《Heavengaze Tower》


 Heavengaze

    Coughing my lungs out, and spitting black blood, that''s how my day started. A few seconds of being inside the Noxious Swamp was rather dangerous to anyone alive.


    I barely looked around in surprise, as a nearby mountain also exploded in a huge volcanic eruption, but I didn''t wait for the sound of the explosion to reach me, and instead shifted my location inside my pocket dimension called Qian Yuan''s Treasure Vault, worth 40 CYOA coins.


    Here, a large hallway with thousands of walkways lead to 4096 doors, and each of those doors lead to a storage vault filled with treasures, anything from pills and herb gardens, and up to rare materials that a Divine cultivator might need to craft a rare item.


    I just stumbled towards the pill shelves and searched for a detoxifying pill.


    ''Heavenly Spirit Clear Pill, used to cleanse decay qi. Worth 30000 spirit stones.'' my special Discerning Eyes skill located on a distant shelf, so I dragged myself to open that green porcelain bottle and ingest a single pill. A staple of xianxia novels, my eye skill could analyze and discern anything, providing not only the name and function of an item, but also their sell value at an auction house.


    As the pill coursed through my veins and meridians, I sat down on the floor to reflect of my poor life choices. Yes, gaining 30 more points in the CYOA from the Noxious Swamp filled with decay qi seemed like a good idea at the time, just like the active volcano location that also added 20 more points.


    Those points will allow me to grow stronger and obtain more good perks. But right now, I was a prisoner of my own making, locked inside a pocket dimension while hot magma and pyroclastic ash covered my dimensional shift point.


    As a meager 2nd level Artisan in the Houtian Realm, I had more skills and perks as well as precious items than anyone alive in the world, except some old monster that ate suns and dragons. On the other hand, a Houtian cultivator was still mostly mortal, and even at the 10th level he would only live for 200 years, if he was careful.


    Thus, my expensive 50 coins Heavengaze Tower would be mostly useless right now. Increasing time flow by 1000 times would only make me die that much faster.


    As the Clear Pill worked its way through my body, another perk shined, the one called Body of the Reaction God. This new body of mine had two important properties, one obtaining three times the rewards from any pill or material ingested for cultivation, the other was to eliminate drawbacks such as toxic accumulation and plaque buildup in my meridians. Basically, I now had the body of a spirit beast, but was still human.


    I would have survived the minute exposure to the Noxious Swamp even without the Clear Pill, but I wasn''t about to start taking chances, more than I already had.


    Plan A, cultivate to the limit of my Basic Cultivation Techniques, and reach the next Realm called Xiantian. More strength was always good, as would the extra lifespan I would gain. I decided to start my adventure young, as to benefit from more lifespan and brain plasticity to adapt faster. Thus, my body was now barely 6 years old.


    My Artisan background told me the children in cultivator clans would begin their cultivation around the same age, or maybe even sooner. In some ways, this a good thing as martial exercise and cultivation sutras would be easier to learn.


    At the same time, give dumb kids the power to blow up houses with a punch, and they would abuse it. Mortals lived in terror of another Young Master passing by and murdering dozens of people for not reason. And things only got worse as the little monsters grew up, since cultivator clans and sects only cared by reputation and face, instead of educating their disciples properly.


    My Xianxia Protagonist perk also ensured I received a good dose of cultivation realism, becoming an orphan after my Yuan Artisan clan from the Stillwater Village was murdered over a Young Master refusing to pay for his new toy. Having an adult mind inside my young body helped keep emotions under control, since my new family would be doomed anyway, sooner or later. Can''t have a Protagonist without a bloody revenge story, can we?


    My white cultivator robes were starting to disintegrate from the decay qi, so I took them off and burned them over some Everburning Coals from a vault. Like all my artifacts, the robes would re-appear a week later if lost or destroyed, which was quite a nice quality of life perk from the CYOA.


    The chest of self-replenishing Spirit Feast would keep me fed and help my cultivation as well, while a small bag of spirit stones would be enough to fuel my cultivation for the rest of my life, as the stones would increase in grade and quantity as my cultivation realm grew. Not something very important right now, but at some point Immortal Crystals would become too expensive to buy, even with the resources in my treasure vault.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Quan Yuan had collected thousands of rare materials, but most of them would only be useful up to Divine Realm, and mostly by blacksmiths and Formation Masters. There were only 10 vaults for pills, and 10 more with herb gardens, so it seemed the creator of this pocket dimension wasn''t very interested in Pill Refining.


    I began exploring the treasure vault and collecting samples from every item and material in my infinite-space ring, which was in itself a very precious artifact. Infinite is a big number, in case you didn''t know. Not only infinite but lasting for eternity and unbreakable. Also keeping the things in temporal stasis inside, useful right now to preserve pills and herbs, but later it would be even more important.


    I also picked the Blacksmithing and Formation skills in my build, and the free Discerning eyes skill. So, trust me when I tell you, making another Spatial Ring like mine, it was completely impossible for a mere Divine Realm cultivator. I doubted that any of my CYOA artifacts had an equivalent in the outside world.


    None of my other artifacts had these attributes, as they could break and store a limited quantity. It gave me a goal to reach, the damn ring. But later.


    For now, plan A. The Heaven Basin secret realm would open in 3 years, and I should try to become strong enough, to profit when it did.


    Thus, I went to search inside the pill vault for Essence Gathering pills and Body Transformation pills, as well as the weakest Soul Forging pill I could find. Pills were not strictly necessary, and I could use raw herbs instead with my special body, but this body was still fragile like a child. Best not abuse it too much, for now.


    A routine of meditation, physical exercise and qi gathering cultivation began the next day, and for three months I persevered until I reached the 3rd level of Houtian with all three cultivation methods for qi, body and soul. It wasn''t anything big and spectacular, but it was progress. The CYOA did say I would start with an above-average talent, and my perks would expand on that, most importantly the perks of Bewildering Brilliance and the Xianxia Protagonist.


    The Brilliance made me learn everything much faster, and it also made my body keep up with my insights. I wasn''t in a hurry though, as my rate of growth was sufficient to reach Xiantian in 3 years.


    And so it went, day after day and practice after practice. A normal child would have got bored or failed to keep the routine, but I did have my adult mind and the perk of Unbreakable Will. It was a crucial perk though, much like my unbreakable ring, my mind will never falter, and allow me to ignore pain or wounds. It wasn''t that I didn''t get muscle strains or bone drilling pain when punching a plate of metal. Instead I could simply ignore that pain and keep going.


    I waited to reach the 5th level of Houtian before adding combat techniques into my training routine, not that Houtian techniques were very complicated anyway. I just didn''t want to damage my meridians before they were fully grown. Spiritual organs like meridians or the dantian core, and other such as the Dao Heart were located inside the body, but also inside the spiritual body.


    As a Houtian cultivator I didn''t have yet my dantian core, only a node of meridians that distributed qi inside my body like the heart did with blood.


    This made external qi manifestations like fire and ice be very tiring and damaging to the meridians, so I kept my combat training at minimum.


    At 8 years old and the 8th level of Houtian, I began a few blacksmithing projects, things like a helmet, a shield and a spear, crafted from the lightest materials I could find in the treasury. Six Vein Balsa Wood for example, or a Black Iron Eagle feather, for my spear.


    My 150 cms tall shield still weighed over 30 kilograms, and the spear over 10 kilos, despite using these light materials. I couldn''t even lift most materials in the vault, while stuff like the famous Six-Yang Crimson Iron was so heavy it formed it own gravity field. My ring could still pick up a beam of Crimson Iron and store inside the ring, which may become important later.


    Anyway, about 2 years and a half after I arrived in this world, I reached the 10th level of Houtian and began preparing for my first realm ascension.


    In general, if someone reached this point they had 50% chance to go further, possibly exactly on the median line of talent and intelligence. I knew I was above average, so I shouldn''t have a problem. Still, better be prepared than not.


    Using some of my spirit stones and new armor and weapons, I constructed a Tribulation Array and sat inside of it, with my wooden helmet on.


    A single warning from my Tribulation taker perk, and a feeble lightning bolt struck me from above. The Formation Array held for a second, then dispersed as the Tribulation lightning hit my head and knocked me out.


    For a moment, I found myself as a floating soul, superimpossed over my body and all other pocket dimensions around, including the Treasure Vault, the Noxious Zone and the Heaven Basin. Although the vision was very short, I did have the Perfect Memory perk so I could review what I saw at my leisure.


    The entrance into the Heavin Basin was an encrypted metal door into the side of a giant mountain, with its peak so tall it went outside the atmosphere and into outer space. The entire mountain was covered in dwelling of all kinds, from courtyards and plaform houses to floating islands and crystal palaces, while a giant spinning wheel was rotating around the mountain peak like...a gravity wheel on a space station.


    A dimension inward, the volcano had finished exploding and the lava had cooled somewhat, with few patches of red magma still flowing downwards.


    Most of the Noxious Swamp had been burned and covered with volcanic ash, which might make my escape a bit easier, perhaps.


    Two more dimensions inward, my spiritual core or dantian had also formed, holding inside my CYOA artifacts that were not in use, including the Heavengaze Tower. And inside that tower, a ghostly old man sat with a bored face at the edge of a floating platform, looking out in the distance.


    That was quite a surprise, I admit. Did my CYOA provide the obligatory old master along with the Tower, or was it the Xianxia Protagonist perk?


    Either way, it was time to meet this mandatory exposition grandpa.

 Ghost

    "Who are you, Grandpa? What are you doing in my Tower?" I asked directly as I moved inside the Heavengaze Tower world, and beside the bored ghost locked in my Tower.


    The ghost turned and measured me with glazed white eyes, probably scanning me from the inside out with advanced Divine senses that I didn''t even know the name of.


    "... I am Yuan Heavengaze, a mildly famous Artisan from the Pearl Sea Starfield." the ghost answered after a long glare battle.


    "Hmmm. My time artifact is also called the Heavengaze Tower. Quite a coincidence." I mused in a chipper voice, showing off my 8 years old wisdom.


    The ghost blinked, then looked away towards the distant horizon.


    "You are an orphan, right?" the ghost asked in a far-away tone.


    I don''t think I said anything about my family yet. Did this guy scan my karma relations somehow? "My Yuan Clan was mildly famous for their Artisan skills too, in the Stillwater Village. A bad man killed them." I answered instead.


    "And yet you did not break, and kept cultivating. Even reaching Xiantian Realm by yourself." the old ghost mused with a short glance above my head.


    "Did a bad man kill you too?" I asked to make sure. He could have died from other causes, but he wouldn''t linger in the Tower in most cases.


    The ghost blinked again, then sighed. "Pretty much. I focused too much on crafting in my life, instead of becoming strong. A bad man wanted my Tower..." he explained in simple words.


    I nodded and sat down to eat my Spirit Feast. "You must have been decently strong anyway, to construct this Tower. At least in the Divine Realm, I bet." I declared in a convinced voice, then began eating like a famished 8 years old.


    The ghost examined my self-replenishing food chest for a few minutes, while I ate. "You have quite a wondrous artifact here, child. Rarely seen outside major sects." he said with a flat voice, not very impressed.


    "This ghost body of yours...is it still as strong as a Divine?" I asked instead, and actually curious.


    A ghostly hand patted me on the shoulder and passed through, barely interacting with my body at all. "My ghost body, not at all. Maybe as strong as 5 ants combined." the ghost offered with a sad smile.


    Ants were pretty strong for their size, but 5 ants couldn''t even carry a sheet of paper, even if combined. "Being dead is bad, at least for the body. What about your Artisan skills? You still remember them, Artisan Heavengaze?" I asked with interest.


    The ghost eyes'' glowed for a second. "Directly to the point, eh? I can see why you survived your clan''s demise." he answered in a roundabout way.


    "I am not asking from idle curiosity, Grandpa. If you still have those skills, you can teach me. Your ghost body might be too weak to hold a hammer, but I do have mine. I''m not very strong either, but my body will grow up." I explained with saintly patience.


    The ghost stared at me for a long minute, then sighed. "I never liked children, you know? Loud and obnoxious, doing stupid things and making a mess everywhere."


    I looked down at my child body and small hands. "I envy those children. They have the luxury of freedom and playing. I don''t." I said with a sad voice, then took out my Iron Eagle Feather spear and began practicing my Houtian combat techniques.


    With my new cultivation realm, the 10 kilos spear still felt lighter, like a normal spear, perhaps. I could train for 2 hours before the strain became too much and would damage my growing body.


    "You have reached Mastery with your techniques...that''s quite amazing, for a child." the ghost mused out loud, as I stopped to rest and meditate.


    "I get the feeling that if I keep practicing, there is another level beyond this, Grandpa. You call it Mastery, but I don''t feel like a real Master. Better than a beginner, but still not there." I answered in a steady voice, as my breath regained its calmer rhythm.


    Much later, I opened my eyes and came out of meditation, to find the ghost staring at me. "You are correct about your spear moves. If you keep practicing them, you will reach Transcendence. At that point, even those Houtian moves can compare with stronger Xiantian techniques."


    I nodded while thinking about his words. It should be the poor man''s option, then. Or poor village clan''s in my case. Why spend a fortune to buy Xiantian techniques when you could polish your Houtian moves until they reached the same level?You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Good enough for me, then. I guess 2 or 3 months will get me there." I answered as I stood up and went walking around to explore the Tower on foot. The main building, at least. The whole Heavengaze Tower was a world-sized pocket dimension, possibly an entire planet kidnapped by the artifact''s creator to use as a base for the Formation.


    To my mild surprise, every room and chamber in the Tower was perfectly empty, not a single chair or bed, not to mention precious items. Damn stingy ghost! At least there were some waterfalls and floating platforms to serve as elevators.


    "You seem disappointed, child?" the ghost asked after I finished my hours-long tour and sat down to eat.


    "Not really, no. The construction is solid, and there is water and such. Good enough for me. I won''t invite anyone else to live here, not yet." I said with a careless voice, while moving my hand to the side to drop out a few materials from my vault, wood and silk and feathers, mostly.


    Perhaps too precious to use for furniture, but the materials from the vault would replenish anyway. I could start using some of them.


    The ghost flew around the pile of materials and examined them with keen eyes. "Wasteful, if you intend to make furniture. Why not bring cheaper materials from outside?" he asked in a reasonable tone.


    "Outside? Right outside is the Noxious Swamp of decay qi, recently burned by a volcano. And around it there is the Heaven Basin realm, filled with dangerous spirit beasts. And outside this realm, it''s a huge sect on a mountain that pierces the sky and a wheel spins around the peak. I''m 8 years old, Grandpa!" I exclaimed outraged and rose my hands in ''what can I do?'' manner.


    The ghost blinked again. "That sounds a bit...dangerous. Especially that spinning wheel. Celestial crafting is the hallmark of a void travelling sect. Spirit Ships that can travel to other worlds." he explained at my blank face.


    Yeah, I kinda figured that part out, with the gravity wheel space station. You don''t build that in outer space unless you have ships docking on it.


    "First things first, Grandpa. Help me build a bed?" I asked in a milder voice.


    The ghost sighed, and waved his fingers in the air. Sigils and runes flew around, acting like a thousand hands and tools. In a minute, the pile of materials transformed into a high-quality bed, with silk sheets and feather pillows.


    ''Artisan-crafted bed, high quality, worth 1.2 million spirit stones.'' I discerned with my eye skill.


    Hmmm. Perhaps this old ghost wasn''t so useless as I first thought, thinking about his ant strength. Formations were a good substitute for muscle power.


    I stored the new bed in my ring, and nodded towards the ghost. "You do have some Artisan skills left, Grandpa! That was a Formation Array!" I exclaimed in child exuberance, then ran towards the nearest waterfall to get clean for bed.


    The next day, I met the ghost at breakfast, and chatted a bit more. Then went back to training.


    The third day, the same.


    And 2 months later, I reached Transcendence with my combat skills, giving me a real edge for when I planned to leave the safety of the Tower.


    "Young Pef, now I am sure you are a genius." the ghost said as I sat down for dinner.


    I kept a calm face, and waited for the rest.


    "I also notice you don''t cultivate anymore. Is it because you lack a cultivation method?" the ghost asked, a bit rhetorical.


    "Yes, Grandpa. I am waiting for the Heaven Basin to open, and cultivators from the big sect outside to come in for treasure. It should be in 2 or 3 months. The next part is less certain..." I whispered in a lower voice.


    "Wait for someone to die fighting those beasts, and steal their cultivation sutras?" the ghost proposed in a curious tone.


    Ack! My flawless plan, seen through so easily?


    "It might work..." I muttered in a sheepish voice.


    The ghost glared at me, in shaming silence.


    I just shrugged and triggered my Concealment Skill, vanishing from his eyes and other senses. This was my hidden ace, a skill that allowed me to hide from other cultivators, as long as I didn''t intend to attack them. Which I didn''t. Pef means peace in a dead language.


    "Hmmm. So you''re not a fool, just misguided." the old ghost hummed in a low voice, while another Formation formed around and caught me like a fish in a bowl.


