Matt was close to Spirit Spring city, bringing up his status screen, his brows were furrowed and his face was showing a frown.
Name : | Zhang Dong |
Affiliation : | Zhang Clan |
Spirit Points : | 223267 |
Cultivation Base Qi : | Core Formation [Late Stage 2 %] (Empowered Lightning Core) |
Cultivation Base Body : | Core Formation [Late Stage 7 %] (Golden Body) |
Techniques : | Empowered Lightning Qi cultivation art, Golden Body Arts, Thunderlight Sword, Thunder Movement Art... |
Dao : | Dao of Heavenly Lightning, Dao of Smithing and Crafting |
Other : | Senior Aura, Impartation of Knowledge, Mentor's Eyes, Apprisal... |
There was a big problem there, three weeks had passed and he had gained a small number of points. The plan was to find a breeding ground of some demonic beasts or insect-like beasts. He was aiming for creatures like ants, that multiplied rapidly, aiming for quantity instead of quality after failing to find anything at the core formation level. He did find a burrow of some termite looking monsters after a while, there were many of them but soon a problem arose. He wasn't getting any points, he stopped getting points for creatures below the 12th Qi condensation level and for those he got 1 point.
All the spirit points for foundation establishment beings also dropped by half or more, so killing monsters or anything for points became a hassle. This all happened after he reached the late stage, if he knew this he would just remain at 99% and wipe out some insect monster nests for quick points.
*God fucking dammit, I screwed myself over...*
He scoured the surroundings for more monsters to hunt, but due to his increased level, the mobs just kept running away. He couldn't hide that much due to the fact that his aura was radiating out as he flew on his sword. If he didn't fly around, he wouldn't get anything done as the world was vast and the distances between places were ridiculous. In the end, he managed to get some cores and demonic beasts at the foundation level, but not nearly enough to get to one million points.
There were some points though, he could get some battle skills to up his powers. He found one that would work nicely in tandem with his avatar form and his golden body.
Spiritual Condensing [Earth Perfect Grade ] | This skill lets the cultivator compress his spiritual energy into his body, works well with techniques that exude aura or enlarge the user via energy constructs. It compresses the energies to bring out a dramatic increase in both power and speed. It can't be sustained for a long period of time, or the cultivator might suffer a backlash. |
This looked like a skill that would work well with his avatar form. So he bought it and immediately tested it out. His body ballooned up past what he was able to achieve in his avatar form while being in the mid-stage of core formation. After reaching his maximum height he activated the condensing skill, his avatar form started shrinking and shrinking giving out strange crumpling sounds in the process. After reaching about two meters it stopped, he looked like a miniature version of his avatar form but he could already feel a difference.
He did some side dashes, utilizing his movement technique. But due to his now increased stats, he misjudged where he would end up as he did the sidestep. He promptly ended up hitting the side of a big boulder, pulverizing the stationary object in the process. You could see a deep blue glowing energy being walking out from the crushed boulder, lightning energy crackling with each step he made.
*Okay, this will take some time getting used too.*
He did a couple more tests, utilizing various attacking skills and defensive ones as he tried to feel out his new form. But after a couple of minutes he felt drained, his new form started flickering as he had trouble of keeping the two techniques stacked together, finally going down to one knee and panting.
*Damn, the power increase is there but I can't keep it up for long.*
His hands felt twitchy and he could see his veins pulsating on his forearm, he felt that if he kept the form up for too long that his veins would start bursting from inside. The power and speed increase was immense, this was a trump card that could be used scarcely. He tried using the technique without the avatar form, it made his frame flicker with energy. The drain on his stamina was lessened but the increase in power and speed was lowered as well.
Just as the explanation said, the skill forcefully stopped his energies from leaving his body. Condensing them together for a short term power explosion. Matt also felt that the backlash was milder than it should be, this was probably due to his body refining skill that made him quite sturdy. Probably without it, he would be covered in his own blood by now.
*Damn, buying these skills without proper training isn't that smart. If I got this thing in the middle of the battle, I could burst like a tomato.*
He wanted to get more skills to get more powerful, he also wanted to save the points for his advancement. He thought he was covered in most places, he wished he could get some healing skills but without the holy element, he couldn't use them that well. He even tried using the Zhang clan healing arts but he found another problem. Besides his lightning affinity that was in the S grade, all the other elemental affinities were of the F grade. He would need to study up on the other elemental daos if he wished to use them.
