like deploying it on a live, chaotic server with unpredictable inputs. He lacked data. He lacked the experience of facing an opponent who wasn't a stationary wooden dummy.
He decided to wait. He would go into Devgarh. It had been a long time since he had walked the town's streets. The old Aryan had avoided it, hating the whispers and the looks of pity or scorn. The new Aryan was curious. He wanted to see his old world through his new eyes. Besides, he needed to understand the local economy. Spirit Stones were the currency of cultivators, but common people used copper, silver, and gold. If he was going to operate in this world without relying solely on the System, he needed money.