CHAPTER 5: STAGE CLEARED

Jiang Lingsu’s eyes carried a smile, and her charming face exuded an extra hint of allure. "Senior Brother, you know how to modify cultivation techniques?"

As if! Modifying a cultivation technique wasn’t easy, especially for a mere Qi Refinement realm cultivator. To be qualified to revise a cultivation technique, one would usually have to at least be a Core Formation cultivator.

Without taking Qi Yuan’s words seriously, Jiang Lingsu took the jade slip containing the cultivation technique. A thought seemed to cross her mind as she gently reminded him, "Senior Brother, cultivation techniques are extremely important. Don’t recklessly alter or practice them. That could easily drive you crazy!"

She kept it brief since she’d only just gotten to know Qi Yuan. Speaking too much too soon wouldn’t be wise.

Qi Yuan looked at her and lowered his voice. "So, you believe nothing will go wrong as long as cultivation isn’t altered?"

Jiang Lingsu was momentarily speechless.

Something seems to be seriously wrong with him! Aah, Obsession cultivators are so...!

Wordlessly, she took the jade slip back to her own room.

"Seven-Colored Flame Refinement Sutra? Jade-tier cultivation technique? This looks rather average..."

Originally, she’d wanted to further investigate the Seven-Colored Peak's Peak Master through this cultivation technique, but it seemed very ordinary.

Although Jade-tier was considered good, she didn’t care much for it. She had a ton of Jade-tier cultivation manuals in her clan after all.

Finally, Jiang Lingsu examined the contents of the cultivation technique. “Senior Brother amended the back portion? He did pretty well faking it. I almost got fooled.”

Jiang Lingsu murmured to herself, "This is likely one of the tens of thousands of cultivation techniques that the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion has collected. Sister Yaya is the best at modifying techniques. I wonder if she has notes on this? I’ll ask her to evaluate the revised section when I have the time. That way, if Senior Brother actually practices it, he won’t go down the wrong path."

***

In the straw hut, Qi Yuan was completely focused on his game.

He’d had this gaming jade for about a year and had been playing ever since. It was just a simple boss-fighting game. The in-game map showed he was on the Moonwatch Continent, which held four forbidden zones and two absolute death zones.

Qi Yuan was currently at a place called Xuanyuan Forbidden Zone, which was teeming with savage and brutal monsters. There were snakes as thick as barrels, carnivorous flowers lined with fangs, and beetles the size of tanks. Of course, to him, they were just XP to be collected.

However, one monster in particular seriously pissed him off: Madbrush—a flamboyantly named monster with a calligraphy-brush-shaped fox tail. It went as far as spoiling the game for him.

When he first entered the zone, the game he started with was something like "Battle Royale." He was just a humble level 1 noob then. However, that changed in just a year. Reaching level 80 made him an unstoppable force in the Xuanyuan Forbidden Zone, allowing him to go anywhere he wanted. These past few days, he’d been on a killing spree like an absolute thug.

"A mere level 50 monster dares show off in front of me? Die!”

Qi Yuan’s sword swept across the screen. His character, gleaming in golden armor, cut down everything in sight. The so-called powerful monsters didn’t stand a chance. If anything, they were now terrified of him.

Best of all, every monster he killed in the Moonwatch Continent brought him real-world benefits. His in-game cultivation partially carried over into the real world. Otherwise, how else could he have reached the peak of Qi Refinement in just a year? Even true prodigies would require at least three years to reach this realm.

The version of him in the game was extremely powerful, though Qi Yuan had no idea how much. He just knew that killing the Sect Master of the Divine Radiance Sect in one blow would be a piece of cake.

Yet in reality, he was still just a budding Qi Refinement cultivator. And today, he was determined to clear this stage.

"I wonder what reward I'll get. Maybe a harmless cultivation technique? If not, I’d settle for a simple spirit item." Qi Yuan was filled with motivation. "Once I take down Madbrush, the final boss, I'll be done with this."

His eyes gleamed with fierce battle intent. By day, Madbrush appeared as an ordinary brush, but by night, it transformed into an alluring fox demon with a strikingly seductive human form. They had a penchant for a night ambush. If one fell for their charm, they’d bare their fangs in the heat of passion, turning into a sharp knife that struck at their victim’s most vulnerable hole.

Qi Yuan had witnessed many monsters fall victim to Madbrush’s charms. It was a gruesome sight. Now, he wasn’t susceptible to Madbrush’s allure, but he had to log out at night.

He had to take precautions against Madbrush before logging out. At one point, he’d considered copying the anime protagonist from his previous world and making himself a golden chastity guard. Ultimately, he settled for digging a hole and burying himself just to avoid Madbrush’s nighttime assaults.

"Madbrush’s only level 70. Heh,

piece of cake. I have to hurry and get rid of it. I still have to walk my little pet in the evening.”

Qi Yuan wielded a longsword that unleashed dazzling visuals with each swing. Clad in golden armor, his character glowed with rainbow effects, appearing extremely fancy. In any other game, people would label him a flashy whale[1].

An hour later, Qi Yuan charged into Xuanyuan Hall. He brandished his massive sword, shouting in an over-the-top manner, "Where have you gone, foul demon?!"

He was meek in real life, but in the game, he went all out. Madbrush let out a shrill, horrified shriek in response.

Qi Yuan was unstoppable when he wielded his longsword. He sliced through the monster's brushes one by one, his XP climbing steadily.

"Come out!" Qi Yuan yelled, trying to lure the final boss out.

Unfortunately, there was no response. All the Madbrushes were fleeing in panic.

Qi Yuan slaughtered them to his heart’s content. Eventually, he saw a golden flash, and the Xuanyuan Hall began to shake.

A brush-like fox tail burst from the ground, lunging directly at Qi Yuan. Its tip was as sharp as a sword, lusting for a worthy opponent.

Qi Yuan remained unfazed. "I'm glad I came prepared."

He already had a counter prepared. Well, even if he hadn’t, he still wouldn't have been scared. His strength spoke for itself.

Qi Yuan unleashed his most powerful saber technique. "Eight Summer Slashes!"

Indeed, despite using a longsword, his technique was saber style.

In an instant, Madbrush was severed.

Qi Yuan shrugged, "Tsk, too weak. It could only survive one strike. I wonder who can take all eight strikes. How lonely."

Xuanyuan Hall collapsed as soon as Madbrush died. A system notification rang in Qi Yuan's ears.

[Xuanyuan Forbidden Zone has been cleared. You have obtained rewards.]

[Reward 1: Heavenly Dao Fragment x 10]

[Reward 2: Divine Brush]

1. Someone who spends a ton of money in a game. They often buy skins, exclusives, booster packs, gacha pulls, battle passes, cosmetics, and/or Pay-To-Win items. ☜