*Guess this is the downside with a specialized build...*
Heavenly Lightning Terrain [Earth Grade Perfect ] | This technique creates a limited field around the user, passively discharging lightning energies that damage the opponents without affecting the user. The field fills the area with lightning qi thus lowering the battle power of enemies that aren't versed in the lightning dao. |
This skill worked well with the new one he got and with all of his other skills. It was more or less an active buff to all of his skills, all of his attacks would be empowered in this field while the people that he fought would get a debuff and even receive damage over time effects.
He was back at the Zhang Clan compound, his edgy army had just left the pocket dimension and was packing up. Luckily due to the spatial ring technology, there wasn't really much to carry around, so they just needed to say their goodbyes before heading out. The trip to the secret ground would take about a week so they had to leave now.
He had all of his things in his ring as well, he looked at the people that were hugging their family members. Some were crying, some were cheering their elder brothers and sisters on. Some looked angry, some looked dejected there were various expressions plastered on their faces.
Zhang Jin was standing next to him, not saying much as the two looked on. After some time, Zhang Kuo came to report that everything was ready and they could depart at any moment.
"It's time to leave..."
Matt said with a solemn tone, then nodded at Zhang Kuo the man just bowed before leaving. Matt looked to his elderly grandpa, this time it was he who placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Well, I'll leave the place to you, don't stay up all night bothering the ladies old man."
"Hah, leave it to this Zhang Jin I'll protect the city while you are away!"
Zhang Jin just smirked, giving his grandson a nod as the two parted. The defensive formation has been upgraded slightly as well during Matt's upgrading spree, so it could work for months at maximum output. The clan would be safe for some time, but how long they would be gone was still a mystery.
Zhang Dong hopped up onto the large dragon head on the front part of the ship, while Zhang Zhi and some other clan members remained at the helm. He could see the citizens from the city along with the other clan members sending them off, they were bowing and waving while also cheering. The junior members were doing the same, they toughened up during the training a bit but still, you could see some tears in their eyes during the departure.
"Okay everyone, I want you all to reinforce your cultivation further, the trip will take about a week."
His tranquil mind technique had spread through the clan, so even though everyone was nervous they could keep a sharp mind. The days passed and the surroundings started changing, the trip was quite uneventful most of the creatures that wanted to try their luck were quickly dispatched by the Patriarch that seamed more than willing to deliver a killing blow to anything that came close to striking distance. His officers offered their services as they didn't want their clan leader to do all the dirty work, but their offer was refused. They only heard something about having to get more points while the lightning bolts rained down from within the ship. The junior members looking on in awe as they felt the strong energy fluctuations from those lightning strikes.
The other people didn't want to bother their Patriarch, so they just cultivated in peace. There wasn't much talking on the way there as everyone concentrated on getting stronger, each second counted. Soon enough they arrived at their destination and could already see some other flying ships stationed in the area.
The entrance to the secret area was close to a mountain range. The thing was shaped like a huge cylinder and it stretched right into the heavens going past the clouds. It was huge as a mountain, how it looked reminded Matt of tower dungeons that had levels to them. Maybe you climbed it as you passed the trial?
They weren't the first to arrive, but they weren't the last. They came to a stop, the people that were already there looked at them but everyone was still sitting on their own flying ships not descending down. Matt could see some people down below though, they were wearing the dark palm insignia on their back. They were probably waiting for everyone to arrive first before ordering them to move, they needed all ten groups to take part in the expedition.
While they were waiting, Matt took his time to look at the other core formation participants from the group. The closest group to them had a red-haired man sitting in a throne, he was drinking wine and some beauties were serving him food. You could see his muscular chest as it was only covered by a vest that was open and had fur at the collar area. He didn't even react when he was getting stared at and was enjoying himself, he didn't look like someone that was forced to come here.
There were two ships with the same insignias, they looked like firebirds making Matt think about a phoenix. More than likely this clan was a fire-based one, when he looked to the other side he just saw more regular old uncle looking cultivators with more ships as well. There were multiple core formation cultivators there, there probably weren't many downtrodden clans like the Zhang clan that came with just one flimsy core formation Patriarch.
The other clans gave them some attention, mostly because everyone on their ship was wearing a strange looking battle robe that gave them a ferocious look. The time started passing as everyone waited, the dark palm sect people looked a bit annoyed as they waited. With his increased hearing Matt could hear what they were talking about, apparently, everyone was here besides one clan that was taking their sweet time.