    My Boundless Freedom perk activated at once, and I jumped outside the trapped bowl, but the meal was cooked long ago.


    "They wouldn''t know I''m there. I''d be an invisible ghost, looting dead bodies." I complained at his unfair cheating.


    Another Formation locked me instead, and I escaped it again. That CYOA Boundless Freedom perk was kinda reality breaking, I admit. Useful, but also kinda cheating.


    "A Heaven''s Chosen ability? I haven''t seen one of those in the last...3 kalpas. And only 5 in my entire life. Even in my fallen state, my Formations are still at Soul Severing Realm." the old ghost exclaimed in a surprised voice.


    My Perfect Memory ran a cycle to find the meaning of the word. A kalpa was 4.3 billion years. This ghost was even older than 12.9 billion years? Much older than the universe I came from, not that time had the same meaning when immortal cultivators flew around.


    "You''re cheating, Grandpa! I can already beat 5 ants, even combined!" I growled in a childish voice, and pointed accusingly at the old ghost.


    The ghost smiled sheepishly, and dropped the new Formation he was crafting.


    "Being stronger than an ant isn''t an achievement to take pride on, child." he answered in a wise voice.


    "Five ants!" I argued louder. Acting like a child was fun.


    The old man sighed in defeat and turned away. "Fine! You can go try your plan. When it fails, I will have a new one."


    The last 2 months were spent crafting things, like an anti-decay void suit, and lave-proof boots, as well as test runs for these items outside, in the toxic environment of the Noxious Swamp. If I get stronger, I would rain this swamp just from spite, but for now I would endure.


    The silver lining of having both the swamp and the volcano at the exit meant that those spirit beasts also kept away, which made mapping and testing a bit safer.


    Not completely safe, since puking blood and treating my burned feet wasn''t fun, but eventually my suit and boots were finished enough that I wouldn''t be in environmental danger, the second I shifted outside the Tower. Also, every step outside moved my dimensional exit closer and closer to the edge of the swamp, until there was a single jump left, by the time the Heaven Basin opened.


    My loot senses were tingling, since beyond the swamp there were also rare herbs and various plants and trees that I wanted to collect, but for now I abstained. Changing things might be detected by smarter cultivators, better stay safe for now.

 Soul Forging

    I was quite lucky to wear this toxic suit, because the Heaven Basin was filled with toxic plants of all kinds, beside other dangers like beasts, rapid torrents and unexpected waterfalls from floating islands above. The beasts were bad enough, not only the flying ones, but also the hidden predators lurking in shadows or bushes or even underground. But the plants could look harmless or even edible, and kill you at the slightest touch.


    My Discerning Eyes were working in overdrive as I moved cautiously around, keeping quiet and waiting for my chance. Of course, my Perfect Memory marked the valuable herbs and their location on a mental map, as well as other looting opportunities like crystal caves and ancient ruins of inscripted stone.


    Eventually, I found the perfect spot to look around, a jutting rock raised above the green and purple jungle. Below me, a classic drama enfolded as three cultivators chased another for his loot.


    "Lin Fei, hand over the Saint herb!" the leader of the robbers yelled in superior tone.


    "I saw it first, Senior Brother. Go find your own." the man called Lin Fei protested in mild outrage.


    "Courting death! I was going to let you die with your corpse intact, but now I''m angry..." the Senior Brother exclaimed in anger, and signaled his henchmen to flank around.


    "Sssssttt." A tiny voice at my side added for some reason. I turned my head gently to find a thin blue snake with its beady eyes fixed on the glittering herb in Lin Fei''s hand.


    ''Heartbeat Flying Snake, uses soul poison. Worth 2 million spirit stones.'' my eyes reported as they scanned the snake sharing the rock with me.


    I moved my hand slowly and the blue snake vanished in my spatial ring. My own heartbeat seemed to want to explode in my chest, since capturing the beast might have broken my Concealment Skill. I looked down again, but nobody seemed to have noticed me, with the drama continuing.


    One of the henchmen was already dead, and Lin Fei was fighting the other one with a glowing sword, when that Senior Brother conjured a purple head made of gas and flung it towards Lin Fei.


    It won''t be long until the drama ended, so I turned around and began climbing down the rock.


    "Where did you get a Shield Talisman, loser?" I heard an angry voice.


    "You''re not the only one with an Elder helping them, Gu Wuxian." the voice of Lin Fei answered, less meekly.


    "But do you have another talisman, loser?" Gu Wuxian asked mockingly just as I reached the ground and ran towards the jungle clearing.


    Lin Fei didn''t, and held the corpse of a henchman as a shield to block the incoming gas skull. The body corroded and decayed into white bones in mere seconds, giving me a hint of why the Noxious Swamp was kept as such by this sect.


    I reached the other corpse and willed it to join my inventory in the spatial ring, while the two disciples battled over the glowing herb.


    The contents of my ring were instantly clear in my mind: a sect token, a small bag of spirit stones, a steel sword, robes, sandals, a water skin, a small bottle with pills and a roll of bamboo stripes with a sutra on them, plus a human corpse with a hole in his chest. Jackpot!


    I began to retreat as well, keeping an eye on the fight nearby. Lin Fei was losing, as the other disciple was stronger and better prepared.


    I thought for a moment, then released the blue snake from the ring, before shifting inside my Tower.


    The old ghost waited for me with a sneaky smile. "Failed already, little Pef?" he asked in a kind voice.


    I victoriously took out the bamboo sutra and rolled it open. Xiantian combat technique, Tri-sword mantra. I sighed out loud. Not exactly what I needed.


    "I did get something, but not that useful." I muttered and drew my protecting hood back, and prepared to return.


    "Wait a few minutes, child. Your suit will not withstand that decay skull technique." the ghost said in a warning tone.


    Ummm. The old ghost could see outside? I mean, he did build this Tower, so he might have abilities I don''t know about.


    Or sufficiently advanced senses that didn''t even register to me. I was quite new to cultivation, despite the CYOA downloading a set of Artisan memories for my background.


    I took out the entire corpse of the dead henchman, and set aside the slightly valuable stuff, like the spirit stones and the sword.


    The ghost flew close and stuck his white hand into the chest hole of the dead guy. "Second level of Saint Realm, killed with a single punch to the heart. The killer must be in the 5th level of Body Transformation." he deduced with a knowing voice, then opened the small bag and simply ate a spirit stone like candy.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    I did the same, eating one spirit stone just to see what happens. A burst of energy exploded in my dantian, and my level grew into the 2nd level of Xiantian, just like that. The ghost stared at me while I stared at my hands. Did I even need to cultivate with a cheat like this? My Body of the Reaction God perk was too outlandish!


    "Don''t do that anymore, child! Your body and meridians could explode." the ghost warned me as my hand moved by itself to pick up another spirit stone.


    I closed my eyes and ran a diagnostic on my internal organs, but everything seemed fine. My body simply converted the energy of the spirit stones directly into cultivation. "My body is perfectly fine, Grandpa. I''ll try one more..." I decided on a hunch, then ate another glowing energy crystal.


    I should be fine as long as the crystal wasn''t larger than my head.


    And indeed, the burst of energy pushed me over into the 3rd level, but barely. Spirit stones would help, but their impact would diminish as my cultivation realm grew. Not a perfect solution, but useful anyway.


    The old ghost sighed and poked me in the forehead for a second. "Truly blessed by the Heavens. I''ve only seen a single man like you before, and he had the True Dragon bloodline. He went on to become a Golden Celestial." he revealed in a distant voice.


    I scratched the back of my head. "My clan did perform careful selective breeding, but I don''t think we had any dragon bloodlines." I admitted with a sheepish voice.


    I did have the Good Breeding perk to account for some genetic advantages like beauty or charisma, but those wouldn''t be enough, not for what I have just done.


    "I know you don''t, child. You''re something else, perhaps the descendant of another True God." the ghost guessed almost perfectly. The Body of the Reaction God was probably a perk of True Gods.


    I smiled cutely, showing my adorable 9-year-old dimples. "I wonder if my own children will get the same bloodline. I do need to rebuild my clan anyway." I said with child-like wonder.


    It had been exactly 3 years since I arrived in this world, and things were starting to look great. I would need to find a wife or two and test the breeding theory, but that shouldn''t be hard. I was quite rich already, and soon to become quite strong as well.


    Best birthday gift ever, this random discovery!


    I ate another spirit stone, and my level didn''t manage to cross over again. I did reach the peak of 3rd level though, which was quite nice anyway.


    "Don''t eat more than 3 stones per day, young Pef. You''re not yet fully grown, and I worry about hidden problems that might stunt your growth. You won''t like it if you look like a child for the rest of eternity, right?" the ghost advised me in a wary tone.


    I nodded. "Thanks, Grandpa. You make sense."


    "Hohoho! Now I make sense, not before? Go pick up the bodies. They might have something valuable on them." he told me in a mocking voice.


    I drew back the hood of my suit and shifted outside, careful as ever. The jungle clearing had become a devastated battlefield, with hundreds of broken trees and bits of clothes and weapons flung about, and three bodies, one snake and two humans.


    I moved fast, collecting the bodies as well as the trees and all the broken metal I could find, then ran away towards the nearest ruin.


    My planning was simple, but solid. Find a place where no toxic plants could touch me, then shift back to sift through the loot.


    But instead, stepping on the round stone platform caused it to glow with green symbols, and I fell through it and landed in a cave.


    My damn Protagonist perk lead me to another adventure!


    I should wait before exploring more, though. This area wasn''t meant for Xiantian newbies like me. So I returned to the Tower and began discarding the contents of my ring, trees to one side for more furniture, and bodies on another side, for the ghost to examine them.


    "This man isn''t dead...just poisoned. By the flying snake, I believe." the old ghost warned me before I could start looting.


    I stared down, where Lin Fei lay at my feet in a deadly rictus. I touched his neck and he was certainly dead, no pulse, no breathing. "Perhaps not dead means something else to you, Grandpa. You''re also not really dead..." I muttered in a childish voice.


    The ghost coughed in surprise. "Oh, I am certainly dead, child. What you see is an Artifact''s Spirit, not the soul of a dead person. Those look completely different. And they want to eat the living."


    Hmmm. Basically an Artificial Intelligence, then? Or maybe an uploaded mind? Uploaded soul? It was good to know Grandpa wasn''t going to eat me, though. Lucky!


    The other man was certainly dead though, cut in half and having a big hole through his chest. Lin Fei didn''t play around with his punches.


    The ghost floated the glowing herb away from Lin Fei, and examined it with expert eyes, while I did the same. ''Three-stem Ganoderma, used to soul forge a Saint Soul. Worth 500 million spirit stones.'' my Discerning Eyes discovered as the ghost raised a bushy eyebrow.


    "Soul Forging?" I asked to make sure. My eyes could be wrong.


    "This secret realm holds a lot of wonders it seems. Forging the soul of a Saint can take hundreds, maybe a thousand years. Sure, there are medicine sects out in the starfields that cultivate entire gardens of these, and even better herbs. But in this low realm world? Quite a wonder." the ghost mused in a thoughtful voice, then floated the herb into my hands.


    I sat down and looked at the glowing plant for a long minute. Should I skip a thousand years of grueling cultivation? Wait a bit more?


    Eat the thing and risk it?


    My body moved by itself and I ate the herb by instinct. My soul shattered and the pain blinded me, for a moment. Again, I found myself outside my body, floating in the strange soul space. But this time, the ghost was there beside me, smiling knowingly towards me.


    There was pain, of course. But my Unbreakable Will perk dealt with the pain for me, so I could move a little and explore. There was a huge skeleton in the Noxious Swamp, now partly covered in lava and ash. But it radiated a strong soul pressure, beside the decay qi.


    The cave I discovered recently went on for days, leading to numerous rooms, some empty, some trapped or guarded by statues and some holding jade tablets. I imprinted the memory of the place for later and drew back, finding myself a new man, in a small body.


    It was almost like my body was a suit of child clothes that didn''t fit anymore. My soul was too big.


    "This feels wierd. My body is too small." I muttered in a concerned voice.


    "Which is why spirit beasts shed their old skin when they advance a realm. Their bodies feel too small. But for you...you''re just a child, so there nothing you can do. Perhaps train more and get used to it." the ghost advised me with a careless shrug.


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 Inheritance

    When I woke up, the poisoned man I recovered from the Heaven Basin was floating inside a Formation Array, while Grandpa Heavengaze stood guard.


    Lin Fei looked somewhat less dead now, possibly getting healed by the Formation. Nodding to myself, I shifted inside my treasure vault to search for a pill that might help. Sadly, there wasn''t any with the exact prescription, but eventually I found a couple of herbs in the vault''s gardens.


    ''Mystic Purple Ginseng, used to cure soul poison. Worth 40 million spirit stones''. That single herb was worth a truckload of precious stones, but they would grow back. In the meantime, I had a man to heal.


    When I returned with the herb in hand, the old ghost chuckled in amusement. "Are you sure you want to waste that precious root on this man? You don''t even know him."


    "That may be so, Grandpa. But a kind act should not be avoided only for its cost. Plus, I do have ulterior reasons..." I answered and passed the ginseng root to him.


    "Oh? Perhaps you want to obtain a cultivation method directly from him? Not bad, not bad..." the ghost nodded in approval, while the ginseng melted into a bead of purple liquid, using some kind of small array the size of his hand.


    ''Refined Purple Soul Cure, used to treat soul poison. Worth 400 million spirit stones.'' my eyes discerned to my surprise. Somehow, simply refining that root made it 10 times more valuable?


    "Still has the same effect, even in liquid form..." I observed with my genial mind.


    The ghost fed Lin Fei the liquid cure, then turned towards me. "Same effect, yes. Not the same harmful byproducts, though. You might eat that ginseng without problems, but normal people may get stuck in their cultivation forever."


    Uhhhh. I didn''t think of that. But obviously, there was a good reason why Alchemists and Pill Refiners were so valued. And even so, pills still had toxic effects if taken in quantity. Raw herbs would be that much worse.


    Lin Fei began to look even better, and by the time I finished my breakfast, he opened his eyes.


    "Where, who?" he asked in a slow voice.


    I took out the body of his dead enemy and dropped it on the floor, while Grandpa ghost made the Formation vanish. "I found you out cold, beside this dead guy. I guess you''re the one who killed him, right?"


    Lin Fei paled when confronted with the evidence. "We should burn the body...not safe." he whispered and sat down.


    I mean, destroying the evidence would be a thing criminals did. "His family should get the body back, I think. Find some closure." I countered and stored the body back in my ring.


    "..." Lin Fei dismissed me and turned towards the floating ghost. "Senior, you know better. There would be consequences if this gets out. Reprisals. Interrogations. Executions." he warned in a dire voice.


    The ghost nodded slowly. "And you want to avoid all that. Very wise. But young Pef here is an orphan, without even a method of cultivation. The victim''s family should be rich enough to afford such a method as a fair reward."


    Lin Fei turned towards me and stared for a long minute. "The Oracle Mountain method would only get you in trouble, Young Master. I do have something else, an ancient sutra I found as a child in a cave." he proposed and took out a broken metal plaque, printed with some kind of demon with 6 arms. However, only 3 arms remained intact.


    My eyes glinted as they scanned the quest item. ''Six Yang Asura Body, used to cultivate the body. Partially damaged. Worth: 50 spirit stones.''


    I frowned and glanced at the all-knowing ghost. "Grandpa, what is an Asura?" I asked with childish naivet¨¦.


    "An Asura is a kind of high rank Demon from the Netherworld. They have powerful bodies." the ghost provided with a tiny smile.


    I nodded slowly, figuring out why Lin Fei could punch his way out of trouble. This body cultivation method would certainly work in Saint Realm. And I already had my Saint Soul.


    "I suppose I can trade that dead body for the Asura sutra. Even if damaged, it should still work in Saint Realm." I decided and gave the evidence to Lin Fei. Who promptly burned it with a fire technique.


    Then I began studying the new sutra, and ignored everyone. Demons didn''t cultivate like normal people, doing exercise or taking herbal baths.


    Instead, they used beast blood and beast cores, forging themselves stronger through pain. Demons equal blood and pain. Roger.


    Deciding to test the sutra, I took out the body of the flying snake, and began carving it up according to the sutra, forming some kind of blood array on the floor. Then I stepped inside, and tried to meditate.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    I didn''t get far, when the blood array jumped by itself and imprinted on my back, causing enormous pain. What else? Right, eat the beast core.


    I followed the instructions and ate the small red bead I extracted from the snake, making my the pain shift from my skin to inside my body. Much worse. My body began to crack, and my skin flaked off. And it hurt.


    I don''t know how someone without my Unbreakable Will perk withstood this kind of pain and remained sane. "It bloody hurts!" I exclaimed and spat some blood.


    "Senior, this child is not normal...he is still conscious!" I heard Lin Fei comment towards the ghost.


