Chapter 109: Meeting The Cultivators Again
Liam stared at the glowing panels of the system store, his eyes darting across rows of items that seemed pulled from the wildest cultivation novels he had devoured back on Earth.
Qi Condensation Pills, Spirit Recovery Pills, jade formation disks, sword arts, alchemy manuals — all of it was already overwhelming. But then he scrolled lower, deeper into the listings.
That was when the names began to change.
Dao Bone Fragment. Primordial Chaos Essence. Dao Fruit of Eternity.
He froze, staring at the descriptions. Each line of text felt like it was humming, alive with promise and danger. These weren’t trinkets. They were concepts given form, the kind of treasures that sects in novels waged wars across continents for.
Dao Bone Fragment
Cost: 50,000
Description: Remnant shard of a primordial being who walked the Great Dao. It carries inscribed tubes and techniques of the Dao itself. Can transform mortal marrow into divine marrow.
Primordial Chaos Essence
Cost: 100,000
Description: Condensed drop of chaos before creation. Can temper meridians or forge chaos bodies.
Dao Fruit of Eternity
Cost: 500,000
Description: Rare fruit born once every million years at the heart of the World-Connecting tree, Jianmu. Grants enlightenment of a single Dao and extends lifespan indefinitely.
***
Liam sucked in a sharp breath. His pupils contracted as he scrolled even further.
Weapons that could annihilate star systems. Armors woven from cosmic laws. Immortal techniques etched into heaven and earth themselves.
Every description was so grand that it made his head spin.
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. Of course.
This is the system. It never plays small.
But his grin faded when he saw the prices. Even the cheapest among them — the Dao Bone Fragment — cost 50,000 system points.
He clenched his jaw at this. That translated to $500 million. Almost everything he had. And that was just the cheapest.
Liam sighed and finally closed the store. A strange mix of sadness and hope colored his expression.
"Obe day," he muttered.
He knew he would eventually get there. The system’s rewards only grew more monstrous with time. But for now, he was still too far from being able to casually burn hundreds of thousands of SP.
Focus, Liam. One step at a time.
He pulled out his phone and glanced at the time. He had already lingered long enough on Earth. The cultivation world was waiting.
But before leaving, a thought struck him. He looked at the ceiling, speaking softly:
"System, can I go directly to that world from Earth... and back again?"
[Yes, Host.]
Liam nodded, exhaling a soft breath. "Good."
He closed his eyes and visualized the spot where he had vanished from — the forest’s entrance, with its massive, looming trees.
The next moment, he vanished from his bed.
***
Warm sunlight greeted him.
He opened his eyes and found himself standing exactly where he had pictured, at the edge of the vast forest. Overhead, a colossal golden sun spilled light across the land, its brilliance both harsher and more vibrant than the Earth’s.
Liam smiled faintly and drew in a deep breath. The air felt refreshing, almost rejuvenating, as if each inhale was nourishing his body.
Liam felt that it was probably because of the spirit qi infused in it.
"Not bad," he murmured.
He straightened his back and muttered to himself, "First thing first though... Let’s find a village or town."
He remembered the directions that group of cultivators had given him the night before and started walking.
Three hours later, the dense forest had given way to plains, and on the horizon his eagle saw a huge stone wall rising from the earth like a fortress. A massive gate yawned at its center, with a long line of people queued up before it.
As he got closer, he began to pick out the voices.
"Next! Two copper coins each, three for a badge."
"Move forward! Don’t block the line."
People in robes and traveling gear fumbled with pouches, handing over small glimmering coins in exchange for stamped wooden badges. Guards in light armor stood watch, with swords, spears and bows spears in hand, occasionally barking orders.
Liam’s brows furrowed slightly.
An entry fee.
Ironically, he had none of their currency. Not a single coin. His bank account was filled with dollars, but here those might as well be scraps of paper. He considered it for a brief second — what if he offered them a few crisp $100 bills? Would they laugh? Arrest him? Worse?
No. The currency here was useless.
"And I can’t sign-in yet," he muttered under his breath. "So I can’t rely on rewards to bail me out."
He rubbed his chin, weighing his options. Perhaps he could slip through unnoticed using agility and telekinesis, tricking the guards? But it was risky. Too risky.
He was still racking his brain when a familiar voice called out behind him.
"Senior!"
Liam turned and his sharp eyes locked onto the speaker.
It was the young man from the night before — the one who had given him directions out of the forest. His name was Zhou Lu, if Liam recalled correctly. And beside him walked an elderly man with a flowing blue robe and a long white beard. Between them, suspended carefully on a makeshift stretcher, was a wrapped body.
Liam’s lips curled into a smile. Well... looks like my money problem just solved itself.
***
The day before, when Zhou had returned to the sect, his expression had been grim. His clothes were torn, his junior sisters pale and shaken. He went straight to his master’s courtyard, bowing deeply.
"Master," Zhou said, voice low and bitter, "our mission... failed."
They had gone into the Thousand Mist Forest to hunt a Grade 1 Ironblood Bear, its blood an essential ingredient for the Foundation Stabilizing Pill their master was refining. Everything had gone according to plan — until disaster struck.
Because the Grade 1 beast had not been alone. Its mate, a Grade 2 Ironblood Bear, had been nearby.
This was strange as they were just a few distance from the entrance of the forest where ordinary ferocious beasts and very few Grade 1 spirit beasts roam.
Zhou’s junior brother, at the seventh stage of Qi Refining, had been killed instantly. Swatted aside like a fly. Zhou himself had exchanged three desperate moves with the beast, only to be hurled back, defeated.
He had wanted to fight on. His blood boiled with rage, but one look at his terrified junior sisters had snapped him back. He couldn’t let them die too.
So they ran.
And while fleeing, they had seen him.
The mysterious senior. A man they had mistaken for a mortal... until he had crushed the Grade 2 Ironblood Bear into the dirt with nothing but his fists and an incomprehensible power.
Even their master, a Golden Core elder, might have needed techniques to subdue such a beast. But this senior? He hadn’t even drawn a weapon.
Zhou had bowed deeply, committing the man’s face to memory. Such strength... hidden so casually. A senior expert, roaming the world in disguise.
When he finished reporting, his master had been silent for a long time, his eyes sharp with thought. Finally, he had ordered Zhou to accompany him the next morning to retrieve the fallen disciple’s body.
***
And now here Zhou was, standing outside the city gate, staring at the very same senior.
His heart surged with both excitement and relief.
He clasped his fists respectfully and bowed. "Senior! It is truly fate that we meet again."
Beside him, the elder with the white beard narrowed his eyes, studying Liam with an intensity that made the air feel heavier.
Liam, for his part, only smiled, saying nothing for now.