"Well that clan Matriarch is a bit... but she will be here, if she didn't turn down the young master, she wouldn't be here. Such a shame, she is quite the looker."
One of the dark palm elders said while chuckling to another member of his clan. Speaking of the devil, the moment the sect members started talking a large flying ship appeared. It was very long and had many white sails all around it, light green energy was radiating off it and you could feel the dao of the wind coming off it. Matt craned his neck to take a peek, he noticed that most of the people on the large ship were females. He tried focusing on the strongest person there, looking for core formation members he managed to spot two.
The weaker signal was coming from an older looking lady, she looked quite docile and was wearing a modest robe. The only thing out of the ordinary was that she looked like a baked potato. Matt opened his eyes wide, quickly looking through the people on that ship his eyebrows twitching. He looked at the woman next to the baked potato elder, she had a healthy tan to her and she was wearing a short light green robe with ample cleavage showing and she had quite a lot to show there. The female was quite curvacious but that wasn't the interesting part, her nails were long her hair was light pink and she had a lot of makeup on.
*Is... is that a Gyaru...?*
Matt looked through the females on the flying ship, they all had bleached hair and tanned bodies. The makeup looked funny on some while fitting on some others. They all were showing some amount of skin and looked like typical 'gals' with the strange-looking hairdos. The girls had facial accessories like shiny things plastered close to their eyes that didn't go well with the overused mascara and eye-shadow. He went back to staring at the Matriarch, she wasn't as overdone as the rest of them having the makeup fit her face giving her a more mature look.
Before he could examine the woman further he felt an oppressive force wash over the whole area. He never felt something like this before, he got goosebumps and started feeling weak. He felt like someone stuck underwater, trying to breathe but not being able to. This was the first time Matt experienced an aura superior to his own, this was indeed someone in the nascent soul!
"Feng Clan, you are late!"
For people not knowing what a Gyaru is, it's kind of a subculture in Japan where the girls get really tanned, put on large amounts of makeup and bleach their hair. Probably best to google it for pictures, its a prominent look in manga and anime there too.
Also made a discord https://discord.gg/QZ5rpuC Though not sure what I'm doing there xD
I'm glad to see that the author is also a person of culture.
The gyaro thing caught me off guard but I should have seen it coming when he said the old lady looked like roast potato
Hmm... it shouldn't be easy to get to the nascent soul stage so how are so many from that sh*t clan getting there?
Even the MC with his cheats is having a hard time after all...
Plus this can't end well for them either way even if they are powerful they can't rule the area of so many clans alone and all the clans are now plotting to kill them because they destabilised all of them.
Even the ones that benefit from this will be plotting to kill them because they can always be next as long as they are in power.
Nascent sour or not Assassinnation should still work... as long as there are powerful people there will always be powerful Assassins.
The mc has only been training for a short time. There are probably loads of people who have been training for hundreds if not thousands of years.
As for assassins, it would likely be hard for anyone to pay one, low level clans would not have anything they want. Even low level spirit stones would probably become less useful for higher level people. And if you did have something they want it would be easier to kill you and take it than do the job, just by asking you are advertising you are the easer target.
Also the clans are a pyramid system? If some assassin killed them the clan above would likely take them out. If a clan from below took them out and replaced them in the pyramid it would not effect the people above much and it would be survival of the strong(might make the pyramid as a whole stronger), but if some outside assassin start taking out you subordinates weakening your foundation I can not see them allowing that.
Basically can you see anyone that took maybe 1 thousand years to train and has a chance to live forever doing a risky job for the reward some ant (in comparison to them) could offer. It would be like you paying the USA to assassinate China.
ps. That nascent soul stage clan could take out both USA and China without any effort.
Firstly
Zhang Gang Zhang Gang come and Bang Dang!
Hmm... it shouldn't be easy to get to the nascent soul stage so how are so many from that sh*t clan getting there?
We dont actually know how strong the Dark Palm Sect is, we also don't know how many centuries or millennia the sect has existed as mentioned by jmnc.
There are probably loads of people who have been training for hundreds if not thousands of years.
The MC has been training for 4.5 months at this point in time, its already something for him to get to late stage from early stage, he might be knocking on Nascent realm's door in another year.
they can't rule the area of so many clans alone and all the clans are now plotting to kill them because they destabilised all of them.