    The ghost just read through the metal plate and let it drop to the floor, with a shrug. "Suffering is a normal part of life, little Lin Fei. I do worry about the inner demon that could form..."


    "Oh. I just punched it until it died." Lin Fei answered with a careless voice.


    I looked around my mental landscape, but my perk also made me immune to mental techniques. No demon showed up.


    About an hour later, my skin finished chipping away, so I stood up and threw a few punches in the air. At least three times stronger, from a single cultivation session. No wonder those Asura Demons were strong.


    So I ran to the nearest waterfall to get clean, then remembered to store a small lake inside my ring. You never know when water might be important, right? Then I changed in my back-up robes and returned to the ghost.


    "It worked, Grandpa! Triple strength already!" I exclaimed in a victorious voice.


    "...I don''t have triple strength yet. Did I do something wrong?" Lin Fei muttered to himself.


    "Don''t compare yourself with a Heaven''s Chosen, little Fei. That road only leads to suffering." the ghost answered with a mocking tone, while I picked the sutra tablet and stored it in my ring.


    "So, I found this tunnel under the secret realm, leads to many rooms. Want to go with me and explore, Lin Fei?" I asked my newer guest.


    Lin Fei blinked then sighed. "You found your way into the inheritance trial?"


    I patted his elbow, since I couldn''t reach his shoulder, and shifted us into the cave under the Heaven Basin. "This is great, right? Follow me, I know a few rooms nearby." I commanded and began walking towards the nearest tablet room.


    A second later, my feet skipped in the air, as Lin Fei held me up by the scruff of my robes. "This place is dangerous, little Pef. I will go first." he demanded in a protective voice.


    On the other hand, having someone to tank hidden traps wasn''t so bad. "I graciously agree to your willing sacrifice, Disciple Lin Fei." I spoke from my suspended station.


    The man clenched his other fist, and dropped me on the floor. "Kids are quite a pain." he muttered and took off at a light jog, which I could barely match at my best speed. Then we ran, and ran and ran some more. Damn tunnels were quite long, and barely illuminated by glowing crystals every 50 meters or so. Luckily, I was already a cultivator and could see better than normal people, and last much longer when running.


    "Hold!" I yelled as we approached the first room. Lin Fei stopped, then cautiously explored around until he found the hidden stone door.


    "You already knew it was here?" he asked to make sure.


    I just tapped my temple. "Perfect Memory. I have the entire labyrinth mapped in my head." I explained among deep breaths. I still needed more training. Lin Fei seemed as fresh as he left. But as he failed to find a hidden lever to open the door, he began to glow and punched the stone door a few times, until a hole appeared, large enough for a small child to crawl.


    I look around carefully, but sadly I was the only such child in the area. "Step aside, Lin Fei. You''re too fat to crawl through." I demanded in a superior voice, and passed by the flabbergasted disciple.


    Then crawled into the hidden room, and began searching the inner walls beside the door. One gray stone seemed a bit out of alignment, so I turned it straight and the door opened by itself.


    "You''re quite a clever child, aren''t you?" Lin Fei noted as he entered the room.


    I nodded wisely. "Proceed forward, meat shield. Try not to die." I advised him in a serious voice.


    Lin Fei growled like an uneducated brute, then stepped forward towards the tablet, while I bravely advanced backwards outside the room. This room shouldn''t be trapped, but better safe than not. And thinking of safety, time to eat a few spirit stones again.


    I ate one for my 4th level, then three more for 5th level of Xiantian. My bag of stones had become a bit fuller, with the loot from the dead guys, but if the cost of cultivation kept increasing, my stones would finish before I reached 10th level. Then I would need to wait another week for the bag to refill. Still, it could have been worse. I could have failed to pick up the spirit stones item in the CYOA, for example.


    "It''s not trapped!" I heard Lin Fei yelled from inside the room, as he picked up the tablet from a stone table.


    Which is of course when the stone table lit up with familiar green glyphs, and Lin Fei vanished.


    I shifted back to the Tower, to let Grandpa know what happened. "Grandpa, Lin Fei was eaten by a green glowing array!" I yelled from the start.


    The old ghost sighed as his eyes glowed for a second. "He was not eaten, child. The array transported him outside."


    I let out a sigh of relief. I had high hopes for the guy I saved. And also poisoned with the blue snake, but that''s less important. Saving was the important part.


    "I guess I''ll meet him later, after I finish exploring the tunnels..." I said with a casual voice, then prepared to return to my quest.


    "Outside of the secret realm, little Pef. He just completed the inheritance trial." the ghost continued in a mild voice.


    Oh. That was different. Well, I hope Lin Fei won''t start discussing what happened inside my Tower with his sect Elders. I did tell him I have Perfect Memory, right?


    "Damn it. I guess I can''t collect the cultivation tablets then. I would be transported outside too." I mused in a sad voice.


    "You''re not ready for the outside world anyway, child. Plus, the secret realm has many more treasures beside those tablets. Herbs and beasts...for example." the ghost pointed out in a wise voice.


    Why did he make so much sense? I just slumped on the floor to brood. I didn''t even know the way out of those tunnels...yet. Time to search my memories and figure out where was the exit. The right one.


    Then I opened my eyes and took out the Tri-sword mantra I had obtained yesterday from another dead guy.


    I also had his sword, which made learning the new technique easier. Time to grind again.


    My Brilliance perk was quite handy, especially for learning hew things like sutras and techniques. It made me a genius seen once in a generation, and there were milions of cultivators of my age out there. And I was the best of all of them.


    By the time the day ended, I had already learned all the sword moves, and could begin inserting qi into them. But first, another nourishing Spirit Feast, and a good night sleep.

 Born ready

    Although the Tri-sword mantra claimed to be a Xiantian technique, in truth it was barely any better than the Houtian techniques I already knew and practiced before.


    With a single difference, the qi manifestation. The Tri-sword name came from manifesting three energy swords of the same size as the sword held in hand, which could be guided to a target from three directions.


    Sadly, this ability only appeared once you Mastered the technique, until then your qi would only guide the metal sword, transforming it into a guided missile. Now, Xiantian cultivators like myself were stronger than Houtian realms, but they still couldn''t fly, unless they rode on a sword.


    "Weeeeee!" I yelled like a child as I stood on my hoversword and flew around, faster and faster until my qi was exhausted, and I crashed into a pile of tree logs prepared for new furniture. It hurt, but not as much as I would expect. I checked myself and nothing was broken, proving I had become more durable.


    "What did you learn?" the old ghost asked, perhaps sarcastically.


    "...That I need more qi." I replied with a sheepish voice. Then ate another spirit stone. Sadly, the last one for this week. I am still so poor.


    Grandpa Heavengaze sighed loudly. "You have more than enough qi for a child, little Pef. No, it''s your control that''s lacking." the old ghost advised me with a sad voice.


    Control, huh? Of course, the old spirit was right. But I did enjoy my new childhood. I never appreciated my first one properly.


    Best use the second life to the fullest.


    "You know Grandpa, learning is faster and easier when you''re having fun. As is anything worth doing in life." I answered in a wise pose, even tugging at my invisible beard.


    "Perhaps you are correct, you evil genius. That''s why you will train in my new Combat Simulator Formation Array. But, using only this sword technique that you stole from a dead man." the old ghost declared in a superior tone, as a deadly battlefield formation surrounded me in a globe of ghostly enemies, each armed with a different glowing weapon.


    The ghosts attacked rather slowly and taking turns, instead of overwhelming me with numbers, but it still took an effort to slice them with my flying sword. It was a great workout too, jumping around and bending to avoid strikes from awkward angles.


    A few hours later, my energy and stamina was depleted, and I simply ran away to wash under a waterfall. "Tomorrow, we double the speed!" the ghost warned me as I jumped in my million stones bed.


    By the time a week passed and I refilled my spirit stones, grinding in the combat array resulted in achieving Small Success with my Tri-sword technique, making it far more responsive and easier to control the sword.


    A month later, I reached Big Success with my sword technique, which reduced the qi consumption by half. At the same time, I also reached the 9th level of Xiantian, which doubled my available qi pool again.


    This was proper cultivation, increasing my power three times in a just a month. And I told the ghost the same.


    "Grass can grow fast when it''s young and fresh, but there is a limit to how tall a blade of grass will grow. You are at that limit, little Pef. One more level, and your cultivation will stall." the old spirit warned me with a serious voice.


    "Essence Gathering is not the only cultivation system, Grandpa. I can still grow with the Asura Body method. I only completed the first arm of the Asura Demon." I argued in the same tone.


    "Yeah, it''s a pity your body sutra tablet is so damaged. A real Asura would have a body as strong as a Divine Realm cultivator." The ghost sighed with a sneaky glance at me.


    Hmmm. This guy. He wanted me to ask for help.


    "You are a good Artisan, Grandpa. Is there some Formation that could repair the Demon tablet?" I asked with childish hope.


    "Oh? You think repairing a cultivation sutra is that easy?" the ghost asked, a bit rhetorical.


    Well, for me it would be the work of a lifetime, but I was a 9-year-old child with limited knowledge. For an ancient monster like this grandpa, it was probably barely an inconvenience.


    "If you can''t do it, just say so, Grandpa. Maybe Lin Fei can help when he returns in 3 years." I said with a careless shrug, and sat to down to eat my Spirit Feast. A growing child needed a balanced nutrition, so I ate the green stuff as well, not just the delicious shrimp and sliced beef. Most children wouldn''t, I know. But I was a bit wiser.


    "Perhaps that Lin Fei could. He does seem a bit special, in his own way. And since you rescued him, your karmas are now linked together." the old ghost mused in a distant voice, looking elsewhere with his special gaze.


    Ha! I was right! The old ghost could indeed scan for karma links. "So, you can repair the tablet, right?" I asked to make sure.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    The ghost sighed and began writing letters in the air, forming a list of materials needed for that Formation Array. As expected, most of them were precious materials barely available in any auction house, while others were already extinct if their source was destroyed and mined out.


    However, my treasure vault did contain about 80% of the required materials, even Six Yang Crimson Iron or White Refined Gold. I didn''t have any Demon Blood Essence though, but the vault did contain some Dragon Scales.


    I opened my hand to pile up the materials from my ring, and made another pile of possible alternatives, like Dragon Scales and Obsidian Mammoth Tusks.


    "You keep surprising me, little Pef. Hmmm, we could substitute Demon Blood with these scales and tusks, and obtain Dragon Mammoth force instead of Asura Demon force. It would even be an orthodox cultivation path, instead of demonic." the ghost mused while examining the materials I offered.


    I raised a finger. "Is there such a beast like a Dragon Mammoth?" I asked quite curious. Some kind of chimera mixture?


    "Not anymore, because it was hunted to extinction exactly for cultivating that Dragon Mammoth force. I did tell you about a Golden Celestial with a Dragon bloodline..." the ghost answered with a strange voice.


    Right! The guy which also had the Body of a Reaction God, and could eat anything without toxic buildup. And apparently he ate an entire species out of existence. Damn glutton! Anyway, if someone else could do it, I could do it too.


    "Make it so, Grandpa!" I demanded in a petulant voice.


    The ghost glared at me for a long minute. Was I a bit too rude? Probably. So I muttered, "...please?" in a low voice.


    "Aha! You do know the magic word. I was starting to wonder if you grew up among beasts, not men." the ghost proclaimed in a winner''s voice, then began his magic to create a special Formation for repairing my sutra. Of course, I kept my eyes wide open to record everything.


    But, even with my Perfect Memory, recreating such a complex array would take ages, probably because I lacked both cultivation and knowledge.


    Then again, I should compare myself with kids of my age, not old monsters.


    For example, Lin Fei was older than both my ages combined, even though he looked like a teenager. But in a few years, I will surpass him.


    My Brilliance was actually a perk, not just a guess.


    Anyway, in a few hours, the metal tablet regained its intact shape, while the image imprint on its face changed into a long Dragon with an elephant face. With my belly full of another Spirit Feast, I took the new tablet and began learning.


    After a while, it became clear I would need to redo my body transformation to incorporate both dragon and mammoth bits, like the scales and tusks in my ring. So I clenched my teeth and arranged a new ritual formation on the ground, then jumped inside to channel the new Dragon Mammoth force into my body.


    Somehow, this hurt even more than the Asura Body transformation, but it also didn''t replace it completely. I still kept the extra Demon arm, like a spiritual add-on to my new Dragon Mammoth Body. My bones broke and reformed a few times, my skin flaked off, and my veins burned from my upgraded blood. It was bad. Children shouldn''t go through such pain, you know?


    Barely conscious, I took out a spirit stone and ate it to recover my energy.


    "Well, you reached the 10th level of Xiantian already. Your grass roots are now over." the old ghost noted in a dispassionate voice.


    I waved my fist weakly at him, then fell asleep on the floor. Damn cultivation! Why was it so hard?


    But when I woke up, I felt like a new man. My body moved like floating, and I felt strong. Very strong.


    "Grandpa, what''s happening to my body? I feel...like floating." I asked in mild confusion.


    "Well, your body has just entered the Saint Realm. Not only that, but you now have an incipient form of Dragon Mammoth force." the ghost said in a soft voice, then offered me a crimson metal sword with its guard glowing like white gold.


    I grabbed it from midair, and almost fell on my face. Damn thing was heavy. Very heavy. Probably the Crimson Iron metal inside it, if I wasn''t mistaken.


    I focused my Discerning Eyes on it. ''Divine Crimson Sword, used to stab things and make them dead or more dead. Worth 500 million spirit stones.''


    "Whoa! A Divine Sword? No wonder it''s so heavy!" I yelled a bit excited.


    "Crimson Iron is a bit heavy for a child like you, but with your new body you should be able to use it. But the main purpose is to kill ghosts and other undead creatures." my ghost grandpa said with a serious tone.


    I nodded slowly, while reviewing the description with my own eyes. More dead, for those creatures that were already dead. In a cultivation world, death was not the end, or even the middle road.


    "Would it work against decay qi?" I asked with no ulterior motive.


    "The sword would be fine, little Pef. But you''re not a real Saint yet. Your own qi would get corroded by decay qi. It would happen even as a Saint, but much slower." the spirit ghost offered while tapping the sword in my hand, and making it ring like a bell.


    Wait a second. "Shouldn''t your hand pass through the sword?" I asked a bit confused.


    The ghost just stared at me with its dead white eyes. Right. The Divine Sword was made to interact with ghosts as well.


    "The Combat Array...I can kill those ghosts now?" I asked instead.


    "If I make them weak enough, yes. So, ready to train against Saint Realm ghosts?" my strange grandpa asked with a sneaky tone.


    I channeled my qi into the sword, and it floated above my hand, like an eager floating puppy. "I was born ready!" I said confidently.


    ..........


    .......


    I was not in fact ready. Saints are strong, even if looking like ghosts. I got my ass kicked. Yet, still I learned.


    By the time I reached 10 years of age, my Tri-sword technique reached Mastery level, and I could almost fight evenly with 50 Saint ghosts coming at me one by one.


    Also, I could fly on my sword like a pro, without falling even at high speeds and turns.


    "Passable. Now the real training begins, little Pef. Ready to fight 50 ghosts at once?" my grandpa asked with a weird smile.


    I knew I wasn''t. I wasn''t even a Saint myself, how could I fight 50 ghost Saints at once?


    But still. My will was unbreakable. I will find a way. ""I was born ready!" I answered confidently.


    ........


    ......


    I wasn''t. Even with three energy swords guided by my mind, and a Divine Sword in hand, I still lost everytime.


    But I was learning. A year later, I managed to kill one Saint ghost, before losing. Three months later, I killed two. Then three.


    By the time the Heaven Basin opened again, I could kill five Saints before losing. Not bad for a 12-years-old, right?


    "Lin Fei advanced another level. An entire Saint level in only 3 years is quite a miracle." the ghost told me as he scanned the outside realm.


    I nodded then waved goodbye and shifted outside as well. Back in the tunnels. Lin Fei would know how to find me.

 Sainthood

    "Who is this?" I yelled and pointed with a finger.


    "Who is this?" the woman who escorted Lin Fei yelled in the same tone, but a warmer voice.


    Looking like a teenage girl, and possibly 10 times my age, the woman had long white hair and wore the same robes as Lin Fei. But while Lin Fei had the classic look of a starved teenager like most Young Masters, the woman was something else. Long legs, an apple-shaped ass and two missile warheads on her chest. And a face that could only be what they called a jade beauty.


    "This child is Pef. An orphan boy I found in this secret realm, last time I was here." Lin Fei explained as the woman glared at him.


    "And you left him here? In a dark, cold tunnel?" The woman yelled and rushed to hug me at her warm chest.


    In the corner of my eye, I saw Lin Fei clench his fists. I couldn''t care less, since I had my face stuffed in soft, warm heavenly mountains. Two of them.


    "Who are you, auntie?" I asked while struggling to breathe. Being suffocated by a pair of perfect breasts might be the best way to die, but I preferred life anyway.


    "A-auntie? I am only 17 years old!" The woman yelled and glared at me.


