The Undying Immortal System

As I returned to life, the horror of my final moment lingered in my thoughts. That life had lasted nearly eighty years, but all my memories from it were overshadowed by the terror of suffocating to death while being entombed in ice.

The memory compression that came with a rebirth helped. It gave me separation from the trauma. But still, a lingering fear tainted all my memories from that life. I retained everything I learned, but whenever I thought about how I learned it, I felt a chill deep within my bones.

"Focus on the future, not the past."

I ran my hands through my hair to drive away the memories. Then, I turned my attention to moving forward.

"System, I want to expand my storage space to be a cube with a length, width, and height of ten centimeters."

Purchase confirmed. Cost 29,760. 13,070 credits remaining.

I didn't feel any changes, but when I looked into the storage space, it had grown noticeably. This would, at minimum, allow me to better prepare at the end of each life.

With all my essentials taken care of, I still had a large bounty of points to spend, so I considered a few other purchase options. I thought about asking where to find a spatial spirit fire seed or where I might be able to get powerful cultivation techniques, but I decided not to. I wanted to look for these on my own. If I didn't make any progress, I could always buy the information later.

There was one thing I was interested in looking into though. A long time ago I had purchased an ability that would let me identify pills. The original ability was 'limited' and could only identify a few basic types of pills, so during my seclusion, I upgraded it to expand its capabilities, but it still only applied to Rank 1 pills. Having even just a limited ability to identify high-Rank pills might come in handy.

And if I could buy an ability to identify pills, I should also be able to buy a technique to identify other things.

"System, how much would it cost to buy a limited ability to identify cultivation techniques up to Rank 3?"

Cost 500,000 credits.

"And the cost if it only works on techniques up to Rank 2?"

5,000 credits.

"So, Rank 2 costs the credits earned from Master 5, and the cost of Rank 3 is almost certainly the credits earned from Grandmaster 5. A trend that's likely to continue. Unfortunately, it seems getting Rank 3 is off the table until after I've reached Grandmaster a few times."

I thought about other possible purchases.

"System, how much to expand my pill appraisal to Rank 2 as a limited ability?"

1,000 credits.

The value of Martial Master 1.

I considered buying one or both of these abilities, but they wouldn't benefit me immediately, and I could just save some credits to buy them in the future if I felt they were needed. I decided to hold onto my credits in case something more important came up.

Purchases complete, it was time to move forward.

Moving forward was easier said than done.

I wasn't sure what I should do. I could return to the sect, attempt to join the Blue Wind Pavilion, or strike out on my own. I decided to lay out potential goals to pursue to help me focus.

Acquire a Profound Rank 1 or better cultivation technique

Acquire a Peak-Yellow Rank 2 or better cultivation technique

Acquire a Rank 3 cultivation technique

Acquire a spatial spirit fire seed

Learn how to use the spirit fire seed I already had

Learn how to make Rank 2 pills

Look into multi-element cultivation techniques

Learn more about the world around me

Find out more about the fight at the Su Clan

I considered these goals and how to best accomplish them. Heading off to explore on my own had some appeal, but it wasn't for me. Trudging through the wilderness also wasn't likely to help me complete any of these goals.

So, Blue Wind Pavilion or Twin Mountains Sect.

The Pavilion felt like it was the better choice, and I had to go there first anyway, so I decided to play it by ear. I would do what felt right in the moment.

"System, send me to Dragon Gate City."

Purchase confirmed. Cost 30 credits. 13,040 credits remaining.

I considered advancing a few stages before heading to the Blue Wind Pavilion, but part of the reason WuJing had valued me was my ability to do high-quality alchemy without having cultivated. I had no idea what his level of cultivation was, but I could guess that not even a Martial Disciple Peak would impress him much. Performing alchemy with no cultivation base had, so that was what I needed to do once more.

With an understanding of the Pavilion's unwritten rules of conduct that I had lacked during my first visit, I acted like the sophisticated gentleman that I was and headed directly for the pauper's entrance. I didn't see any need for a repeat of the humiliation I had endured last time.

Upon entering, I was greeted by a young woman in heavy makeup whose voice showed how little she cared about me.

"Hello, my name is Fan BingQing, can I help you?"

It wasn't Mei, but she wore the same light-blue qipao dress uniform as the other women I had seen working in the Pavilion. As a massive emporium with dozens of workers, running into someone new wasn't much of a surprise, but the difference in reception was.

Still, I was here for a purpose. The treatment I received wasn't overly important.

I put a hand into my robes, pretending to grab something, and then reached into my storage space and pulled out a Qi Gathering Pill.

I smiled at the attendant. "I want to sell a pill."