We don't know how long these clans have been subjugated, I have a feeling its been awhile since then though since the Dark Palm sect seems established enough to keep ordering expeditions and we have not been given any information to the contrary.
Your thinking is only viable if that sect has no immortal cultivators
Thanks for the chapter!
This Avatar + Condesing combo sounds like going super sayan (he is blue now but once he goes gold the aura will change color from blue to gold and it will be proper super sayan)
Also the combo reminded me of Shaman King (when they learned the giant forms of spirit control only to later search for a grain of rice in the desert so they can learn to condense the giant forms into smaller weapons for more pin point power) I wonder if that is where the author got the idea.
Mmmm, I wonder whether anyone noticed that the robes' function to increase weight could allow the wearers to better withstand attacks. Added weight will also boost the impact of attacks (if done right) and can passively train the body.
......The only problem is that stamina is consumed much faster until the increased weight becomes normal for the wearers. In a way, it is like Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z series. The clansmen could have even trained by withstanding stronger cultivators' Spiritual Pressure.
As for Zhang Dong specifically, he could have practiced keeping the Spirit Condensing Technique active. Constantly constraining one's Spiritual Pressure on oneself would gradually make the meridians and body stronger over time due to the endurance training. His Soul and Spirit Senses might also strengthen over time, and he might one day comprehend how to compress his sword intent to extreme degrees........The potential......
@Kuropon As for romance, I still support it. Emotions are a part of human relations, so love is as well. The author just needs to focus on fleshing out the characters in the process, and it shouldn't be hard to create romance. Heck, besides, no one said that love only has one type or is reasonable....... Everyone just has to be careful to not get burned by the flames of love itself..........I did see some great novels do some morally f*cked up stuff (due to love or lust) without anyone ever realizing it.
Example: The main love interest's long lost mother was found in the God realm, but the heroine choose to support her mom marrying another guy despite still being married to the father. The mom claimed that she fell in love with the father during her time of having amnesia, but she still loved the other dude. Thus the reasonable thing to do was marry another guy while abandoning her kids and family...............and we thought Lelouch's parents were horrible (Code Geass).
Lelouch Parents were a lot more horrible than a mother who chooses the bigger D.
His father conquered the world and turned all non brits into slaves.
His mother didn't give sh*t about what was happening on earth and left her kids thinking she was dead for good (and not hiding in the pink hair knight) cause she wanted to ascend via the bridge of thought thing in the world of C.
Meanwhile this mother has just abandoned her family cause she likes some guy more than her husband. (yeah it's selfish and deplorable and makes you a cuck if you are her husband but if her daughter forgave her it really can't be that bad can it?)
My point is - bad example and Lulus parents bad I mean really BAD.
Rest of your comment I agree with. People do f*cked up sh*t for love and weight changing capability has so many awesome uses (Go read Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson - there are Feromancers there that can change their weight and all kinds of creative abilities related to metals.)
https://mistborn.fandom.com/wiki/Feruchemy
@DeathTheHorseman Well, I would agree, since you are right about the wrongs of Lelouch's parents. However, for this other one, I didn't mention how said mother never denied loving her current husband and was still married when trying to marry the other guy. To make it worse, the guy tries to kill the love interest of the mother's daughter, but when the King was killed instead, the mother chose to kill herself rather than explain properly to her family.
Of course, you are still right that this pair of king and cheating wife didn't personally cause too death and destruction, but the consequences of their actions had directly led to the near destruction of their home world and the slaughter of the mother's family. If the MC didn't do everything and almost sacrificed all his power to protect their home world, too many people would died. It is honestly just a difference between intentional and direct harm versus reckless and indirect harm to me. I erroneously thought to not elaborate.
Sorry about that. I hope this gives more perspective on why I thought the wife/mother (which was ironically from a Xianxia novel) was such an unsympathetic character and horrible person.......You should know how bad or twisted the logic can get in this genre, especially when the character is a beautiful and strong female who tries to spin a sob story.
@Truth Meh nothing new. The whole genre is submerged in chinese "having face" philosophy and pride can twist a lot of situations into something truely gruesome.
What novel is that btw? If it's any good I can add it to my list.
@DeathTheHorseman Against the God novel
@Truth Thanks (it's already on my list at 9th place but I will get to it eventually)