    "Junior Sister Bai is the youngest Saint in our sect, little Pef. People still argue if she is talented or just lucky to have a great bloodline." Lin Fei explained in a patient voice.


    Hmmm. Not 10 times my age. Not even twice my age. I could work with that. Five years difference wasn''t much, even back home.


    "Your sect isn''t worth much then. I already reached Saint Realm with my body and soul. And last level of Xiantian with my qi essence." I declared with a careless voice, then drew away from the warm embrace of the youngest Saint. For now. I would beat her record soon.


    "How is that possible?" Sister Bai exclaimed in surprise, and even grabbed my hand to check for herself.


    "We don''t know each other that well, Junior Sister. A cultivator has his secrets..." I began proclaiming in a grand voice, making Lin Fei sigh.


    "He stole the Soul Forging herb I found last time. And blackmailed me for a body cultivation sutra." he said with a cruel voice. Very true. Maybe I was an evil genius.


    Sister Bai glared over my head at the stronger disciple. "A little child stole your herb and blackmailed you? Shame on you, Senior Brother!" she defended me with a motherly tone, and hugged me again into her warm bosom.


    "Big Sister...he is wrong. But not completely." I whispered in her chest.


    "You can tell me the truth, Little Brother. Lin Fei always plays the victim, but I saw through his tricks." the walking bombshell urged me in a kind voice, while Lin Fei glared at me in warning.


    "One day, I was out exploring above, hiding from beasts and such, when I found this guy laying on the ground, poisoned by a blue snake. So, I looked for a cure and found a purple root that could cure soul poisoning. Then my Grandpa did some magic with the root and cured Lin Fei." I said in a truthful voice, and sobbed at her chest.


    "I hear the truth in his words, Senior Brother. This child saved your life, and you dare to accuse him! How ungreatful!" Sister Bai exclaimed in outrage for my childish innocence.


    Lin Fei turned red, and his fists creaked in anger. Then he sighed and exhaled in defeat. "I know Pef saved me, Junior Sister. This is why I came to find him." he admitted in a lower voice.


    "And the Soul Forging herb?" Sister Bai urged me with a poke on my forehead.


    "Grandpa said that his Refined Purple Soul Cure was worth 400 million stones. The herb I took from his cold hands wasn''t worth that much. Lin Fei still owes me about 300 millions." I argued in a level voice.


    "R-refined? Your Grandpa is an Alchemist?" Sister Bai asked in surprise.


    "Best in the world, yes. I can take you to meet him, if you like." I said in a confident voice, then held a hand out for Lin Fei. In a second we shifted inside the Tower, while an old ghost frowned at my visitors.


    "Grandpa, Lin Fei is back. And this is Sister Bai." I introduced the party while the two disciples bowed towards the ghost.


    "Senior, I have returned. And Junior Sister Bai would have been in danger by herself in the Heaven Basin." Lin Fei said while cupping his left fist with his right palm.


    "...I think you misunderstand something, little Fei. I am not the owner of this Tower." the ghost spoke in a grave voice, and nodded towards me.


    Lin Fei blinked. Sister Bai gasped. I just sighed. "Grandpa Heavengaze is an Artifact''s Spirit." I explained in a gentle voice.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The two disciples looked around, then back to me. "This entire world is your private dimension?" Lin Fei asked, sounding amazed.


    "Yes. I hope someday there will be more people living here. Not that Grandpa isn''t nice, but he''s not really alive." I said in a sad voice, while Sister Bai hugged me tighter.


    "Poor child. You must be so lonely..." she sobbed for me in a compassionate tone.


    "Big Sister, you can visit me anytime. Or even live here if you want. But not yet." I offered with a hesitant voice.


    Lin Fei frowned, while Sister Bai seemed confused. "I don''t understand..." she muttered, confirming my suspicion.


    "Another secret?" Lin Fei asked in a wise voice.


    "How long until the Heaven Basin gets closed?" I asked instead.


    "Three days. We already spent one day searching for the tunnel entrance. After that, everyone gets sent outside, if they don''t find an inheritance sooner." Lin Fei said while his face became calmer. This guy was quite smart, even if he didn''t know the truth of the Tower yet.


    Hmm. Two days should be enough, if I used time acceleration to the maximum. The Tower could age me by 2000 days in that time. I would be 5.4 years older, by starting right now.


    "Show me the tablet." I demanded from Lin Fei.


    The man smiled and took out the jade tablet he found in the secret room three years ago.


    ''Heavenly Piercing Sutra, used to gather the essence of heavens and earth up to 10th level of Saint Realm. Worth 1.7 billion spirit stones.'' I discerned while holding the tablet in hand. That''s how Lin Fei advanced so fast in his Saint Realm. I could do much better.


    With a thought, I send Lin Fei out, leaving only Sister Bai at my side. "My Tower can increase time speed, Big Sister. One day can be 1000 days, inside this place. And with his cultivation method, I can reach Saint level 10. In 2 days." I said in a gentle voice.


    The woman looked at me for a long minute, then towards the flying old ghost. "Senior, is that true?" she asked in a hopeful voice.


    "Of course it is true. I''ll start making some furniture for Young Miss." he declared in a casual voice, then began arranging his Furniture Formation to process the tree logs into more beds, cabinets, tables and whatnot. The Tower was still quite empty, except my own room at the top.


    Another thought powered up the Tower, speeding time 1000 times. Lin Fei would have quite the surprise next time we met.


    While Sister Bai looked around, I read the cultivation method and memorized everything, then started preparing more herbs and essence pills from my vault. Cultivation methods required gathering essence. And the easiest way to get that essence was from special herbs or pills filled with energy already. Or maybe spirit stones, if you had enough of them.


    "Did you pick a room you like, Sister Bai?" I asked as the white-haired fairy returned from her exploration.


    "Yes, there is one with a view on that waterfall. And I can see this platform as well from the window." she answered in a slightly awkward tone.


    "Grandpa, please move her furniture there. And start the Combat Simulator Array as well." I asked with a childish grin.


    "What is this?" Sister Bai asked when the battlefield array covered us, and 50 Saint ghosts took out their weapons.


    "This is how I have fun in this place, Big Sister. The ghosts won''t kill us, but it hurts when you lose." I explained while taking out the Crimson Sword and flying forward to surprise the nearest ghost.


    .....


    ....


    In less than 5 seconds, the Array threw us out, defeated once more. "I only killed 3 of them!" Sister Bai noted in surprise.


    "I killed 4 this time, but I can do better. I usually kill 5 before they get me." I answered with a dimpled smile.


    "But you''re not even a Saint!" she complained as the array formed around us again.


    "I know!" I yelled and ran forward, this time taking care to summon the energy swords for defense.


    Sister Bai would adapt to the array soon enough, so best make sure I left a good impression before she outpaced me.


    ....


    ...


    A few hours later, we stopped for lunch, and I shared my Spirit Feast with her. "I think I got the trick already. I also killed 5 of them last round." Sister Bai said in a more confident voice.


    I nodded in gracious approval. "Congratulations, Sister Bai. You proved yourself equal to a 12-years-old Xiantian cultivator."


    Bai glared at me for no reason. I just smiled and kept eating.


    "I can see now why Lin Fei wanted to strangle you." she muttered in a low growl.


    "In 2 days outside, I could defeat Big Brother Fei with a single move. Just saying." I added with a cute smile.


    Bai sighed and finished her lunch in silence.


    By the next month, I also received my Tribulation warning from my Tribulation Taker perk, and decided to take a day off.


    The old ghost noticed the lack of training and floated closer. "Ominous feelings?" he asked in a wry tone.


    "My Saint Tribulation is coming soon. A few hours at most." I answered with a nod.


    "Another sign of being a Heaven''s Chosen. Most people don''t get such an advance warning." he pointed out in a wise voice.


    Well, I wasn''t most people anyway. "I was hoping for some advice." I said with a raised eyebrow.


    The old grandpa frowned and looked up. "If you''re not afraid of failure, it could be a good time to bestow a blessing on an artifact. Or maybe a pill."


    "Using the Heaven Tribulation as a quality stamp?" I asked to make sure. This could be a great way to exploit the system, forging sentient artifacts or something.


    "Hah! The reverse, but yes. The Tribulation will reject anything that''s not perfect quality. Including the cultivator himself." the old ghost said with a sneaky voice.


    "Is that how you made the Tower? Using a strong Tribulation?" I asked instead.


    "You know, children do not usually think that far ahead. I was even worse than little Fei when young, and barely reached my Saint Realm at 80 years of age. Then I spent 2000 years looking like this, and didn''t bother to change into a younger-looking shape as a Divine. My craft was my life, not my wrinkles." the old ghost spoke in a distant voice, like talking to someone else.


    "Am I cultivating too fast?" I asked a bit curious.


    "Very fast for a human, yes. But humans are quite a weak race out in the stars. Some Demons become Dark Divines in a few years, if they find enough blood and carnage to grow. As for Dragons, only the weakest ones are born as Saints. Stronger bloodlines are born directly Divine." the old ghost said with a sad voice.


    "Hmmm. Strong races, but do not cultivate 1000 times faster than a human. And I am not a regular human either." I countered with a wry smile.


    "Time compression arrays are not unique in the starfields, little Pef. But yes, nobody else has 1000 times the speed, nor can they support the energy cost for long. This Tower doesn''t cost you anything to use. I already paid the price." the old grandpa said in a low voice, and flew away, just as dark clouds began to gather over me.


    I looked up and smiled. Youngest Saint ever, here I come!

 Hugs

    By the grace of my perk called Tribulation Taker, I would never be in danger of getting killed by the Heavenly Tribulation, so instead of focusing my energy to resist the lightning strikes, I could do something more useful, like getting a blessing from the Heavens for a special artifact, in this case the Divine Sword in my hand.


    The weapon already had a special attribute of harming ghosts and other immaterial creatures, so why not make it even better?


    Slicing my palm over the blade, I poured my blood, qi and soul into the sword as the lightning bolts fell on me. Perhaps leaving myself defenseless to the Tribulation to upgrade my sword wasn''t very wise. It certainly hurt.


    But the pain was worth it. Every lightning strike that coursed through me into the sword added something more, easily seen with my Discerning Eyes.


    ''Minor self-repair via blood, qi and soul forging. Minor elemental conduciveness. Minor soul defense. Minor qi strengthening. Sword intent boosting''


    The last lightning strike added the amazing sword intent glow to my sword, but I was quite a bit fried and well-cooked right now. Healing myself first.


    ....


    ...


    "Hmmm. This kid is really troublesome. Why go to such lengths?" the Spirit Artifact muttered in an aggravated tone, while floating beside Bai and watching the spectacle in the main Tower plaza.


    "Senior. Neither you nor Pef seemed worried about the danger of Tribulation." Bai observed in a curious voice, while the subject of their discussion ate a few pills to heal himself.


    "Oh. Indeed, we wouldn''t worry about such a minor thing. I suppose not even the Divine Tribulation will faze my little Pef. He is a Heaven''s Chosen after all." the Spirit Artifact answered in a serious voice.


    "That...are you certain, Senior?" Bai asked in surprise.


    "Perfectly certain. I have seen such people before. As for you, Young Miss...how many women are among the Divines of your sect?" the ghostly spirit asked with a sneaky tone.


    Bai hesitated for a minute, gathering her memories. "I don''t know any. Maybe they never had a genius female able to ascend further?" she asked, already knowing she was wrong. The Oracle Mountain had existed for millions of years, and there were thousands of other girls in the sect even now.


    "This is a serious problem, little Bai. Half of the recruited disciples are females, but none of them reach Divinity with the sect. I suspect they are used differently, most likely for Pure Yin harvesting." the old spirit mused in a lower voice.


    Bai blushed for a second, while hugging herself. "How? Why isn''t anyone talking about it?"


    The spirit just sighed. The cultivation world was always cruel, even more so in such a poor and low level world. The cultivation resources were scarce, while the Pure Yin of young females served as a readily available tonic for ruthless cultivators.


    "Anyway, your presence here is distracting Pef from cultivation. He is a young man after all, and you''re a pretty girl." the spirit answered instead, changing the topic.


    "I see. My own sect would drain me dry as they would drink a bottle of fragrant wine, while here I am only an unwelcome distraction. " Bai concluded in a sad voice.


    The old spirit just turned his cold, empty eyes away. "Luckily for you, I am not the owner of the Tower. My wise advice may not be worth as much as a pretty face and a young body." he replied with a smirk.


    ....


    ...


    "Grandpa! Sister Bai!" I yelled and flew towards the balcony after healing my burned skin.


    Bai blinked at my naked torso, and slightly better muscles from my Saint Realm ascension. "You really are a genius!" she observed in a mild voice.


    I nodded modestly, and presented my upgraded sword to the old ghost. "Look, Grandpa! I listened to your advice and my sword got a few Heavenly Blessings!"


    The Spirit Artifact covered my sword in a new Formation Array, and it flew in front of him. "Hmmm. Nothing special, except this sword aura. It should make it easier for you to learn your Sword Domain sooner."


    "Grandpa, can we make another divine sword for Sister Bai?" I asked with a glance at those gravity-bending mountains on Bai''s chest.


    The old ghost sighed. "What we? You are simply exploiting these old bones..." the spirit grumbled, but didn''t say no. Good enough.


    I grinned a bit too wide and took Bai''s hand in mine. "Sister Bai, you will need to help too. Your own blood and qi would make the new sword attune better. This is even more important once you ascend to Divinity and your artifacts become Divine as well." I explained in a serious tone.


    Bai blinked as we held hands for far too long. "Pef...you want to help me reach the Divine Realm?" she asked in confusion.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "Of course. Saints still die after a thousand years or so. Why would I want you to die?" I asked in the same tone.


    The young woman hugged me tight to her chest, and while my new Saint rank would allow me to resist, why would I? This felt quite nice.


    After a few minutes, Bai caressed my head and gently let go. "You are very kind, Little Brother. Does this mean I can stay here?" she asked in a shy voice, while glaring over my head at the Spirit Artifact, who glared back at her.


    I turned at the old ghost with a raised eyebrow.


    "Young Master, you will soon grow into a young adult and experience...urges. A pretty girl like Bai would distract you from cultivation." he warned me in a serious tone. Aha! That''s why the glares. Except I very much wanted to be distracted.


    I nodded and took a wise pose, tugging at my chin. "I understand, Grandpa. The Yin energy of a young woman is basically mandatory if she is to achieve her Divine Realm. I won''t ruin Bai''s chances by being greedy." I answered in a solemn voice.


    "That''s not what I said, but you are right, Young Master." the old ghost said in a satisfied voice.


    "However, if we kick Sister Bai out, her Pure Yin will be plundered by some bastard in that sect. Then she will die, never to reach Divine Realm and eternal life. I cannot allow that." I concluded in a level voice.


    The old ghost frowned, then nodded slowly. "Perhaps you are wiser than I thought, Young Master. And you, Miss Bai...better make sure you don''t tempt young Pef and ruin your future." he warned the white-haired beauty in a stern voice.


    I held out a finger, before Bai could promise too much. "Let''s not go too far. There are little things we could do, that won''t endanger her Yin. Her hugs are quite nice." I interjected and held my arms wide for another hug.


    Bai laughed gently and wrapped her arms around me. "I don''t mind hugging you everyday, Little Brother" she whispered in my ear.


    I smirked at her bosom, and rubbed my head on her breasts. "You''re the best, Sister Bai! We can hug for one hour, then we can have dinner." I allowed in a princely voice, making both her and the ghost snort and giggle at my antics.


    After dinner, Grandpa ghost and Bai began constructing her own Divine Sword, while I went to test myself with the Combat Array.


    Being a Saint myself made things easier, and I managed to kill the sixth enemy on the first try and even the seventh at the tenth try. Not too shabby, when surrounded by 50 other Saints. The new sword intent aura also helped, and my Brilliance helped me learn how to use it much faster.


    By the next month, I managed to generate sword intent by myself, leaving both Bai and Grandpa a bit speechless.


    "I don''t know what to say." Bai whispered as she hugged me tightly.


    "It should be impossible, but..." the old ghost muttered in a daze.


    I smiled and placed my hand on Bai''s left peak. "Grandpa, you exaggerate too much. I simply hold the sword, and will it to project its edge wider." I explained while doing the same to Bai''s breast.


    The jade beauty blushed and gasped, as my sword intent covered her sensible mound and gave her mountain peak a sharp tip that pierced her robe.


    "Wait...do it again." Bai demanded as her eyebrows turned into concentration arcs. I drew back a little and did it with both hands, while the old ghost flew closer and watched.


    Over and over I kept pulsing my sword intent until her robes were broken and the amazing peaks floated freely, covered in sword aura.


    Then a tiny pulse, and her breasts got covered by sword aura by Bai alone.


    "I did it too! Thank you, Pef!" she yelled in joy and hugged my face between her amazing snow mountains. Naked mountains, this time.


