Chapter 3: SECLUSION

After Jin extracted the information, he shifted his gaze to the next reward which was the Astral body tempering arts. With a thought he expanded the info panel.

The techniques and cultivation arts in this world are graded according to their learning difficulty and power in a rank which goes from low to high: human, earth, heaven, immortal and divine grade. Each grade is further divided into low, medium and high ranks. Weapons, armours and treasures are also ranked according to this metric.

The Astral body tempering arts he received from the system was actually a heaven grade high-rank body tempering technique. Cultivating it to the extreme can make one's skin stronger than metal and able to tank any blow with just the physical body, while giving one the power to blow up stars with a casual punch, coupled with nearly boundless vitality.

"Extract!" Jin said in his mind and immediately the knowledge and insight of the Astral body art was transferred to his brain. After wincing in pain for some time Jin focused on his body and found out to his shock that his body was undergoing subtle but definite changes.

"Wow! This body tempering art is so powerful? I haven't even started cultivating it and I have already started seeing changes in my body?" Jin said in astonishment, while still observing his body which was now stronger than a full grown man even though he had not actively started cultivating.

After the excitement that came from the tempering art faded he took a look at his next reward. Myriad spear arts, once again Jin expanded the details below and just like the body tempering art the spear arts awarded by the system was also a heaven grade high-rank technique.

"The system is really generous! I just opened two rewards from the novice pack and they both turned out to be heaven grade high-rank!" Jin mused because according to the knowledge he received earlier, what most cultivators of the Crimson Jade Continent used were human and earth grade cultivation techniques.

They could be bought by anyone in auction houses and black markets with some years of frugal spending and saving.

Heaven grade techniques were owned by the more powerful cultivation families, clans, sects and organisations.

Immortal grade cultivation techniques were not easily found as they were hidden away by the top sects and factions as secret arts for only a select few to cultivate.

They can be found in the biggest and best auction houses when they hold grand auctions but they cost an arm and a leg making it impossible for the poor, which made up more than 50% of the population, to acquire. Only the extremely wealthy and powerful were in the running for possessing an immortal grade technique.

Besides auction houses, people can acquire high rank techniques through lucky encounters and if an old cultivators tomb or cave was found. Whenever this happens it triggers a deadly quest for power which claims the lives of several cultivators and sometimes even mortals can be caught in the fray.

Divine grade ones were basically a legend due to how scarce and difficult they were to obtain. Individuals who possessed Divine grade cultivation techniques have all gone ahead to make a legend during their lifetime. While those not strong enough to safekeep them are plotted against, mobbed or have a wide spread manhunt and bounty on their heads till they either die or go into hiding till they are stronger, but the later rarely happens as they're caught and killed.

"Extract!" Jin braced himself as all the information and insight into the myriad spear arts was transferred into his brain. "Ugh, I can never get used to this nauseating feeling" so he said but there was a wide grin on his face due to how powerful and fluid the newly acquired spear arts was.

"This spear art is truly amazing, not only does it contain hundreds of different spear techniques, it also helps me cultivate the spear aura and spear intent". Cultivating the spear art to the extreme allows one to fluidly change up the moves of one spear technique to a different spear technique, thereby creating new and original spear techniques in the process. The "myriad spear arts" was well named

"Onto the next reward!" Jin said as he set his eyes on the next reward which was the Earth grade mid-rank spear. "Extract!" Suddenly light shone on his palm as the spear appeared in his hand. It was a black spear which was quite heavy. There were intricate carvings around its body which made it look even more exquisite.

Jin swung the spear in his hand a few times while showcasing some stances and moves from the myriad spear arts. A smile could be seen on his face as he was pleased with his new weapon and spear technique.

With a thought Jin stored the spear in the system's storage space.

"And for the final reward"he rubbed his palms together, being pleased with what he had received so far Jin was excited to open the last item he received from the system, the true Qi scripture.

Looking at the details of the cultivation method given to him by the system Jin froze in awe and astonishment. The true Qi scripture was a high-rank immortal grade technique!

Jin knew the system was generous based on all the rewards he had opened till now but the true Qi scripture was the best of them all.

Immortal grade techniques were able to cause a bloodbath with so many cultivators killing each other while aiming to get their hands on it! Without strength, holding on to a cultivation method of this grade was akin to holding up a "please kill me now" sign over your head.

"Hahaha! The system is the best! Others fight and go to extreme lengths just to get an immortal grade cultivation technique, even if it's incomplete but the system just gives it out in the novice pack. It's even of the high-rank! Awesome!"

"Extract!" Jin exclaimed as the knowledge and insight of the true Qi scripture was being transferred into his brain. After he received the knowledge he called up the status screen

"Open status!"

[Name: Jin]

[Age: 19]

[Race: Human]

[Cultivation: None]

[Physique: Innate Dao Body]

[Spiritual root: Divine grade]

[System points: None]

[System store: Locked]

Jin went through his status and his eyes were drawn to the Innate Dao Body. Throughout the history of the Xuantian world, the innate Dao Body has been hailed as one of, if not the strongest physique.

The Innate Dao Body boasted of super comprehensive abilities, allowing the bearer to easily learn and master any and all kinds of cultivation methods and techniques. To a cultivator, compression was very important because it allowed one to gain insights and enlightenment into their techniques thereby increasing their overall battle power and ability to advance.

The next one was the Divine grade spiritual root. Just like cultivation techniques, these were ranked from inferior, average, superior, heavenly, immortal and divine grade spiritual roots. Having divine grade spiritual roots meant that his future advancement in cultivation was going to be as easy as breathing and his future achievements were limitless!

While Jin was thinking of his status and how overpowered he was the system gave another notification

"Ding! Detected the host has successfully extracted the novice pack rewards!"

"Issuing new mission! [COMPULSORY]"

"Ding! As the host of the Ultimate Patriarch System the host cannot remain a weak chicken! Prove to the system that you are worthy!"

"Requirement: Break through to the golden core stage!"

"Time limit: One year!"

"Penalty: Death!"

". . . . ." Jin felt insulted when the system called him a weak chicken but he soon agreed with it as he remembered he was in a place where strength was justice and being this weak was no different from being a chicken, he was also stunned when he saw the penalty for failing the system's mission but a smirk crept on his face after he remembered his overpowered status and all the goodies the system just gave to him.

"I'll be a waste if I can't even make something out of all the good stuff I've been given, moreover I don't want to die so soon. I had better get started"

With a rising speech he got into the lotus sitting position and started initiating the breathing technique, channelling his Qi according to the steps laid out by the true Qi scripture. He felt the warm energy flow into his body through his meridians and gather in his dantian just above his navel.

Due to the miraculous method and effects of the true Qi scripture, Jin was able to gather and refine Qi into its purest form. Soon his ears were filled with the system's notifications

"Ding! The host has broken through the 1st level of the Qi cultivation stage!"

"Ding! The host has broken through the 2nd level of the Qi cultivation stage!"

"Ding! The host has broken through the 3rd level of the Qi cultivation stage!"

"Ding! The host . . . ."

"Ding! The host . . . ."

"Ding! The host . . . ."

He sat still without any distracting thoughts and kept cultivating. Minutes turned into hours, hours to days, days to weeks and weeks into months.

The demon plains returned to its usual state of survival of the fittest while oblivious to the steady rise of a new young tyrant.