The celestial realm bestowed its benediction upon Ji Wuye, and the air shimmered with holographic displays heralding his rewards.

 

The numbers, however, failed to meet his elevated expectations, and his face fell, a shadow of disappointment clouding his features. For a fleeting moment, silence enveloped him as he raised his gaze towards the heavens.

 

 

"Well, well, well..." Ji Wuye murmured, his lips curling into a wry smile. "So, if the gods can be generous, they can also be petty, huh?" With those words lingering in the air, his body fragmented into countless cuboid particles, vanishing from the spot.

 

...

 

Ji Wuye's form rematerialized within the empty cubic expanse of the Private Lobby, his crimson eyes reopening without the usual spark of joy or anticipation. Instead, an indifferent gaze met the verdant luminescence that enveloped his body.

 

 

 

Dismissing the transparent screens with a wave of his hand, Ji Wuye scrutinized his status.

 

 

Apart from the incremental level increase, Ji Wuye's status remained unchanged. The customary attribute rewards for clearing the floor had evaporated, a stark contrast to his expectations. Yet, this revelation did not plunge him into despair or frustration; instead, it prompted deep contemplation.

 

"I've grown accustomed to generous rewards," he remarked, his voice carrying a hint of self-awareness. Indeed, since the bountiful rewards bestowed upon him after the first floor, Ji Wuye had grown accustomed to – and come to expect – such generosity from the gods in recognition of his impressive feats.

 

Though his past actions were not solely aimed at impressing the divine entities, most of them had undoubtedly caught their attention and earned their favor. To Ji Wuye, those actions were simply the most efficient means to an end.

 

Now, however, not only had the generous rewards ceased, but the gods had also exhibited suspicion toward him. "Mmm, considering my past actions, and even bringing a pre-planned item to counter the mind effect, I already expected this."

 

Ji Wuye shook his head, reorganizing his thoughts. This was another reason why he had always preserved his coin reserves – to weather times like these.

 

Rather than succumbing to greed or complaining about receiving fewer coins compared to the previous floor's rewards, he chose to be grateful. The other challengers, perhaps, had received a mere fraction of his bounty – less than a thousand coins, or even as few as a hundred.

 

"Or, were my actions just too cowardly?" A new idea flashed across his mind.

 

Unlike the challenges of the previous floors, in this latest trial, he had merely utilized a counter-item to protect his mind, slain one individual, and allowed the rest to unfold without his direct intervention.

 

That was the only logical assumption based on his meager reward, but...

 

"Who cares," he shrugged, dismissing the thought. In the first place, the gods' generous rewards had never factored into his plans; they were merely an unexpected windfall.

 

"Shop."

 

 

"Skill."

 

 

The calm, indifferent expression on Ji Wuye's face momentarily shifted as his eyes widened upon beholding the skills on offer. However, he quickly regained his composure, a pensive look settling upon his features.

 

"As expected, before the skills appeared at E and D ranks, now with only one floor difference, they are at the C ranks," he murmured.

 

For Ji Wuye, who had already surpassed the fiftieth floor, the appearance of C-ranked skills in the list was hardly surprising. Instead, what caught his attention was something else entirely.

 

"These prices are ridiculous..." The words slipped from his lips as his eyes fixed upon the list, scrolling through the names one by one.

 

None of the skills were familiar to him, as most bore names he had never encountered before. For instance, Mystic Attunement: Arcane Focus (C) priced at a staggering 28,000 coins.

 

Back in his previous life, such a sum could have secured him five C-ranked skills or even two B-ranked ones!

 

But then, as his gaze traversed the screen, it suddenly averted back to the top of the skill list. A flash of memory resurfaced, conjuring the image of a man proudly announcing the name of a skill.

 

"The Unbreakable Vajra Form... that is the name of the skill I brought by coincidence because it related to the body for me, who is like training, bwahahahah!"

 

The memory played out vividly, complete with the man's bald head and the saliva splattering onto Ji Wuye's face as he laughed.

 

"Found you..." An excited smile spread across Ji Wuye's features, his curled lips stretching into a wide grin as realization dawned.