As the energy entered Xiao Li’s body, she trembled violently. A golden aura surged out from within her, blinding Xiao Feng and forcing him to close his eyes. The monsters in their vicinity—within a 10-mile radius—also reacted to the overwhelming energy.
“XIAO LI!!!” Xiao Feng’s heart pounded as worry consumed him. ‘This… this didn’t happen when I absorbed the energy. Then why is it happening to her? I knew I shouldn’t have accepted her request…’ regret, that is what he was feeling
Xiao Li, wracked with excruciating pain as she quickly sat down cross-legged, trying to control the overwhelming power surging within her. But to her horror, she couldn''t do anything with it. Just as despair threatened to consume her, believing she was about to die—
A notification popped up before her eyes.
Her breath hitched as her eyes widened. Never in her life had she expected such a thing to appear.
[The Heaven peers into your existence.....]
[The Heaven is unable to determine your potential.....]
[The Heaven is intrigued by your existence.....]
[The Heaven has decided to bestow a gift upon you.....]
*Whoosh*
The golden aura surrounding her suddenly rushed toward the sky. Dark clouds gathered at an alarming rate, casting an ominous shadow over the land. A deafening roar echoed as trees were uprooted, their trunks shattering from the sheer pressure emanating from above.
Then, another notification appeared.
[An event is detected.]
[Prepare for the event: Heavenly Tribulation.]
Xiao Li looked up once more—then froze.
A bolt of lightning struck her. A bloodcurdling scream tore from her lips, so raw and agonized it could send chills down anyone’s spine. But this was only the beginning.
One after another, more bolts rained down, merciless and unrelenting. Each strike seared her flesh, wracking her body with unbearable torment.
“Shock”
“Shock”
“Shock”
“Shock”
“Shock”
“Shock”
“Shock”
“Shock”
Eight more bolts of lightning tore through her. Her body lay smoldering on the scorched earth, charred beyond recognition, smoke rising from her trembling form. The sky refused to grant her mercy.
As the storm subsided, Xiao Feng received a notification.
[You have died.]
[No respawn point found.]
[Respawning at your starting point.]
His body reformed, but he had no time to process what had happened. He immediately ran toward the place where he had last been before dying. When he arrived, his heart clenched at the sight before him.
A crater nearly 20 meters wide surrounded Xiao Li’s unconscious body. No trees, no monsters—everything within 100 meters had been obliterated.
He rushed to her side. Her body was charred, her face contorted in silent agony, her voice too weak to even scream. Guilt and helplessness overwhelmed him.
Tears formed in his eyes. I should have stopped her. I should have protected her.
Then, a thought struck him.
Xia Lingling’s Blessing.
‘Maybe… maybe I can transfer it to her.’
He hesitated. ‘But the blessing didn’t save me from the lightning, which means the attack was stronger than Sister Xia’s power… But since the lightning has ended, maybe it can at least help her heal. Since Xiao Li didn’t die, there must be a reason for it.’
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He took a deep breath and commanded in his mind:
‘Xia Lingling’s Blessing, exit my body and enter Xiao Li’s.’
[A soul fragment from Xia Lingling detected.]
Oh… so blessings are actually part of a person’s soul? That means only people like me who can control souls can do this…
[The fragment is tremendously more powerful than the user. Cannot force manipulation. Requesting access...]
[The fragment allows access.]
A soft light emerged from Xiao Feng’s wrist and entered Xiao Li’s body.
[The fragment enters the individual ‘Xiao Li’s’ body.]
[Potential Death Detected.]
[Taking Precautions…]
[Success.]
As the final notification appeared, an aura identical to Xia Lingling’s surged from Xiao Li’s body, enveloping her in a radiant glow.
Her charred skin slowly regained its color, burns fading as if time itself was reversing the damage. Her pale, tortured expression softened, her ragged breaths steadied.
The screams that once filled the air were no more—she was healing.
The sky cleared, returning to its former calmness.
Xiao Feng heaved a deep sigh of relief. “I’m so glad that worked.”
His eyes lingered on Xiao Li’s peaceful face. “What exactly happened to her?”
Meanwhile, in a distant place, an ethereal beauty sat on a luxurious chair, sighing in exasperation.
"Sigh… Why did I feel the blessing I gave that brat resonate twice already? It hasn’t even been an hour since we parted ways!"
Her brows furrowed. "And the fact that it resonated not once but twice… that means it failed to protect him the first time. How is he already encountering existences stronger than me??
"Am I really that weak that someone from the lower realms can overwhelm my power?"
If someone told her that Xiao Feng had just been struck by an attack from The Heaven itself, who knows what her reaction would be?
"I give up. I don’t understand that brat. He’s already given me several headaches in an hour. If I keep thinking about him, I might die." She waved a hand dismissively. "If fate allows it, we shall meet again. It’s not like I can help him any more than I already have."
This beauty was, of course, Xia Lingling.
Hours later, in the forest, Xiao Li’s eyes twitched. Slowly, she opened them—finding herself resting on her brother’s lap.
