The Undying Immortal System

The following two weeks were tough but rewarding. From an outsider's viewpoint, it would have looked like I spent the entire time quietly sitting alone in my house, but that was far from the truth.

I spent the entire time constantly cycling my cultivation technique, using it to pull vast quantities of qi into my body. Though my physical exertions were limited, the process was mentally draining. Even after I gave up on creating a proper qi filter, managing all of the energy flows so that my cultivation speed was both fast and consistent was near the limit of my capabilities.

First, I had to cycle my qi around my body in a complex pattern. This was a problem because my qi did not want to move. It felt like it was completely trapped inside my muscles. However, the cultivation technique stressed the importance of creating a slow, steady qi flow throughout my entire body.

The further I advanced, the more this flow would stabilize. Eventually, I would reach a point where the flow was autonomous and no longer required my concentration, but in the early stages of cultivation, it took an incredible amount of effort to maintain.

Simultaneously, I also had to create a qi whirlpool in the area of my body that I was actively cultivating. Just like the qi flow, this whirlpool also had to be steady and consistent. Fluctuations in this whirlpool would not only cause my absorption rate to decrease, but they also made the qi that did enter my body much harder to control and focus into my muscles.

After a muscle group was fully saturated with qi, I had to 'break through.' This involved finding an acupoint somewhere in that part of my body and piercing it with a needle of qi. When finding those points, I felt like I was feeling around in the dark with nothing to grab hold of. I was essentially waving qi around my muscles until I found an area where there was slightly more resistance. Then, I pierced that area as accurately as I could.

Every breakthrough I made was full of flaws. The needles of qi I used were placed incorrectly, they were angled wrong, and they were full of impurities. Nothing about this first attempt at cultivation could be considered 'good,' but alone in my room with no one to guide me, it was the best I could do.

After all my efforts, I was able to open the acupoints in both of my upper arms and the one in my chest. I had reached Martial Disciple 4.

As my cultivation grew, I began to feel a strange sense of confidence. It felt like I could trample anyone who tried to stand in my way. It wasn't just that I could trample them, I wanted to do so. Deep in my heart, I knew that there was no obstacle I couldn't overcome.

Fighting the children in the practice yard posed no challenge at all anymore. I had already been more skilled than them. Now, I was also significantly more physically powerful than them.

The elite disciples that I would soon defeat might be strong in their own right, but I would slap aside anything they threw at me. I was unstoppable.

As a group, we were all led out of our residential courtyard and were guided to the depths of the training complex.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much to see since high walls enclosed both sides of the roads. Large double-doored gateways occasionally appeared, but we were quickly hurried past them. Eventually, we were led out into a small stadium.

On one side, several old men sat on a balcony to watch the events below. At ground level opposite them, were ten young men sitting on expensive-looking chairs carved of a dark, rich wood, though thrones might have been a more apt description.

Our martial instructor, who had been guiding us up to this point, stepped to the side and allowed a new man to take charge of things.

"Welcome everyone. I am Su HuaTian, Eighth Elder of the Su clan. Today, you are here to bear witness to the ten most elite and honorable new Disciples of our clan. They have each been blessed with powers and abilities far beyond their peers. They are the best of you, and they will be the proud representatives of the Su Clan in the future. Bow and pay your respects."

I wanted to laugh, but I followed along with everyone else and bowed to the ten elites.

"Of course, the Su Clan accepts only the best of the best as its elite. These ten have been specially chosen based on the combined knowledge and experience of the clan's esteemed elders. However, if you believe that you are superior to one of these hand-picked elites, you may challenge them to prove yourself more worthy of their position. This is your first such opportunity. After today, you will only have two more chances."

I looked at the ten children on their thrones. Could I take them? Of course I could. I was a Martial Disciple 4! It would be a simple thing.

I looked at our instructor. He gave me a surreptitious nod. He wanted me to do this. He believed in me.

I looked back at the fools sitting on their monuments to false superiority. I couldn't challenge the weakest. I needed to prove myself. I didn't know how powerful the strongest would be. I could take him easily, of course, but I didn't want to appear too arrogant.

Looking over the 'elites,' I recognized the red-robed youth who had killed me in the past. I wanted payback, but the time wasn't ripe. I wanted him to see my might first.

The man on the stage was the eighth elder, right? That sounded good. I looked at the boy sitting in the eighth chair from the left.

I stepped forward.

"I challenge him!" I pointed directly at my prey.

My fellow disciples inhaled in surprise. Our instructor smiled contentedly. The idiot I challenged didn't react at all. He was frozen in shock.

The elder in charge of the event only raised an eyebrow. "Step onto the stage."

The incompetent elite and I walked onto the stage and stood opposite each other.

"This will be a fight to submission. Your goal is not to kill one another. However, fists have no eyes. In challenge fights, maiming and death are possible. Do you both understand?"