It was the only pill I had, and it wasn't in a proper bottle because I hadn't had a chance to make pills since purchasing the expanded space. This was a pill from my last life that I had kept in my old storage sheath. I wasn't willing to show the sheath off, so I had to pretend I had simply been keeping the pill in a pocket without any protection.

I hadn't thought too much about the pill when I had stored it away, but after handing it over, I suddenly remembered that it was one of my Perfect Basic Qi Gathering Pills with 100% efficacy. I didn't know how common such a pill would be, but I had never heard of anyone else making one. Showing it off might not have been the right move.

The woman grabbed it from my hand and gave it a quick look.

Her expression froze, but only briefly.

She looked at me with narrowed eyes and then back at the pill in her hand. After several moments of deep thought, she snorted.

"I'll give you 10 silver for it."

"10? That's less than what I could get for a High-Purity pill." I wasn't sure what the value of a Perfect pill was, but it had to be worth more. The Pavilion sold High-Purity Basic Qi Gathering Pills for 20 silver, and in my last life, they were paying me 14 for them. Even if a Perfect pill only sold for 30 silver, 10 was a low-ball offer.

"You haven't been storing it in a pill bottle, and I have no idea how much efficacy it's lost. These pills aren't so rare that I'm willing to overpay for questionable goods. If you insist, I can get an appraiser down here. I'll go up to 12 silver, but that's the limit."

"Alright, fine. I'll take 12." I sighed in disappointment, but quickly put it out of my mind. The price didn't matter much. I was just selling the pill for starting capital and to get my foot in the door. My current alchemy skills were equivalent to printing money, so I didn't need to dicker back and forth over a few extra silver.

"Please sell me two blue peonies and an alchemy room for an hour."

"What?" She gave me a sharp look. "Are you an alchemist?"

"Yes, I made that pill. I can show you if you want."

I could practically see the gears turning in her head. "Alright… let's go there then."

The walk was short. I took the flowers and quickly made them into two new Perfect pills. I had already shown my hand, so I decided to make it as strong as I could for the meeting ahead.

As I handed her the pills, I made my play. "I'd like to meet with your boss, Chen WuJing."

She took them and stared at them for a long moment.

"Okay, I can arrange that. Come with me."

She led me to a room with only a couple of old chairs inside. It was small and dusty. The walls were stark gray bricks with no windows or any sign of decoration. The room felt like a storage closet.

"Please wait here for a bit. Someone will come to find you when Manager Chen is available."

Saying this, she closed the door and left me in the room alone.

I generally considered myself a good-natured person. I wasn't going to criticize a low-level employee for doing her job, even if she was a bit rude. I don't know, maybe she had a bad day. It's fine. But being stuck in what was little more than a prison cell for more than an hour? That got to me.

Just as I was contemplating storming off, Fan BingQing finally returned.

"It has been—" I started to complain, but she cut me off.

"The manager can see you now." Her voice remained indifferent, and she turned around and walked away without giving me another glance.

Swallowing my irritation, I stood and followed after her. This girl didn't matter. It didn't matter if she was a little rude to me. All that mattered was how her boss acted.

When we arrived at WuJing's office, I expected her to simply walk straight in like Mei had. Instead, she knocked politely and waited. It took nearly a minute for WuJing's voice to loudly command us to "Enter." Without even glancing at me, Fan BingQing quickly opened the door and slipped inside.

I walked into the same richly appointed office I had been in before. Fan BingQing stood off to the side, and Chen WuJing sat behind his desk reviewing a stack of documents. After a brief pause, he set them down and looked up at me.

His eyes instantly narrowed. They shot to Fan BingQing before quickly returning to rest on me.

After only a brief pause, WuJing jumped to his feet, cupped his hands in a martial arts salute, and gave me a slight bow.

"Hello, welcome to the Blue Wind Pavilion. I am Chen WuJing, Manager Chen. How may I address you?"

"Su Fang."

Maybe I shouldn't have been, but I was surprised by how different his behavior was from the last time we met.

"Ah, so it's Alchemist Su. I have long heard your well-known name. I apologize for not greeting you from afar."

At this moment, the only person more stunned by WuJing's change in demeanor than me was Fan BingQing.

"Manager Chen—"

WuJing cut her off before she could say something wrong. "Qing'er, prepare some tea for our guest."

"Yes, Manager Chen."

She departed, and WuJing's attention returned to me.

"Alchemist Su, how may this one help you today?"

Originally, I was split on what to do in this life. Join the Pavilion or return to the sect. This interaction though… it was all wrong. WuJing's behavior made me more than a little uncomfortable.

If Mei came, her ability might help her mend things, but it would only further demonstrate how much of WuJing's behavior was an act. I could look at joining the Blue Wind Pavilion again in the future, but for this life, it didn't feel like it could be my home.

"Manager Chen, I was hoping you could tell me what you know about the Twin Mountains Sect."