Xiao Feng sat with his eyes closed, one hand holding hers, the other gently patting her head in comfort.
“…Brother,” she whispered.
His eyes snapped open. Seeing her awake, relief washed over him. “Xiao Li! Are you okay?”
She nodded weakly. “Un.”
“You should rest some more. We can talk about what happened later.”
“I’m fine now, Brother. So… where are we? And what happened after that lightning strike?”
“Well, you fell unconscious and were on the verge of dying,” Xiao Feng explained. “I managed to heal you thanks to something I was given during my evaluation. After that, I carried you to a nearby cave, and here we are now.”
Xiao Li listened carefully before noticing a series of notifications flashing in front of her.
[Congratulations! You have broken the shackles of mortality.]
[You have entered the 1st Foundation Soul Stage.]
[You have entered the 2nd Foundation Soul Stage.]
[You have entered the 3rd Foundation Soul Stage.]
[Physical Toughness: 2300 → 3140]
[Physical Strength: 3000 → 3840]
[Mental Strength: 2700 → 3540]
[Soul Strength: 250 → 690]
[Speed: 2200 → 3120]
[Stamina: 2600 → 3420]
‘Woah! It seems that just like Brother, I’m a cultivator now too!’
[Acquired: Body and Mind Harmonizing Physique]
[Acquired: Eternal Physique—Through the Heavenly Tribulations]
[Attempting to combine physiques...]
[Success!]
[Acquired: Eternal Body and Mind Harmonizing Physique]
[Rank: Primordial]
[Description: Grants complete control over minds. This ability can be applied to the user’s own mind or any living being’s mind simply by thinking about the desired action. It also weakens enemies with an oppressive aura, whose intensity is determined by the difference in strength. The greater the gap in strength, the stronger the oppressive force (Can be disabled).]
<ul>
<li>Allows the user to control the extracted experiences from the target’s mind, directly integrating them with the body if desired.</li>
<li>The effects of Eternal Physique are locked due to insufficient strength.
[Warning: Cannot be used on a mind vastly more powerful than the user’s unless permitted. Attempting to do so may result in damage to the user’s mind.]</li>
</ul>
‘Woah, that’s one hell of a physique. But what was the point of that lightning if I cannot even access its powers *sigh*. I really am the complete opposite of Brother in this game. I wonder if this is just a coincidence…’ Xiao Li pondered inwardly.
[Learned: Oppressive Domain]
[Rank: Ascendant]
[Description: Creates a domain with a radius proportional to the user’s mental strength. Clears the minds of the user and allies while significantly boosting their physical strength, toughness, stamina, and speed relative to their enemies.]
[Requirement: Mental Strength > 20,000]
‘Hmm, so this is the technique that lady taught me back then. Not bad! If I weaken enemies with my physique first and then strengthen myself using this technique... would that work?’ Xiao Li thought.
“Xiao Li, are you feeling unwell?” Xiao Feng asked.
“Ah, Brother, you know how you changed after absorbing that soul energy? Well, the same thing just happened to me—except for the lightning part. See for yourself.” Xiao Li opened her character window.
[Name: Xiao Li]
[Cultivation Stage: 3rd Foundation Soul Stage]
[Physical Toughness: 3140]
[Physical Strength: 3840]
[Mental Strength: 3540]
[Soul Strength: 690]
[Speed: 3120]
[Stamina: 3420]
[Physique: Eternal Body and Mind Harmonizing Physique]
[Bloodline: Not Activated]
[Soul Purity: 100%]
[Talent: Error]
“From both our stats, we can see that we gain 140 points in all attributes upon reaching a higher stage. However, our specializations are different. In my case, I gain double points in Soul Strength per level-up, while you gain double in everything else since your physique focuses on both body and mind, and what''s up with the addition of eternal to your physique.” Xiao Feng deduced.
Xiao Li proceeds to explain all the notifications, she then continues a little irritated.
“Brother, stop sweating over the smaller details. Forget about all this stuff, ever since we entered this game, one crazy thing after another has happened! Let’s explore the area and have some ‘normal’ fun for once,” Xiao Li pleaded.
''Small details huh...'' Xiao Feng pondered for a moment before speaking with a smile.
“Yes, I was thinking the same. Let’s set the complicated stuff aside for now. We should hunt in the forest for a while until we find signs of civilization. We haven’t met a single player or NPC since arriving here. Heading to the nearest city or town would help us understand our current location.” Xiao Feng suggested.
Xiao Li stood up excitedly. “Alright! Onward to the forest—to hunt and kill!”
Xiao Feng smiled awkwardly, wondering what the game had done to his once cute and harmless sister.
He sighed before standing up as well. “To gather information, not to kill. Do you understand that?”
“Hehe, of course, of course” Xiao Li replied, walking forward confidently.
Xiao Feng sighed again, wondering what crazy event they would witness next. But a glint of excitement remained in his eyes—eager to explore this unknown world.
They kept clearing their way through the forest. They did not gain much in this adventure and weren’t even able to raise their stage, contrary to how easy it has been to raise it up till now.
As they marched forward, they discovered—