    "Curious, but a genius is something special indeed. Miss Bai seems quite a genius too, in her own way..." the old ghost muttered as he drew away and left me enjoy my prize.


    A minute later, Bai realized her naked state and blushed, but didn''t push me away. "Pef, if it''s you, I don''t mind..." she whispered in a soft voice.


    I raised my hand and covered a naked peak while using the other mound as a warm pillow. "Bai, we have eternity in front of us. Maybe you''ll find someone better?" I offered in a teasing tone.


    "Someone with a better Tower world and more than 1000 times time compression? And being so kind to me?" she asked a bit rhetorical.


    "Not those. But you know...a famous poet or painter. Maybe calligraphy or music." I tested out with the four arts of this world.


    "You''re being silly. You made my breasts glow with sword aura! A painter could paint that, but not make it true." she answered with a kind voice.


    I decided to test my luck, and licked the tip of her breast. "I could learn painting, and paint your body..." I proposed with a smirk.


    "Grandpa was right too. You are growing up and getting urges." Bai noted and ruffled my hair.


    "Perhaps. But I was promised these breasts as rent. And they taste good too." I muttered and licked the tip again, feeling it getting hard under my tongue.


    Bai blushed and hugged me tighter.


    "Kids! Get back to cultivation!" Grandpa yelled from afar.


    I smiled and drew back. "Let''s kill more Saint ghosts!" I proposed with new energy.


    "Level two Saints from now. It''s getting too easy." the old ghost spoke in a harsher voice, as Bai covered herself and drew out her new sword.


    My eyes glanced over the weapon. ''Divine Ice Blade. Can damage ghosts. Minor elemental conduciveness. Minor soul defense. Minor qi strengthening. Worth 1 billion spirit stones.''


    For a weapon that didn''t receive the Tribulation Blessing it was already quite good.


    Her blade got covered with frost qi as Bai channeled qi into the sword, and then a faint sword aura that she had just learned today.


    Then 50 Saints at level two rushed us, twice as strong as before. I manged to kill one and Bai none, before their strikes hit us with minor ghostly pain and the Combat Array reset.


    "Damn it! Only one?" I complained while Bai glared at me.


    "I couldn''t even do anything! These ghosts are too fast and strong!" she mutttered in dismay.


    "A true Sword Saint can kill 50 other Saints easily. Stop crying and just get better!" Grandpa ghost growled as the ghosts appeared again.


    ....


    ...


    An entire year passed, until Bai could kill a level two Saint before she ''died'' in the array. I could kill five of them already. But then I also climbed to the 2nd level of Saint Realm too.


    Not only that, but my sword technique level was approaching Transcendence, which will make it the same as a Saint Technique. Constant sword combat was a great help.


    "Give me hug, Pef! I deserve it now!" Bai demanded as a prize for her ghost Saint kill.


    I embraced my girl and patted her back. "You are now equal to me from a year ago. Not bad, my snow princess." I offered in a warm voice.


    "Lin Fei can still beat you!" she growled as a warning for my cheeky words.


    "We still have 4 more years to train." I said then rubbed my face between her breasts.


    She sighed and hugged me tight. "Grandpa will raise the ghost levels soon."


    I sighed too. Damn ghost was pushing me to train harder. "Then we''ll kill stronger ghosts. It''s is rather fun too."


    "Um. I just worry what are we training so hard for. I am now three times stronger than I came here. In just one year" Bai said in a wary tone.


    Unlike Bai, I knew quite well what awaited outside. We were not nearly strong enough.

 Time enough for love

    As I expected, constant pressure from fighting 50 Saints worked wonders for my combat techniques growth, and by the next year the Tri-sword sutra reached the Transcendence level.


    My energy swords increased to 9, by splitting the original 3 into 3 more. Not only that, but my sword aura now covered them as well, as if they were real swords. My first test in the Combat Array let me defeat 10 Saints directly, and with practice I raised the number to 12.


    Bai had also increased her cultivation level to 2nd Saint level, and she could kill 6 of the Saint ghosts, which wasn''t bad at all, but still only half of my score.


    She leaned on me and drew as deep breath as we emerged from the array. "Pef! You''re a monster! No wonder Grandpa thinks you''re the Heaven''s Chosen." she complained in a tired voice.


    I sighed inward. I didn''t even have Saint Realm combat techniques! Even at Small Success, such an advanced technique would be stronger than my upgraded Xiantian sword sutra. Bai also used a Xiantian technique, but she only reached Mastery, and it just wasn''t enough.


    I hugged her with one arm, while raising my free arm to take out a Dragon scale from my spatial ring. "I think it is time to upgrade your body to the Saint Realm too. You tire too easily, I am not even sweating..." I pointed out in a mild voice.


    Bai drew me close and kissed my cheek. "Dragon scales are so rare and expensive." she noted in a reserved voice.


    I just nodded, and turned, staring into her azure blue eyes. "You are worth more to me, Bai. Material wealth is only that, not that I am poor anyway. But, you will have to repay me...with your new body." I demanded with a flirty voice, and leaned closer to steal a quick kiss on her lips.


    Bai blushed, and drew my face between her breasts. "Damn horny man! You''re already abusing my puppies everyday..." she muttered in a gentle tone.


    I perfectly agreed, and sat down with Bai in my lap to eat my daily share of soft white rabbits hidden under her robes. An hour later, Bai was all red and sweating as the heat became too much. "Let me rest..." she asked in a soft tone.


    My growing body had urges, and my smaller brother was now rock hard under her plump ass. "Let''s go eat, and then begin the Body Transformation method. I am curious how strong you''ll become." I offered and rose with Bai in my arms to head for the dinner table.


    My Spirit Feast chest was a lifesaver, constantly producing nutritious and spirit-filled meals even under time compression. At the same time, my spirit stones bag had begun producing high-grade spirit stones since my ascension to Saint Realm, more than a regular disciple would receive as their weekly ration from a sect. And once I became a Divinity, the bag would likely produce the rare Divine Crystals, that Elders received once per year from their sect.


    "This is the body sutra you blackmailed from Lin Fei?" Bai asked as I arranged the ritual array with Dragon scales and Mammoth tusks.


    I glanced at the old ghost floating to the side, keeping watch for any mistakes in the array creation. "The metal plate is the same, but Grandpa repaired the sutra to use the Dragon Mammoth force instead of the original Asura force. No need for bloody sacrifices and consuming beast cores like this." I said with a smile.


    Bai glanced at the Spirit Artifact, then back down at the metal plate in her hands. "All right. This should be much safer. I bet it will hurt like hell, even so." she declared in a cautious voice, then begin reciting the sutra.


    I drew back, as the ghost flew at my side. "The girl is special, you know? I sense a terrifying bloodline hidden in her blood."


    Ah, my Protagonist perk strikes again! "Soon, her formidable family will appear to reclaim their long-lost heir, and force me into a combat trial in 3 years for her hand." I muttered with a fatalist voice, only for the ghost to smack my forehead.


    "I wish it was that simple, but this is not a trash novel. She carries the bloodline of a formidable beast, one I know as the Absolute Frost Hare. The Dragon Mammoth sutra shouldn''t interact much with the bloodline, so we''re safe for now." the old ghost said with a glare towards me.


    "That Absolute title...it means what I think it does?" I asked to make sure.


    "Much worse. Imagine stars freezing and becoming solid ice as the beast flies past. As for planets or people on them...they would just shatter into dust." the Spirit Artifact spoke in a warning tone.


    Yeah, the Protagonist perk was strong. What''s the best way to force me to become stronger? Throw in a random enemy that can''t be defeated.


    I only wanted to cultivate in leisure and enjoy my love life with a harem of jade beauties. Was that too much to ask?


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "Above Soul Severing realm?" I asked without ulterior motives.


    My old Grandpa smacked my head from behind. "You''re doing that wrong kind of thinking again. Even if I can save you that time, what about the next times? How will you grow, if kept protected at all times?" he growled in annoyance.


    I nodded with a grateful smile. Grandpa ghost was quite badass, it seemed. Even an Absolute Beast wasn''t beyond his Formations skill.


    Then again, he made the Heavengaze Tower, so he couldn''t be weak. "I am growing a thousand times faster than others. However, I don''t want to live alone in this Tower for eternity. Bai is only the first in my future harem of jade beauties." I declared in a confident voice.


    The old ghost snorted and flew away.


    By the next day, Bai achieved her Dragon Mammoth force too, and the Saint Realm in Body Transformation. I couldn''t help with her soul cultivation yet, but the soul grew with life experience anyway. Combat was good, no doubt. But I had a few other methods to train her.


    "Pef? Why did you ask me to come your room? Are you planning something unseemly?" Bai asked in a suspicious voice, as I sat on my million stones bed.


    I nodded gently. "There is something I want to try with you, my sweet rabbit girl. Come closer..." I asked with a smile.


    Bai blushed and came close, climbing in my bed to wrap her arms around my head, and burrow my face between her breasts. Taking my time, I licked and caressed the pink peaks until her breath got ragged.


    "Now, take my little brother and smother it between your breasts." I proposed with a horny voice.


    Bai gasped at my request for a second, then raised her head to kiss me on lips. "So forward and bold! I knew your urges were growing..." she admitted with a flush face, then drew a bit lower to extract my hard dick from my pants and place it between her wet breasts.


    The soft skin engulfed me in pleasure, as Bai rubbed her puppies up and down my shaft. Indeed, I could feel my soul float outwards, until a pair of red lips stopped it. I opened my eyes to find Bai kiss the tip of my dick, poking out between her breasts. "You like that?" she asked in a naive and curious voice.


    I let out a deep breath. "Feels good. Keep going!" I demanded while placing a hand on the back of her head, to help with the training.


    Her movements became deeper and deeper, until my dick popped out from the soft prison and entered her dripping mouth, while her tongue played circles around my tip. It was heavenly, and I felt myself melting like a candy. A minute later, Bai drew back and kept only the tip of my dick on her tongue. Her eyes raised playfully towards me, and dared me to do something.


    "This was nice, but we have to get back to training." I forced myself to say, only to see her pout in defeat.


    Bai kissed my tip once more, then drew back and started tying her robe. "And here I thought you would give in to those urges..." she whispered in a coy voice.


    I swore to myself to pump a dozen children into her womb as soon as it was safe. But outwardly, I just drew close and hugged her in my arms. "There''s time enough for love, dear Bai. Strength is more important right now."


    "Ah, so mature and wise! I want to have a dozen babies with you..." she whispered in a horny voice.


    My Unbreakable Will perk acted to stop me before I could ruin her, and I just smacked her ass playfully. "You are not Divine yet, my sweet Bai. But I guess you have a reason to train harder now."


    Her throat growled a bit and she grabbed my own ass. "Tomorrow, I am going to eat you whole!" she promised in a horny voice, then turned around and jumped out the window on her flying sword.


    Grandpa Heavengaze appeared in my room and glanced down at my saliva dripping dick. "You managed it beautifully, Young Master. Miss Bai will train much more seriously now, with a goal in mind."


    I tucked my little brother into my pants and shrugged. I didn''t mean to get this result, but if it works, why not?


    "Is there a safe way to increase her cultivation speed? I am immune to pill toxicity but she is not." I mused while glancing down the window into the plaza where Bai was fighting 50 Saints inside the Combat Array. I could eat pills by the handful, by the grace of my Reaction God Body, but normal humans would get poisoned by the residual toxins.


    The old ghost frowned for a second, then glanced at my pants. "You could filter more pills and herbs inside your body, and feed her the safe liquid through that. Miss Bai does seem interested in eating you whole, after all."


    I blinked at the novel idea, then smiled. This could be safe and pleasant as well.


    With I thought, I vanished inside the treasure vault to collect more herbs and qi pills. It was time to transform my love liquid into divine ambrosia.


    By the next day, Bai arrived in my room without asking, and just dropped her robes on a chair, keeping only her short pants on. Her white skin glowed with youthful energy, while her eyes stared at me like I was a juicy meal.


    I grinned and dropped my own robes into my ring, then laid back on my bed. "Feeling a bit famished, my white rabbit?" I asked in a teasing voice.


    She practically teleported above me, then drew me into a hungry kiss. After a long minute, I felt her hands roam over my body and grabbing my little brother with a firm hand. "Pef, you have awakened something inside me. Like a beastly instinct." she spoke in a horny voice, and glided lower to trap my dick between her breasts.


    "I knew that. Which is why today, you will have to drink my love juice. It will help your cultivation and sate the beast." I said while pressing the side of her breasts onto my dick to make it pop out on top.


    Bai''s eyes glinted with somehing deep and hungry, then she lowered her head to lick the tip of my dick. Soon enough, she gulped my dick entirely and fondled my balls with a free hand, making me see pink stars even with my eyes closed.


    Thus, I grabed her head and began pumping gently, enyoing the smooth and slick sensation of her mouth. It didn''t take long, and I errupted into her mouth, filling it with refined qi energy while Bai''s hand clenched painfully on my balls.


    Bai slurped everything with an eager face, then rested her head on my leg to digest her prize. In a few hours, she converted my liquid into her own qi, and grew a bit stronger. Maybe 20% of a level.


    The pills and herbs that I digested would have given anyone a full level at least, but I guess the conversion wasn''t perfect. Anyway, we would just have to repeat this a few times. I ate a spirit stone to regain my energy, and just fondled her breast with a free hand, while my other hand played gently with her tongue. I lucked out with my sweet Bai.

 Pearly Gates

    Another year has passed inside the Tower, and several hours outside. This 1000 times speed enhancement is so unfair, allowing me to achieve a great deal of things while someone else simply took a night''s sleep.


    I had three Artisan fields to focus on, Pill Refining, Blacksmithing and Formations, and each would take someone else a thousand years to master properly. At most, it would take me a year with a great teacher like Granpda Heavengaze to help.


    And while Bai lacks the Artisan perk and is mostly focused on sect stuff like fighting and gossip, I began to create a training plan for her, including bits of Body Transformation methods adapted from my Houtian techniques, and some better stuff suggested by the old ghost.


    Some things would be familiar to a modern man, like running, lifting weights and getting boiled in medicinal baths. Other stuff like getting beat up with an iron pole or jumping from great heights might seem outlandish, but they were also the norm in this cultivation world. Even punching rocks and plates of metal wasn''t a big deal. Adding some healing pills and my special dick liquid to the diet completed the training schedule, and it worked wonders for Bai. In a single year, she climbed two levels in body cultivation, although even Grandpa was unsure if this was our efforts or her amazing bloodline helping from within.


    I followed mostly the same schedule, excluding drinking my own liquids. Instead I simply ate pills, herbs and spirit stones, beside the Spirit Feast meals, and gained the same result. Level three in body cultivation, which is not too shabby.


    However, proper cultivation meant accumulating qi inside your dantian, and raising the levels of Essence Gathering, or the Qi Path of cultivation. This was the most common path among humans, and the one with the flashiest results, from flying to elemental spells and many more tricks. Sword skills also mostly used the Qi Path, for the simple reason that Sword Qi was the result of the conversion of unaspected qi. Technically, one could use a sword with brute force only, and some primitive cultures did that, but they couldn''t get the same results, not without sword qi.


    Lastly, the Soul Forging cultivation, or the Soul path, was way more difficult and esoteric than the straight forward methods above. One can cultivate the soul in numerous ways, from ethics and morality towards enlightenment, or via soul domination and soul slaves, or even beast taming. I tried a mild approach of a moral life and dual cultivation, but so far my soul cultivation did not increase much. Not even a level in three years. I''m quite certain my Grandpa ghost would know where I failed, but I don''t want to ask. I wouldn''t like his answer anyway.


    Thus, instead, I turned my attention to my Artisan origin, since it is well-known that alchemists and blacksmiths have strong souls.


    With a fresh batch of herbs from my treasure garden, I struggled to create more pills, and hopefully fail a bit less in my Pill Refinement.


    My background already covered Houtian level pills, so with the help of my Saint Realm soul the Houtian pills all emerged at top quality. Sometimes I even got the rare cloud pills, which got clouds shapes printed on their exterior.


    ''Body strengthening pill, Houtian Realm. Top quality. Worth 500 spirit stones.'' I read with my Discerning Eyes as I observed the pill in my hand.


    "You should stop wasting time with low level pills, Young Master. Your time is more valuable than a few spirit stones you would gain from selling that." Grandpa advised me with a bored voice.


    The old ghost was always right, with the benefit of his billions of years of failures becoming true wisdom.


    "Cloud pills are worth 1000 spirit stones though. Too bad they only appear when stars align." I muttered and stored the pill in my ring.


    Grandpa ghost smirked and looked up at the fake sky of the Tower. "I''m quite amazed you deduced that without having a real sky to look at. It took me 300 years to learn this." he noted in a surprised voice.


    I looked at him and blinked. I was being sarcastic, but if astrology somehow altered the results of my pill refining, it could be important. Or maybe it was not astrology...but some kind of cultivation world astronomy?


    "The Sun is Yang and the Moon is Yin, that kind of stuff?" I asked to make sure.