"Of course, Alchemist Su, I would be more than happy to share what little knowledge I have with you. May I ask what business you have there? I do not wish to pry into your secrets, but knowing this may help me understand what information would be of value to you."

"It's no problem. As you may have guessed from the pills I sold to the attendant, I received a blessing that promises to be of great help in learning the secrets of alchemy. I wish to further my studies, and I have heard the sect may be a good place to do so, but I know little of it."

WuJing looked at a pill bottle that was sitting on the corner of his desk. "Yes, a Perfect Basic Qi Gathering Pill. Very impressive for one so young. If you wish, a position in the Pavilion could be opened for you, but the Twin Mountains Sect is also a fine choice."

"Is that so? Would you recommend it?"

"To someone at your level? Yes. It is likely the best place to learn alchemy in all the Wastes."

"Do you know about their cultivation technique? I have heard some things, and they've made me concerned."

"Yes, I know of it." His tone shifted, and he spoke slower and more deliberately. "It is not my place to share their secrets, but I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about. The technique I believe you are referring to is given only to the less skilled disciples."

"Oh? And would you still recommend the sect to someone like that?

"Absolutely, even more strongly. The Twin Mountains Sect provides a home for alchemists of middling ability. That place isn't for you. It isn't for anyone with true ability, but for those who lack the skills to advance further, it is what they need. For someone of your ability, however, they have more… advanced paths one can take."

"You are so convinced of my ability after seeing only a few pills?"

"I know what it means to make a Perfect pill, as would anyone trained in alchemy. The elders will fight over you if you go there, but you should be careful who you choose to ally with. Make no mistake, the sect may seem peaceful, but as with any organization, the waters run deep."

"And you have a suggestion for me?"

"Elder Mu." His response was immediate and resolute. "I believe you will do well with his guidance."

WuJing seemed very conflicted about what to say on the topic, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know if he should. However, I already knew that he was a great actor, so I couldn't be sure what was real and what wasn't.

"You are a new Martial Disciple, right? You understand that after Disciple is Martial Master and then Martial Grandmaster?"

I nodded.

"Do you know about the realm above Martial Grandmaster?"

"No."

"Above Grandmaster is Martial Lord. The ascension to Lord is a bit different from those before it. It's more complicated. For the purposes of our conversation, though, the important fact is that it is impossible to become a Lord while within the Wastes. It is equally impossible for Lords to enter the Wastes. All Grandmasters living in the Wastes, including myself and Elder Mu, are looking for an opportunity to leave so that we may one day ascend."

"And you believe that I can somehow help Elder Mu ascend?"

"Yes. The Twin Mountains Sect is an outpost of a far stronger sect in the outside world. With your abilities, I would expect you to be able to quickly climb up the rungs of the Twin Mountains Sect and join their patron sect as a core disciple. As your master and teacher, Elder Mu will benefit from your achievements. If you do well enough, he will gain an opportunity to ascend to Lord."

He looked at me meaningfully.

"That is why the elders will fight for you, and that is why Mu will want you. The reason I think you will want Mu is because he is aloof from the sect's politics. His only desire is to advance. Most of the other elders are too worried about the sect's internal affairs and have lost the hunger needed to push forward."

The benefits WuJing would receive from such an arrangement were left unsaid, but I knew they would exist.

"How should I get in contact with Elder Mu?"

"That may be difficult. I cannot contact him directly, so you will have to rely on yourself to do so. You can, of course, make a public display of your abilities. If you openly craft a few Perfect pills, you will certainly draw his attention, but if you do so, you may lose the opportunity to choose which master you follow. The best path is to find a deacon who reports to him. All deacons in the sect are subordinates of one of the elders. As long as you can find one of his deacons, I trust you will be able to catch the elder's attention."

After a few more pleasantries, I departed. Originally, I had planned to ask for information on some of my previously listed goals, but I didn't. Asking for techniques and fire seeds here didn't feel right. WuJing had sent me to learn from someone else. I would see what Elder Mu had to offer.

Should I completely trust WuJing? No, but I always felt he was playing straight with me. His personality shift made clear just how much of his behavior was an act, but even then, it didn't feel dishonest. If he wanted, he could easily kidnap me and force me to work for him. Instead, he offered guidance.

WuJing had a powerful social blessing and was skilled enough to use it properly. He may or may not be a nice guy, I don't know, but he knew how to do business. Screwing over someone caught in a time loop would definitely be bad for business.

Of course, he had no way of knowing about said time loop, but his blessing gave him more than enough information to be cautious.

I would follow his advice and meet Elder Mu. It would be a good test of how far I could trust WuJing's judgment. If everything worked out, I would be more than happy to work with him again in future lives.

I just needed to meet with Mei next time so that she could give him information about me first.