Chapter 11 - One Week Later

Getting tasks to hunt Foundation Body fifth stage beasts had become more difficult, but he had managed to get three of the tasks each day for the last week, giving him one thousand fifty contribution points. This put his total to one thousand eight hundred sixty-five contribution points. He had practiced the Looming Blossom Martial Technique every day after he finished his tasks, and now there was only a second of immobility. After today, he deducted that he would be able to exchange for an alchemy furnace, as well as advance to the next minor realm, becoming a Foundation Body second stage cultivator.

Heading to the contribution hall, he picked up the task to hunt another Yang Opening Bird. With his experience of having fought the bird already, he took the bird down with ease and returned to the contribution hall. Unfortunately, the nest wasn't where he fought the bird this time, so he wasn't able to find it.

The next task he took was another Foundation Body fifth stage monster beast called the Jester Viper. The viper used the dao of illusion to confuse its prey, but it wasn't powerful enough to affect a human's mind completely. It would still be easy to tell where the viper was for a human, with only its venom being able to drastically affect one's mind. Not deadly to humans, it was useful in the pursuit of alchemy, as every part of it had a use. But he would still only be able to get the blood and core without exchanging contribution points for the rest of the parts.

Heading into the mountain, one thing happened that hadn't before. He had been ambushed by a monster beast. He knew that it was another Foundation Body fifth stage monster beast called the Rock Ape. It had the highest defensive ability in its realm, and was difficult to damage it. The dagger that Aster Wen carried would be useless against this monster beast. There were two choices for him, either run, or use the Looming Blossom Martial Technique. As he had gotten the technique down to one second of immobility yesterday, that meant there wouldn't be any today. Running towards the Rock Ape, he circulated his natural qi, and before he made it to the monster beast, got in the position to thrust his palm forward. He felt power surge through his arm and hit the Rock Ape's chest, sending reverberations throughout its body. The natural qi behind him that formed a blooming lotus felt as though it had taken a physical form, pushing up against his back. The Rock Ape coughed up blood and fell backwards, succumbing to its internal injuries.

Aster Wen looked at his palm and to the ape. With this technique, he could pass through any monster beast's natural defence to cause internal injury. He dragged the corpse of the Rock Ape to hide it so no one would take credit for killing it. Then he set off to kill the Jester Viper once more.

After a few minutes, he found it focused on a baby hare. With it distracted, he snuck up on it and grabbed it as close to the head he could before stabbing it. He took it back to the contribution hall and then took the task to hunt the Rock Ape. As he had already killed it, it took half an hour for him to drag it back to the contribution hall.

Many of the disciples, even older ones, were shocked that he had managed to kill the Rock Ape. Multiple works helped lift it onto the processing station, and he was given the blood and core of the monster beast.

Heading to the clerk, he exchanged two thousand points for the alchemy furnace. This left him with fifteen contribution points. The alchemy furnace that he exchanged for could be used to refine at best Foundation Body mid-rank pills. Taking the alchemy furnace back to his room, he set it down and then went to practice the Looming Blossom Martial Technique. As he had already used it once today to take down the Rock Ape, he could only use it three more times today. But he thought that when he completed it, that he would begin to breakthrough to the next minor realm.

Starting the movement, the natural qi he circulated through his meridians was much more powerful than when he first broke through to the Foundation Body first stage. He thrust his palm forward, and power surged through his arm. Once again, the blooming lotus behind him felt as though it had an even more physical form than when he fought the Rock Ape. He felt as though there was a power in blooming lotus that pushed on his back, but he didn't know what kind of power it was. Even if felt physical, he knew that it was still only an illusion currently that didn't add anything when he was fighting.

He started again, the blooming lotus once again feeling like it had a more physical form, and the power in it growing stronger. He didn't know when he would know the true power in the blooming lotus behind him, or if he ever would understand it completely, but the more it grew, he would comprehend more. Perhaps it held something that would allow him to grow to the peak of the world. Perhaps it didn't hold anything substantial at all.

Steeling himself to perform the movement for the fourth time that day, he didn't know what was in store. Though he speculated that he would break through, it was only speculation. He didn't truly know if he would break through, or if the Looming Blossom Martial Technique would affect how his break through would work. He got into position to perform the first movement once more, and prayed to the heavens that everything would be fine. Circulating his natural qi, he thrust his palm forward as the power surged through him.