    "Correct, for low level pills the main celestial bodies nearby can influence the Yin-Yang balance and the quality of the pill. Higher realm pills do require some expertise in starfield topology and exotic fields." the old ghost explained patiently, and used his finger to draw a rhombic structure in midair, with a few thin tendrils continuing at the corners.


    I frowned, using my Perfect Memory to scan my first life knowledge. "Is that your Pearl Sea Starfield?" I wondered with a keen voice.


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    Grandpa nodded and expanded the drawing to focus on a certain corner and the emerging tendril made of galaxies. "This is the Pearly Gate zone, where I died long ago. It is not a single gate, of course. More like a war zone filled with star castles and war fleets. And armies so large they warp gravity with their presence." he said in a distant tone.


    My mind instantly connected to older memories of Master of Orion and Stellaris. "It''s a choke-point at the entrance into the starfield!" I deduced with my brilliant mind.


    The drawing vanished and grandpa turned away. "Divine soldiers die by the trillions to defend the gates, and allow civilians and artisans to live and work in peace. Now start with Xiantian Realm pills and stop wasting the time I''ve bought for you."


    Cosmic horror aside, the drawing gave me a purpose in my new life. A single planet like the one I lived on was but a spec of dust in a single galaxy, and a cosmic starfield like I just saw would have a trillion galaxies inside. There would be innumerable jade beauties to collect for my future harem. The world size pocket dimension of my Tower might not be big enough.


    With new energy and clarity of purpose, I took out new herbs and began refining a set of Xiantian pills. My future girls will need those pills to cultivate faster!


    ....


    ...


    Bai emerged from her Combat Array with a glowing face, having just killed the seventh Saint ghost, before she ''died''. Finally some progress.


    "Grandpa! I killed seven!" she exclaimed while looking around for Pef, to get some praise and pampering.


    "Pef is making pills now. And I told you before, 50 of these simulated enemies are the minimum you need, to survive outside. But the array can expand to real size gate battles with billions of Divine soldiers. How long can you last in such a battle?" the old ghost asked in a mild voice, and shook his head.


    Bai hesitated, then glanced down. "I thought I was betting better..." she muttered in dismay.


    Grandpa ghost just stared at her with a raised eyebrow. His silence was worse than getting a bad mark.


    "I will get better, Grandpa! Just need to advance my sword technique." Bai promised with a serious voice.


    The Combat Array reset and Bai drew her sword once more. She wasn''t tired yet, she could fight a dozen more rounds.


    ....


    ...


    Much later, I stared at the burned pill in my alchemist cauldron, going over the reasons I could have failed.


    "Leave and go feed Miss Bai. You haven''t failed enough to deduce the reason." the old ghost spoke from behind.


    I threw the failed pill into the full trashcan, then jumped out the window while circulating my qi. Three seconds later, I landed painfully on the hard stones of the plaza and found Bai waiting at the rustic table I crafted from wood logs.


    "You killed seven today! Good job!" I exclaimed and hugged my girl in a praising voice.


    "You can kill 15 already. I''m too slow." Bai muttered, a bit upset.


    I just kissed her forehead and began setting the table with the Spirit meals from my chest. "We''ll get there, sweet Bai. We have time to train." I answered in a careless tone, and begun wolfing down the energy-filled dishes.


    Bai ate even faster, then took out a waterskin and drank it all, in one long gulp. My eyes locked on her neck, and the enticing swallowing motions.


    "Bai, I want to do things with you..." I whispered in a horny voice.


    She blushed and nodded shyly. "Hm. I don''t mind." she spoke in a soft voice and looking down.


    I took her in my arms and flew on my sword to my room, then laid in bed beside her. "You know I love you, right?" I asked in a teasing voice, and kissed her neck.


    "The Combat Array can expand to a billion enemies. Divine soldiers." she said in a sad voice, while my hands opened her robe to liberate her soft white puppies.


    "Yeah. We''ll get there one day. Maybe fight in front of the Pearly Gate against cosmic horrors. But not yet. Tonight it is just you and me, love." I answered in a kind tone, then sought her warm lips with mine.


    "Just don''t leave me behind..." she pleaded in a warmer voice.


    My mouth descended lower on her neck, then her breasts, making Bai gasp in pleasure. "You think I would ever leave you? Silly girl." I admonished her and smacked her ass as punishment.


    "There will be many pretty girls outside. Maybe more talented than me." she argued a bit wary.


    I stopped for a second, and simply played with her breasts while staring in her eyes. "My heart is big enough, love. And there''s room in my Tower for plenty girls, I won''t need to leave anyone behind." I argued with a pure heart.


    Bai laughed and poked my forehead. "You big idiot! That''s not how you woo a girl" she admonished me with a big grin.


    I drew my pants down to let my little brother get some air. "Oh? You don''t want my thing anymore?" I asked rhetorical as her face grew hot and horny at the sight.


    "I''ll just drain you dry and you won''t need another girl." she spoke in a convinced tone, and dove down to gulp me whole.


    I smiled and teased her hard nipples, while she pumped her head up and down my shaft. Drain me dry? A Saint could go for days without problems. A Divine cultivator migth go for years. And higher realms, who knows?


    "Turn over!" I demanded and helped her roll around with her face and breasts up. Then I plunged my dick deep into her throat, and grabbed her breasts like handles.


    Bai worried for nothing. Why would I leave just a pretty babe with the body of saintess? And things would get even better once she ascended to Divinity.


    Hearing Bai gasping and sloberring over my dick made me even more excited, and my glands burst with qi enhanced liquid into her mouth.


    She obediently drank it all, then climbed into my arms to get hugged and pampered.


    "You liked that?" I asked with a tiny smirk.


    "Drained you dry, like promised. We''ll have proper sex once we ascend, right?" she asked in a hopeful voice.


    "Of course. And a dozen kids at least. This Tower is quite empty." I promised and got kissed fiercely for it. Seems she wants kids too, one day.


    My dick sprang back to action, and Bai giggled. "Just lay down and relax. I''ll help you drain those big balls." she urged me and lowered herself to pleasure me once more.


    I held her long white hair in my hands, and let her have fun with my wet dick, while my mind drifted towards the starfields above.


    One day I might roam the universe and see the Pearly Gates with my own eyes.

 Sword Saint

    My training continued at a fast pace, delving a bit in every Artisan aspect, as well as gathering essence to level up my cultivation realm, training my body in harsher exercise and even forging my soul in various ways, eventually obtaining my 2nd Soul level in Saint Realm after 5 years.


    "It is quite improbable what you did, Young Master. Humans require at least 50 years of life experience to even be able to reach this 2nd level. Spirit Beasts can develop faster, but they have a different body and soul." Grandpa mused with examining me again from head to toe.


    I kinda knew what he was talking about, considering my combined age from both lives was now higher than 50 years. "Artisan develop faster too." I countered with a well-reasoned argument.


    "Hmmm. You haven''t failed enough pills for that. Anyway, jump into the Combat Array now. We should see a substantial increase." he demanded with a gruff voice. I smiled and jumped directly into the middle of the Formation Array, and got surrounded by 50 level 4 Saints, all the ghosts one level higher than my own cultivation.


    My Tri-sword sutra lit up, and 9 extra energy swords floated around me, while my Divine Sword began to glow with sword intent. My progress in combat skills had slowed down with the split focus on Artisan skills, but I still managed to reach 19 kills, before my Soul cultivation upgrade.


    Instantly, I used 6 energy swords to attack the nearest targets, while using 3 swords to deflect incoming weapons, but today the Saint ghosts seemed to move slower, or perhaps more predictably. I killed 15 before even taking my first hit, and climbed to 25 kills before taking the next. Half-way to victory? The soul upgrade seemed to matter a great deal more than regular cultivation.


    Then 20 ghosts sacrificed themselves to block my swords and allow then remaining 5 to strike me at once and ''kill'' me, losing 6 more in the final attack.


    "You killed 31? 31!" Bai yelled from the side, half surprised and half amazed.


    "Again!" Grandpa demanded with a frown on his ghostly face.


    I completed a dozen more trials before I managed to increase my kill count again, to 32. However, inside me something stirred and burned, as if my soul was not satisfied.


    "Again!"Grandpa demanded loudly.


    I did a dozen more, and failed to pass the 32 kills mark, to my inner dissatisfaction. I felt I was close to a breakthrough, but not there yet.


    "Again!" I demanded with a growl, although my qi reserves were drained.


    The ghosts moved even slower this time, and I managed to kill 35, before being rushed by the remaining 15 and killed in disgrace.


    "How are you doing that?" Bai yelled in an outraged voice.


    "Again..." I whispered in a tired voice. My qi had run dry, and my sword felt heavy, now that I couldn''t circulate my qi to support the massive weight.


    The ghosts moved like trapped in honey, and even without my qi and my Crimson Sword, the energy swords flew around like deadly butterflies, slicing and dicing my enemies who could barely dodge or defend.


    I felt my Crimson Sword fall to the floor, before my eyes closed and everything turned black.


    ....


    ...


    "Grandpa? What was that? He killed 48 ghosts!" Bai asked with a loud voice. Pef had more than doubled his kill count, and almost won the array!


    "Hmmm. That is the final stage of that Xiantian combat technique. It has reached Saint Realm." the old ghost answered while tugging at his long beard.


    "What? You mean he achieved Perfection? Doesn''t that take a thousand years?" Bai wondered with a surprised voice.


    "It depends on the person, and the technique itself. Immortal techniques might take a kalpa or two to reach Perfection. Or maybe just a thousand years for a genius." the Artifact Spirit mused in a thoughtful voice, and turned to scan the white-haired woman with his special senses.


    The karma string between her and Pef had just turned red. They would never part in this life, and perhaps not ever. Which was a problem, but for later. That Absolute Hare would not like such a strong karma tie. Then again...her Absolute Frost bloodline wasn''t bad either. Not to the level of a Heaven''s Chosen, but such people were much too rare even in an entire starfield.


    A top tier bloodline would have to do, even for the Master of the Tower. Maybe later, once Pef grew stronger, he could explore the local starfield and find some better women for his harem.


    "Will I be able to reach the same level as Pef?" Bai asked in a worried voice.


    "Yes. It will take longer for you, but everyone who trains inside my Combat Array becomes a Sword Saint. Eventually." he answered in a level voice.


    Bai sighed and slumped beside Pef, holding his head in her lap. "They called me a genius...what a joke." she muttered, a bit defeated.


    "You''re probably equal to the Lin Fei now. It''s not too bad, but you''ll get better." the Artifact Spirit spoke in a kinder voice. Even a one-in-a-million genius was nothing, when compared to Heaven''s Chosen. At least she will have the Tower to compensate for her lack of talent.


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    "Grandpa, you''re so old and seen so much. Is there a way to become stronger?" Bai asked while her eyes glowed with determination.


    "There are many ways. But to grab those opportunities, you should become a Sword Saint first. Pef will be one in a week or two." the old ghost answered with a shrug.


    Bai lifted Pef in her arms and took him outside the Formation circle, then returned inside the array with her Divine sword out. "Please Grandpa. Make me a Sword Saint!" she asked in a respectful voice.


    The old ghost sighed and dialed the training ghosts two levels lower. "Try to reach Transcendence first. You have 3 months." he demanded in a warning voice, then started the combat training once more. Without a proper Soul cultivation method, the girl would take a thousand years to attain her goal. Unless her bloodline awoke sooner.


    ....


    ...


    I woke up much later, still feeling like a truck has parked on top of my brain.


    "That was weird. I didn''t even feel when I died." I grumbled and glanced around to find Bai dance gracefully with 50 ghosts and a thousand ice shards floating around.


    "Eat a few spirit stones and rest. Qi depletion is quite harsh, the first time. Not healthy the second time either." Grandpa advised me with a mild voice.


    "I killed more than 40 of them! I must be close." I realized while reviewing my memories, and eating two high-grade spirit stones to get my qi filled.


    "Yes. You managed 48 kills, before you passed out. Not bad. But you would be really dead outside." the old ghost answered with a raised eyebrow.


    Yeah. Fainting on the battlefield wasn''t conductive to survival. And in this life, I had a good chance to live forever, if I didn''t fuck up.


    "I need a way to increase my qi pool." I said while thinking ahead.


    Grandpa laughed just as Bai stumbled out of the array, and ran into my arms. "Pef, you''re fine now?" she asked with a tender voice.


    "My skills got better, but my head is killing me. Let''s go eat and sleep." I said a bit tired, and dragged myself to the dinner table, and laid out a Spirit Feast for us.


    Bai escorted me to my room and fell asleep on my chest, too tired to remove her robe. I should take out more silk and make us new robes. Or even better, ask Grandpa to make some. Tomorrow.


    I woke up with Bai sucking on my hard shaft with an earnest face, glancing up to my eyes for praise.


    "Very good, my love. You can do this everyday, when we''re alone." I praised her and caressed her silky white hair.


    Her azure eyes glinted with something hidden, then she opened her robes to take my dick between her breasts. "And this too?" she asked in a coy tone.


    Yeah. It felt great, especially when my tip poked out and touched her lips. "Not bad. I might keep you in my harem, just for those nice puppies" I commented with a wry tone.


    "You dummy!" she growled and leaned deeper to wrap her tongue around my tip. I pumped my hips higher and faster, until my love juice burst and filled her mouth.


    I just waited for minute, enjoying the warm sensation of my balls getting drained, then grabbed her head and drew her deep, until my dick entered her throat. "Maybe two dozen kids. I will fill you up with love juice, right?" I asked her in a horny voice.


    Bai nodded and closed her eyes, likely dreaming of being pounded into my bed for decades. And she will.


    I drew back and pointed at the window. "Waterfall and breakfast. Then I want to try a few things with the sword ghosts." I explained curtly, then jumped out the window and mostly fell towards the waterfall, barely able to guide my trajectory without a sword under my feet.


    While Saints were supposed to fly even without a sword, it was much harder than it seemed. Beasts didn''t even bother to try, unless they had wings.


    Humans were lighter and could slow their fall or even levitate with their qi, but true flight was hard. I didn''t focus much on flight, not yet.


    It just wasn''t necessary in the Tower, and I would have a sword to help me outside. But eventually I would have to learn it properly, even if only for my image. Powerhouses stood on air like on flat ground, and impressed others with that feat, without even using spells or threats.


    "Young Master, best way to learn flight is under a waterfall, like this one. Even simply levitating as the water pushes down, helps you find the balance." the old ghost spoke out of nowhere, having appeared near me under the water stream, but completely dry and undisturbed by the water. Then again, he would probably be just fine inside a volcano or even a supernova. Damn high tier cultivators were such bullshit.


    I nodded to let him know I got the point. Best treat him like a super-advanced AI that could guess my thoughts from the smallest context.


    "Do they use artificial minds in the starfields?" I asked to make sure.


    His face shifted for a fraction, as if surprised. "The mechavores do. And some sects that looted their ships and learned to use them. Everyone else uses soul imprints, like myself. Much safer." he spoke in a warning tone.


    Good to know. There might be advanced tehnology out there, to give me an edge against the medieval culture of these cultivators. Power suits, advanced weapons, maybe scanners and such. Even better, I wouldn''t have to uplift an entire starfield by re-inventing science. Just find a computer and a database of manuals.


    "Could you scan this planet and see if there''s anything of worth to loot? Once we get out of this secret realm, I mean." I asked while gently trying, and failing, to levitate while the waterfall unbalanced me constantly.


    The old ghost smiled and turned away. "You''re not a Sword Saint yet, Young Master. The array is waiting."


    Bai jumped out from her waterfall and joined me for breakfast, then she sat down to cultivate while I entered the array. Once more, the Saint ghosts moved too slow, and I could fight them all with too much ease. I killed 40 before taking my first hit, and killed 46 before dying to a sucide attack.


    I was close. More than 90% now. I just had to focus and do better. "Again!" I demanded and the array started again.


    My kill count grew again, reaching 48 after a dozen trials. Damn last targets were much harder, but I didn''t give up. A dozen more trials, and I killed one more. The last Saint seemed to be special, dodging my energy swords with ease, and only blocking my metal sword.


    "Again!" I demanded even though my qi was almost dry. One last push. I managed to dodge a few hits and killed 49 ghosts before taking a strike to my ribs. But now it was one on one, and the ghost was surrounded by 9 of my energy swords, glowing with sword intent.


    I grinned and ran forward. "Dodge this!" I proclaimed in a winner''s voice, as my Divine Sword sliced the ghost in two.


    A burst of pain exploded in my stomach, as the ghost sacrificed itself to give me a mortal wound, were this a real battle.


    I fell to the floor, as the Combat Array shut down. "Passable. Try not to die with your enemy, next time. Your harem girls would be sad if you die." Grandpa spoke in a wry voice.


    "Pef, you did it! You''re a Sword Saint now!" Bai yelled and ran to jump in my arms.


    "Barely. But yes. Now it''s your turn, Miss Bai. Try not to leave a dozen kids orphans, one of them in the Tower is plenty enough." the old ghost commented in an amused voice.


    "Bring it on!" Bai shouted and jumped into the Formation circle with a brave face.


    I sighed and flew back to my alchemy room to start on more failed pills. I was a Sword Saint now!


    Time to make Xiantian pills.

 Plot armor

    Finally, the time has come for me to turn off the time speed in the Tower, and then return to the tunnels under the Heaven Basin.


    Bai held my hand and smiled in encouragement, but my new Sword Saint status has given me a lot more confidence anyway. We stepped out together, hand in hand.


    "Junior Sister...and Pef?" Lin Fei exclaimed as he saw us appear.


    I grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "I got taller, right?" I asked with a teasing tone.


    The man sighed and ruffled my hair. He was still a bit taller than me. "We only have a few hours left, but I located two stone doors that should lead to more inheritances." he said in a calm voice, then frowned as he realized my new Saint level.


    "Good. But it''s not certain if we''ll get the tablets I want. Let''s see what these rooms have!" I declared while taking the lead and jumping on my sword, while Bai stepped on her on sword as well.


    Then we rushed towards the nearest memorized room and reached it in a few minutes, at a much faster speed than my first try as a Xiantian cultivator. Three energy swords flew out and sliced and entrance through the stone door, and I just had to peek into the room for a second and scan the tablet with my Discerning Eyes.


    Another Essence cultivation sutra. Not necessary. "Next!" I demanded in a bored voice, and flew away, followed by Bai and Lin Fei who barely kept up. I did get much better in the last 5 years of closed cultivation. Although it was mostly my Saint Realm Soul. They both lacked the soul cultivation.


    The next room had a different kind of tablet though. ''Soul Consolidation Mantra, used to cultivate the soul up to 7th level of Saint Realm. Worth 3 billion spirit stones.'' Hmmm. It wasn''t perfect, but I couldn''t complain much. I will find better one day. But until then...it was something I lacked.


    "Bai, you take this tablet and wait outside!" I asked my white-haired lover and hugged her for a minute.


    "Good stuff?" she asked to make sure.


    "Soul cultivation." I said, and her eyes lit up with joy. In a few seconds, she picked up the jade tablet and vanished in a green flash.


    "You could explain how you grew up so fast..." Lin Fei spoke in a warning voice, flying after me as I headed for the next room I had memorized.


    "I could. But then you could explain what happens to the women in your sect. None of them ever reach Divinity." I spoke in the same tone, and noticed Lin Fei''s aura flutter for a second. So he knew, or suspected, the truth.


    "Those Young Masters from the top peaks do not grow so fast without doing bad things." he admitted in a lower voice.


    "Bai will speak with a few women she trusts, and see if they want to live a bit longer." I said and stopped in front of the next stone door. A few slices with my sword intent and the door fell to pieces. ''Golden Saint Body. Used to cultivate the body up to 9th level of Saint Realm. Worth 1 billion spirit stones.'' I read with my eye skill.


    A body cultivation tablet! Not exactly necessary, but neither my Dragon Mammoth nor the Asura method was compatible with mass-cultivation like I wanted. "You can take this one, Lin Fei. A proper body cultivation sutra, not that junk you found in a cave." I pointed out with a nod towards the metal tablet.


    Lin Fei glanced at me with a doubtful face. "We''ll have to speak properly, Young Master Pef." he almost growled before taking the tablet and vanishing.


    I kept going, flying through dim-lit tunnels and searching for something of value. More of the same kind of tablets, body and essence cultivation, and the rare soul method once in ten rooms. Then, just before the time was almost up and the Heaven Basin was due to close, I found my jackpot.


    ''Vajra Three-folded Path, a set of Saint Realm combat techniques, worth 9 billion high-grade spirit stones.'' I read as my eyes grew wide.


    I ran my Concealment Skill and picked up the tablet, and felt the teleport Formation Array lit up under my feet. I could escape the array if I wanted to, so I just shifted into my Tower dimension with the jade tablet in hand.


    "What dog shit luck is this!" I heard Grandpa complain as he appeared beside me and scanned the tablet.


    Mentally, I powered up the time compression back to 1000 times, then sat down to read and memorize the new techniques. Imagine I had become a Sword Saint without any Saint technique. Now I had a full set of such techniques, two for the body, three for my essence and two for my soul.


    It took almost two weeks to learn every technique, since they were quite complicated, especially the soul techniques. The Vajra Lightning Tower would provide an armor for my soul, looking like a purple pagoda with three roofs and lots of soul sigils to be forged as the mastery increased. The Vajra Lightning Spear was a soul attack move, basically projecting a lightning strike to shake the enemy''s soul.


    "You learned everything?" Grandpa ghost asked as I handed over the tablet to him.


    "I memorized them all, yes. Practice will take a lot more time, especially that Soul Tower. Seems very complicated." I admitted with a casual voice.


    "Yes. This is an immortal techniques set, dumbed down for Saints. But is not dumb enough. Most of the Soul sigils become real only at Origin Realm." the old ghost said with a wry tone.


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    My eyes glinted with the new knowledge. "So you''re saying, with a bit of effort, we could dumb down or upgrade this set a few Realms up or down?" I asked with a childish voice.


    The Tower''s Spirit glared at me. "Again with the ''we'' ? This is not like waving my finger to make a bed out of logs and feathers, you know? I mean, it''s kinda like that, but with the bed the size of this Tower dimension." he grumbled in a displeased voice.


    "A set of Xiantian techniques would be useful, right? I should achieve Mastery in a few days with all of them." I proposed with a grin, then shifted outside the Tower, and ran back to collect the rest of the inheritance tablets.


    Waste not, right? These tablets were rare and precious, even though I got the best stuff already.


    Then, after collecting a dozen tablets, I stopped to think for a moment.


    My ring was infinite inside, right? Infinite was bigger than this secret realm called the Heaven Basin. Maybe I could fold it all inside the ring?


    So I tried just that, I felt my head grow wider and wider, as my mind expanded to englobe the entire dimension. Then the pain started, since even a Saint wasn''t strong enough to lift a continent and store it in a ring.


    I drew back and only collected the movable things, like metal puppets and various beasts and herbs, as well as fruits and flowers and mushrooms.


    As I reached the sunk skeleton under the Noxious Swamp, the pain started again, as the thing was heavier than Crimson Iron, so probably a Divine Beast or something.


    Then the Heaven Basin turned from real to virtual in front of my eyes, and I got expelled outside, along with a hundred other disciples from the Oracle Mountain. Only I was under concealment, so I stepped aside and began searching for my Bai.


    A bit later, I found her with several other girls holding a gossip conference about the fate of female cultivators in the sect, and the likely fates of those which vanished. I walked a bit closer, then shifted back inside my Tower.


    "You saw that, Grandpa?" I asked while taking a few pills and spirit stones to replenish my health and energy.


    "Oh. Did I see a little Saint trying to fold an entire dimension inside his ring, and failing miserably? A Divine Core would fail as well, and maybe even a bad Divine Manifestation cultivator. That Flood Dragon skeleton is also at Divine Core realm." he said in a mocking tone.


    I sighed and sat down to rest, in hyper speed. I was relatively strong already, and I could possibly split down a mountain with my strongest sword strike. But my cultivation was still low.


    Then I expelled a hundred metal puppets, and Grandpa grabbed them with a Formation Array before they got too aggressive on my ass.


    "Now this is a good find, Young Master. These puppets can be used with my Combat Array once I over-write their soul imprints." he considered while tugging at his beard.


    "And some guards for the Tower and bodyguards for me too. Wrap them in full armor suits, maybe?" I proposed and took out a few tons of rare metals from my ring.


    The old ghost measured me with a surprised glance for a second, then nodded. "It''s good you know you''re still weak, Young Master. And inner guards...you expect new guests in the Tower?" he asked in a sneaky voice.


    "Yes. Now that I''m outside, I will start recruiting a few thousands people as my agents and spies. But can''t have them bicker and fight while they train here. We need something imposing to intimidate them into obedience." I explained while thinking ahead again.


    "Food, clothes, tools and equipment, furniture and weapons for thousands of people...quite a expensive plan, Young Master. Find an auction house and sell some of the loot. Aim for a billion spirit stones at least." Grandpa advised me in a wise voice.


    Sects are expensive to maintain I know. No wonder cultivation sects held a large territory under them, for taxes and farms.


    Once I was rested, I dressed in my best robes and shifted outside, and stepped beside Bai as her sect sisters split in two, those who wanted to stay and those who wanted to live.


    "Ladies, I am the Master of the Tower. If you want to live, take my hand." I offered with my hands out.


    "Caihong, Mei...hurry." Bai whispered as the other girls examined me in surprise. I was quite young for a Saint, much like Bai had been when we met.


    Two more girls hesitated, then also changed sides and touched my hands, vanishing into my Tower. Bai joined the four girls and shifted into the Tower, while three sect disciples drew back with wary faces, even though they were all Saints as well.


    I just sighed and used my new Vajra Lightning to strike their souls, and watched them fall dead to the ground. Then stored their corpses into my ring.


    No point leaving behind evidence, for their sect to come after me. They had their chance and chose death.


    I barely moved a hundred meters away when a Sect Elder teleported at the site, and scanned around with glowing eyes. I should have known this sect would have some method of keeping track of their disciples. Or their deaths.


    Anyway, I kept walking away, heading towards Lin Fei sitting on a bench with another sect sister, also a Saint Realm.


    "Senior Sister, I admired you for a century. But if you chose to stay...you know what happens then. There is no Divine Realm Elder for women." Lin Fei spoke while holding a flower in his hand.


    The woman sighed and poked my friend in the forehead. "I am not stupid, Junior Brother. I was planning to leave on an extended mission, and return only after my Ascension."


    "In a million years, how many smart women had the same idea, Senior Sister?" I asked while sitting beside Lin Fei, and stealing the flower in his hand.


    ''Extreme Spirit Petunia, used to increase cultivation from 9th to 10th Saint level. Worth 7 billion spirit stones.'' I read with my special eyes. Hmmm. This woman should be at the 9th level then, if Lin Fei got this flower for her.


    "You''re stealing my herbs again, Young Master?" Lin Fei said with a sad voice.


    "Shut up, idiot!" I growled and elbowed him into my Tower before he could ruin my image.


    The woman frowed and scanned around, just as warning dongs began to sound in loud patterns all over the sect, most likely for intruder or murder. Possibly both.


    I held my hand opened towards her. "Come with me, if you want to live." I offered in a casual voice.


    Her eyes became colder for a second, then soft again. "He really is an idiot..." she whispered in a longing tone, and poked my palm.


    We shifted into the Tower, and I gave the flower back to Lin Fei. "Grandpa will give you rooms in my Tower. What''s is your name, auntie?" I asked the newest guest.


    She held a finger up, then lowered it slowly as she realized her new status. She wasn''t an Oracle Mountain disciple anymore. "I am Ming Yue, Young Master. Quite the place you have here..." she spoke while looking around my pocket dimension.


    "This is the Heavengaze Tower. If I want to, I can speed up time a thousand times in here. Pretty good, right?" I commented as a towering armor suit landed behind me.


    The woman glanced up above me, as the puppet stood a meter tall above me. "Peak Saint Realm?" she asked a bit intimidated at my bodyguard in plate armor. Exactly the image I wanted, so good work Grandpa!


    "Lin Fei, you''re in charge of Ming Yue. That arena is for combat training." I pointed to the side where Grandpa had created a larger array for the new reccruits.


    "Pef, these are Caihong, Mei, Linhua and Xia." Bai came and introduced her friends one by one.


    I just nodded and held my hand out. Bai frowed, then took out the Soul cultivation tablet she got from the tunnel.


    "Take your friends and set them up in new rooms. I have to read this tablet now." I told Bai, and powered up the time compression again.


    Time to learn a new cultivation method, for my soul.

 Thinking ahead

    I must be very lucky, or the Protagonist perk acted for me, because the Soul Consolidation Mantra in my hand was special.


    The Houtian method that came with my Artisan background was rather simple, but also clear about Soul Forging. The soul grew in power by getting wounded and healed back again, somewhat similar to body cultivation in some aspects. Muscles grew strong in the same way, after all.


    But the Saint method I found in the tunnels focused mostly on the healing part, recommending a dozen various ways to strengthen and heal the soul, from Consolidation Pills, to a type of focused meditation and soul connections with others.


    Several other ways like spiritual baths with pure qi and soul crystals were not available right now, but for soul connections one didn''t need only a human to connect with. Anything with a soul would do, from a sword soul to ghosts, beasts and even soul imprints.


    For Consolidation Pills, spirit herbs that could enhance the soul were needed, the same kind that I stole from Lin Fei a few days ago, and raised my Soul cultivation to Saint Realm.


    I opened my eyes to find Bai already back, and holding my hand. "Pef, what do you think?" she asked with a nod at the cultivation tablet. I already had the entire mantra memorized, so I gave the jade tablet back to her.


    "I think we had a lot of work ahead. Cultivation is so hard." I grumbled while looking around. Lin Fei and his girlfriend Ming Yue had found the Combat Array and were training with the Saint ghosts, and doing much better than I had first times. Then again, they were both older and more experienced Saints, especially Ming Yue with her 9th level of Saint Realm.


    The woman already had sword intent, and even a better version of it, glowing with a sharp sword aura. No wonder that Lin Fei admired her for a long time. The woman was a sword master, and almost a Sword Saint even without the Perfection level of her sword techniques.


    Bai glanced back, following my eyes. "Senior Sister is almost as strong as you! She killed 40 ghosts on the first try." Bai noted with some awe.


    Grandpa appeared beside me and coughed gently. "It is quite a pity Miss Ming was born on a low tier world. She has talent but little guidance in her cultivation." he noted in a sad voice.


    "No Elder would bother to teach her properly, not when she was destined to become a cultivation furnace for someone else." I commented with a wry tone, and my ghost Grandpa just nodded in agreement.


    "Grandpa, let me test something on you." I asked and locked his shape with my soul targeting, then shot out a Vajra Lightning bolt at him.


    The ghost smiled as my soul attack splashed ineffectively on his floating body. "I see. You will need a different array to train your soul and soul techniques." he said with a grin, and wrote in the air a list of materials required for the new array. Beasts, beasts parts and cores, rare metals and crystals, spirit stones by the millions...I had most of that in my ring already.


    "Miss Ming, join us here." I called towards the strongest guest, who jumped out from the Combat Array and came to read the list of required materials written in midair.


    "Young Master Pef, what is this? What for?" she asked with a frown towards the Spirit Artifact.


    "Grandpa can build a soul training array, just like that combat array you seen. But I lack spirit stones, for now." I explained in a level voice, and began taking out a pile of materials and a few beasts from my ring. My puppet bodyguards rushed in to subdue the beasts before they could attack us, pinning them to the floor with immense strength.


    My ghostly Grandpa did a great job programming the combat puppets as bodyguards, or perhaps it was something else. I had little knowledge about soul imprints, but my Grandpa was a starfield-level Artisan, possibly a dozen cultivation realms above me.


    Ming Yue nodded slowly, and turned her hand to liberate a pile of spirit stones from her own ring. "I don''t need spirit stones anymore, you can have them all, Young Master." she offered with a casual tone.


    I smiled and gave her the flower that Lin Fei found. "Take this and eat it, one petal per hour. Stop when you reach the 10th level." I said and smirked inside, as my gesture could be considered a form of courting, much like Lin Fei intended.


    Ming Yue sighed and glanced at her boyfriend waiting by the combat array. "He means well, but..." she whispered in a low voice.


    I just shrugged. "Eat the flower, Miss Ming. You''re not getting younger." I countered in a callous tone, then took Bai in my arms and flew towards my room.


    A minute later, I rested my head on Bai''s bouncy chest, on my bed. "Open your soul, my love. Let''s begin the soul consolidation." I asked her, and began reciting the mantra inward.


    My inner world opened as well, looking like a flat lake with a small purple tower covered in lightning at the center. That was my Vajra Tower, not yet


    fully built or strong, but better than nothing. At least I had a form of soul defense now.


    Bai connected to me, trying to keep the body and clothes she had in the outside world, but failing often. Bits of her robes changed or vanished, her hair length also fluctuated, and so did her height. Sometimes taller, other times turning into a child.


    My soul body embraced hers, and I patted her hair. "You''re safe here, my love. This is my soul world." I said in a soft voice, and Bai gradually calmed down and adjusted herself to fit better in my arms.


    "You feel safe, and warm. What is that purple pagoda?" she asked while looking around.


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    "That is a soul technique called the Vajra Tower. You will learn it too, once you reach Saint Realm in soul cultivation." I said with a smile, and took a single step to move us inside the tower.


    A copy of my room in the Heavengaze Tower appeared, formed by my memories and my soul intent. By the grace of my Perfect Memory, every tiny thing was the same, even the smell of my bed.


    "Pef...our bodies are outside on your bed, and our souls are also on your bed. Are you trying to do something nefarious to me?" Bai asked in a coy tone, almost inviting me to do just that.


    I peeled off the robes from her chest, and licked her soul nipples. While it sounded simple, Soul Consolidation was in fact very difficult to do, but I chose the easiest way which would be familiar to us both. Bed play.


    We had played in my bed for years, and thus our souls reacted much like our bodies would. The familiar and safe environment of my room helped too, and soon Bai began to stay more focused as a soul body. Soon enough, my soul dick was grabbed by the soft hands of soul Bai, then she licked it gently like an ice cream. Unlike the nice sensations when done to my body, my soul was a thousand times more sensible.


    A jet of liquid love erupted and painted Bai white, at least her face and chest, and the sight made me come again and again, practically giving Bai a bath in Yang spirit liquid. Unlike in the real world, the white liquid melted into her skin, and strengthened her soul.


    "Cultivation is hard, you say? Only your soul brother is hard in here..." Bai giggled as she poked my hard soul member.


    I laughed and flicked her hard nipples in turn. "Someone is getting excited." I noted with a wry tone.


    "Y-you! Stop teasing me. This is perfectly natural in this context..." Bai muttered while blushing, and then gulped my soul dick in sweet revenge.


    Perhaps soul cultivation wasn''t so hard after all. I could feel my own soul get consolidated by connecting with Bai so intimately. After a few hours, we returned to my room to find our bodies embraced and my dick held tight in Bai''s hand.


    "Young lady...what are you touching down there?" I asked in mild outrage, only for Bai to blush fiercely and grab me even tighter.


    "So unfair! You get to release your urges whenever you want. I have to endure until my Ascension..." she grumbled and drew my head to her breast.


    My balls ached for release, so I climbed on top of her and plunged my dick in her soft and wet mouth. Bai slurped and lapped at my dick with dedication, while I massaged and fondled her breasts, giving back a bit of pleasure in turn.


    Much later, I held her head tight and released my love liquid into her mouth, then crashed beside Bai on the bed.


    "Pef...my sisters. Are you going to take them into your harem?" Bai asked a bit later, as she rested her head on my chest.


    I nodded gently. "When the time comes. You did good saving their lives, my love." I answered in a calm voice.


    "Even Ming Yue?" Bai asked a bit curious.


    I frowned for a second. "Not sure. Lin Fei has his own plans with her. I will wait and see." I said after a minute.


    Bai sighed and dragged her nails on my chest. "I think Lin Fei will try to seduce and drain her Pure Yin. Ming Yue is quite smart and suspects this already."


    I turned my eyes towards the armored puppet guarding my door. "Grandpa, can you check on that?"


    The puppet nodded once, then stood still again. A minute later, the puppet turned its head. "That boy is influenced by his demonic cultivation. He will act to gain power, no matter the cost." it said in a cold, metallic voice.


    Damn choices. This was like raising a scorpion at your chest. Why act surprised when it did sting you? It was only his nature.


    I sighed and rose from my bed, then jumped out the window and mostly fell into the waterfall below to wash up. A minute later, I landed beside Lin Fei, who watched in rapture as his Senior Sister massacred Saint ghosts in the combat array, doing even better now that she had reached the 10th level.


    "Ming Yue is great, right?" I asked in a low whisper.


    "Amazing. But she''s mostly ignoring me, for decades." Lin Fei admitted in a sad voice.


    "So why do you want her to die? Women need their Pure Yin to ascend." I wondered in a curious voice.


    Lin Fei clenched his fists in rage, and turned towards me. "What do you mean, Young Master?"


    I just pointed at his fist. "That. The rage and desire to dominate. Your Asura demon is urging you to become strong, right?" I asked with a shrug.


    He opened his hands and stared at them, almost amazed. "I am not controlled by the demon. Am I?" he muttered in slight doubt.


    With a bit of willpower, I manifested the Asura arm that lingered from cultivating the demon tablet. "This is a combat aid, nothing more. Like a dagger hidden in your belt. At least, it is so for me." I spoke in a wise master voice, then turned away.


    A mental flicked turned on the Concealment Skill, then I shifted outside. The Oracle Mountain was understandibly in turmoil and alert, after seven of their disciples vanished in the middle of their sect. They probably also had life lamps or such to tell them that three disciples were dead.


    There were guards patrolling everywhere, and even some Formation Arrays deployed at gates and stairs, hoping to catch the intruders. I just strolled past, heading deeper into the sect''s inner halls. After an hour, I reached a guarded hall locked tight with protective spells and two Divine Elders in front of the door.


    I smirked inward, and sat down to wait. There should be something nice inside this place. An hour later, several disciples and another Elder arrived and got scanned for permission to entry.


    I mingled among them and entered the hall, to find thousands of treasures of all kinds, from weapons and talismans to crystals and alchemy cauldrons and even a few flying ships.


    I got a bit dizzy as my Discerning Eyes flickered all over to identify and evaluate the worth of everything. A big sect was surely rich, and this was the jackpot.


    "Everyone can take one treasure, then wait by the door. We all leave together!" the Elder demanded in a stern voice.


    I waited patiently until everyone was back by the door, and the Elder scanned them to make sure a single treasure was taken. Some kind of sect reward perhaps?


    Either way, as the door opened again and the Elder stepped out, I held out my ringed hand and willed everything into the infinite ring, then stepped out beside the last disciple. Then walked away with a spring in my step, and headed downwards, towards the exit from the sect.


    I didn''t reach half when new alarms gongs began to sound all over. "Intruder, theft!"


    I stopped beside a stone lamp post and shifted into my own treasure vault, and began to inventory the loot. While my treasure vault did contain 4000 rooms of priceless materials, I didn''t have many artifacts, only those bought with CYOA points. But now I had thousands of precious artifacts, including four Divine spirit ships and a dozen alchemy cauldrons of Saint and Divine tier.


    Thinking ahead, I shifted into the Tower and summoned a bodyguard puppet from my ring. "Grandpa, please check these things for imprints and other traps." I spoke in a wry voice, then dumped the stolen goods on the floor.


    The old ghost appeared beside me and picked an item with his arrays, turning it around while his eyes glowed.


    "Not bad, for such a low place. The cauldrons and the ships are worth more than the entire pile of junk, but they are all marked with sect imprints. I will have to reforge everything..." he mused as the entire pile vanished, and reapeared on the other side of the planet, this time with a dozen armored guards around.


    Having a capable Grandpa like this was certainly a cheat, but I was not ashamed to use him.


    The Oracle Mountain was an enemy now, and they were quite dangerous too.

 Weak to strong

    "Everyone, gather round!" I shouted with a qi-enhanced voice, just enough to reach the entire Tower building.


    In a minute, the six girls and Lin Fei joined my round table, where I had placed some Spirit Feast bowls and a few bottles of cultivation pills from my treasure vault.


    Bai was feeling at home already, and she leaned on my shoulder casually.


    "Guys, you all have a big decision to make. I hope you all choose to stay in my Tower and grow strong, but if not, you will lose a big slice of your memories." I warned them as Grandpa manifested beside me, silently but also threatening. I wasn''t certain of the extent of his powers, but mere Saints would be like ants, that was a given.


    My white haired girlfriend ignored the drama in favor of food, which was quite reasonable in her context. She had nothing to worry about.


    Xia and Linhua were a bit doubtful, as they entered my Tower by chance, unlike Caihong and Mei. Ming Yue and Lin Fei were kinda trapped by their own choices, but I hoped they would choose to stay. Ming Yue especially, since she was already close to her Divinity.


    Lin Fei glanced at my Grandpa ghost for a second, then grabbed a bowl of food and started eating as well. I guess that meant he wanted to stay.


    "Young Master...to be fair, I mostly wanted to escape from being turned into a sacrifice. What do you mean, grow strong?" Linhua asked in a wary voice.


    Hmmm. Fair question. "My Tower can increase time speed by 1000 times. Beside that, we have cultivation techniques and various arrays that can increase your skills. But perhaps more importantly, we have Grandpa Heavengaze. He comes from a distant starfield, called the Pearl Sea." I pointed out with my thumb pointing at the floating ghost.


    "My Artisan skills are mostly useless for low realm cultivators like you. Same for the cultivation methods and techniques I know. The lowest junk method I have is barely usable by Divine Manifestation cultivators, and the rest are Immortal techniques meant for True Gods and higher realms." Grandpa spoke in an apologetic voice.


    Everyone at the table froze in awe and surprise, including me. Grandpa was too badass, even his apology was flexing on everyone like a boss.


    "Take that with a grain of salt, guys! Grandpa made a pair of Divine Swords for me and Bai, plus that Combat Simulator Array. And we''ll get a thousand more artifacts in a few years." I interjected before everyone got too dejected.


    Bai held out her white sword and made it float above the table as proof. "This is my Ice Sword. There are many swords in the world, but this one is mine. And it can kill ghosts or spirits!" she proclaimed in a proud voice, making Lin Fei frown for a second.


    I also frowned, thinking for a moment, then realized the problem. Bai already had the sword intent, covering the sword, while Lin Fai lacked one.


    "That Combat Array is indeed great. Much better than the Illusion Tower from the Oracle Mountain." Ming Yue confirmed in a calm voice, sounding quite satisfied with my training aid. Then she also grabbed a bowl of food, to signal her willingness to stay.


    "Do we need sect points to use the array?" Xia asked a bit suspicious.


    I didn''t have a point system yet, but perhaps I could.


    "You won''t need points to train. I can make a dozen more arrays in a few days. These things are quite simple, if meant to be used by Saints." Grandpa ghost spoke before I could. Well, in that case, he was right.


    "We''ll use points for Divine Arrays, when we get there. I suspect they will cost a bit more to operate." I answered a bit differently.


    Caihong and Mei exchanged a glance, then picked up a bowl of food each and started eating, leaving the random newcomers to mule over their choice.


    I just picked up my own bowl and ate, leaving the last two girls to decide for themselves.


    "Do I get a sword like that?" Xia demanded in a slightly greedy voice.


    I smiled inward, since a single weapon was a rather low bar for a life-changing decision. Even a nice Divine Sword.


    "Come with me, Miss Xia. I''ll craft a sword for you, right now." Grandpa offered by himself, and flew away with Xia on a glowing platform of sigils and air.


    Grandpa was acting more mysterious and showing off a bit, but then he must have been quite lonely until I arrived for my adventure.


    This left only Linhua as the lone outsider, who looked around a bit scared, now that she felt the pressure of being alone. I examined her outer aspect, noting the long black hair and the white robes of an Outer Disciple stretched forward by her massive breasts beneath.


    "You must have had a reason for taking my hand and leaving your old sect, Miss Linhua. Did you get harassed?" I asked in a gentle voice.


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    Linhua looked down and nodded in silence.


    "Nobody can do that here, Miss Linhua. The Tower is a self-contained pocket dimension, so the only people who can ever enter, are those I want to. And if you train seriously in the arrays, nobody could harass you anyway, once you become a Sword Saint. Miss Ming is almost there, and I bet there wasn''t anyone harassing her." I pointed out with a nod at the strongest Saint around.


    The woman I mentioned glared at me, then eyed Lin Fei a bit suspicious. Well, persons present should be excluded, of course. It was the basic of gossip, after all.


    "Senior Sister..." Linhua grabbed the chance, looking hopeful at the level 10 Saint.


    "This is your life, Linhua. Don''t ask me to make the choice for you." Ming Yue answered a bit too sharply.


    Linhua fell silent, looking down with a distressed face.


    "Don''t rush your decision, Miss Linhua. We are in time compression now, so by the time it''s morning outside, we would have spent about 300 days in here. You girls can use the waterfall in the back to wash." I said in a relaxed voice, then picked up Bai and flew away, back to my room.


    We had a lot of soul cultivation to do, so best use our time wisely. I wasn''t worried about the other paths of cultivation, but the soul was rather difficult to grow.


    "Pef...are we doing your Tower room again?" Bai asked as I fell on my back in my bed.


    "Soul cultivation is a delicate thing, my love. I will guide you some more, at least until you reach Saint Realm with your soul." I said patiently, and waited for Bai to climb in my arms and make herself comfortable.


    Once more, we fell into my inner world and entered the Vajra Tower, now a bit taller and looking more sturdy. Maybe by a single percent, but this was still good progress.


    Our souls mingled and melded as we cultivated, and by the time we have awoken, Bai had already advanced her soul into Xiantian Realm.


    She truly was a genius, and benefited from my own cultivation as well.


    A thin jade card awaited on my table as I rose, and I read the contents with a wide grin. Grandpa ghost had managed to dumb down the Vajra techniques to Xiantian Realm! I quickly memorized them all, then passed the jade card to Bai.


    "Learn and practice these techniques now. One hour each." I told her and flew down to my alchemy lab.


    Time to grind more pills, especially more Xiantian pills for the girls. And for Lin Fei too. His soul was rather weak and easily influenced by that Asura demon.


    Today was a good day, as I only failed 90% of my cauldrons and obtained 6 soul forging pills! They weren''t good pills, but I wasn''t a good Artisan yet.


    Grandpa appeared beside me and snorted, amused. "Are you trying to poison your new Tower members? And also pollute their souls with spirit ash?" he asked while holding a pill in his hand.


    ''Soul Forging Pill, low quality, Xiantian Realm. Used to grow the soul. Worth 3000 spirit stones.'' I discerned with my special eye skill.


    I picked up the damn pill and ate it myself. I won''t get poisoned, at least. "It works fine for me..." I grumbled in a low voice.


    "You''re not like them, Young Master. Humans should only eat perfect quality pills. And even those are bad for them, after a few times." Grandpa warned me with a poke to my forehead.


    "It will take me a long time to make such pills." I muttered in defeat.


    A metal cauldron landed loudly on the stone floor. "Try again." he demanded with an eager tone.


    I replaced my old Houtian cauldron with the new one, and began refining more soul pills. ''White Gold Cauldron, high-grade artifact, increases quality for pills, up to Saint Realm. Worth 40 billion spirit stones''


    While the eye skill didn''t mark anything about failure rate, I managed to obtain 6 soul pills in only 10 tries, and one of them was already at high quality! No wonder a good cauldron was worth so much.


    "Still no perfect pills..." I groaned tiredly, but Grandpa had left sometime ago, not even staying to record my failures.


    Instead, I ate the failed pills, since my Reaction God body could manage the toxic backlash. It was at this moment I realized that eating my failures was the correct path forward. By eating and sensing how each pill reacted with my body, I could deduce why the refining failed.


    With my soul filled to the brim with soul energy from the pills, I flew out of the Tower and into the plaza, where everyone else was training with combat arrays and losing to the Saint ghosts.


    Grandpa just pointed at a new Formation Array, lined with a metal chain on the outside. "Is that the Soul Array?" I asked curious.


    "Jump inside and try it. It won''t be very hard at first." the old ghost urged me with a grin.


    I kinda doubted that, thinking about how harsh the combat array had been for 5 years. But I did want to get strong, and I knew the old ghost was a master of his craft. So I jumped inside, and fell into another world, a red desert on some airless planet.


    Stars exploded in the distance, while a winged demon yelled in my face and shook my soul. My Vajra Tower crumbled before I could fight back, and I was thrown out. My nose was bleeding, and my head pounded with pain, like I was stomped by a mammoth.


    "Demon corporal, promoted for his soul strength. Leads a squad of 6 regular demon soldiers. Nice, right?" Grandpa said in a proud voice.


    "Only a corporal? Do they have sergeants, or lieutenants?" I asked a bit groggy.


    "Of course they do. They are called Asura." the old ghost answered with a smirk.


    Maybe I didn''t want to meet one of those yet. A single corporal could kick my ass.


    I sat down to meditate and heal my soul back to full, then jumped into the Demon Soul Simulator once more. Then got blown away right back.


    "I must be doing something wrong." I whispered to myself, but it was hard to think straight with my soul in shambles.


    "You haven''t failed enough times to deduce the reason. Try a thousand times." Grandpa advised me in a wise voice, then flew away.


    Bai landed beside me, and wiped my nose with a gentle hand. "Got your ass kicked?" she asked in a playful tone.


    "Demons are hard. Go get your Sword Saint rank before you try this." I said in a sad voice, and struggled to stand up and enter the array again.


    Another shout to the face, and my Vajra Tower crumbled like made of sticks. Damn head was killing me with pain, and my heart hurt as well. I sat down to heal and think, but just like Grandpa said, I didn''t fail enough times. I felt like those poor girls in my spatial ring, falling dead at the first soul attack.


    But I wasn''t defenseless like them! I had my Saint Realm soul cultivation, and even a defense technique. I tried the array a few more times, with the same result. Instant defeat.


    Then I was too tired to try, and just meditated. It took a while, until I reviewed my memories and remembered what Grandpa had said sometime ago. In the starfields, the basic soldiers were at Divine Realm. And they died by the trillions. That corporal was also a Divine Realm demon.


    Even in the Combat Array, all enemies were Saints, and I began to train there at Xiantian Realm. Damn Grandpa had a cruel way to make me strong.