We responded simultaneously. "Yes, elder."

"Good, bow to your opponent."

I gave the fool a half-hearted bow. He would know what it meant to be a true elite soon.

"Fight!"

I rushed forward. I didn't bother with technique. I would show my skill in martial arts later. First, I needed to make an impact. I needed to show this kid what a Martial Disciple 4 was capable of!

I appeared directly in front of him and threw a wild haymaker. He countered with a punch of his own. His punch was a weak thing with barely any force, and he aimed it straight at my oncoming fist. He was about to learn a lesson!

Our fists connected.

My arm shattered. I didn't care. I could barely feel it. I was going to take this boy down.

I twisted my body and prepared to knock him out with a strong left hook. He was faster.

I was hit with an unrelenting series of blows. Every bone in my body began to snap, and I collapsed to the ground like a rag doll. Even then, I barely felt any pain. The only thing in my mind was to stand up and teach that child a lesson.

But… I couldn't move.

"Hmph, this is a good lesson for everyone." My instructor turned to face the others he brought to challenge these elites. "None of you have advanced out of Martial Disciple 1. Even the fastest of the elites is still only a Martial Disciple 2."

He pointed at me and gave me a look of scorn. "This fool rushed all the way to Martial Disciple 4. He pulled in tainted qi without a single thought for his strength, foundation, or future. Doing this is the fastest way to an early death. I hope none of you will be so stupid in the future."

When the instructor's speech concluded, the elder took over once more.

He looked at the foolish elite who thought he could defeat me and spoke only two words.

"Finish it."

The idiot approached me, and just as he entered my reach, he threw a punch at my head.

You have died. Calculating…

You died as a Martial Disciple 4. 40 credits awarded.

Total Credits: 45

When I woke up in the blessing ceremony, I could barely control myself.

As I followed Shouty back to the residential area, I was nearly bursting with anger.

The moment I was secluded away in my tiny house, I couldn't contain it anymore.

"What the hell! What was that? I knew I had a much worse foundation than anyone else. I knew I would be weaker. And I for damn sure knew that maniac was a complete bastard. Why was I so convinced of my own invincibility? Why did I think that madman was being nice to me?"

Was it just gullibility? A little extra strength and I thought I could do anything? A little smile and I trusted everything he said?

No. Whatever had happened to me was far more than any personal character flaw could account for. Something had been messing with my thoughts.

I did my best to mentally replay everything that happened before my death. I thought through all my actions. It was all based on an unbridled confidence. What had caused me to be so confident? What had made me so insanely arrogant that I had thought like that for even a moment?

Even lying on the ground and bleeding out, I was sure that I would win that fight. There were a few possibilities for what could have caused this, such as poisoning, but I had an instinctive suspicion that it was my cultivation technique causing this problem. Was that what an 'Earth Heart' was?

"System, how did my cultivation technique cause me to go crazy?"

The cost of that information is not possible to calculate at this time.

"System, how can I stop my cultivation technique from making me crazy?"

The cost of that information is not possible to calculate at this time.

"System… how much for a cultivation technique that will not make me crazy?"

The cost of that information is not possible to calculate at this time.

"Thank you so much for your support, System."

I sighed in defeat. I couldn't purchase anything to help me, so what do I do?

Anything I tried to do would require credits. To get more credits I needed to cultivate. Maybe if I cultivated better, I wouldn't have the same problems. To cultivate better, I needed practice.

I was supposed to be using a qi filter to ensure that the energy in my body was pure. Doing as I had, pulling in a chaotic mix of qi, significantly weakened me and might have been a large part of why I went crazy.

Sadly, cultivating properly wasn't going to happen any time soon. I could barely cycle my energy and create the whirlpool at the same time. I would need significantly more practice before I could do both of those and maintain a qi filter all at the same time.

"I think… I think I just have to do the same thing again." I was trying to psych myself up for the inevitable. "I made gains in both knowledge and credits, and after all, there were no permanent consequences. Repeating everything would give me more practice and let me learn how to improve. That's all I'm doing, practicing."

I took a deep breath in and out.

"But first, spending."

While I had earned 40 credits from that last jaunt, I hadn't really been very profitable. I had spent 35 credits on a temporary affinity, so in the end, I had only netted five credits. I had to console myself with the belief that what I had gained in practice and experience was worth far more.

So, should I spend 35 credits on another one-time boost to earth affinity or should I try a different path? I had to boost my affinity, there was no question about that, but I had a few options available. Another one-time to earth, a permanent to earth, or a one-time to a different element.

I decided it was better to stick with earth for the time being. Deeper practice was better than wider. More practice with earth might mean I could quickly raise my cultivation to a higher level in a shorter amount of time.

At some point, I needed to work on learning to make a high-quality qi filter. It was clear that high-purity qi would be extremely important in the future, but that couldn't happen until I had learned better qi control.

"System, I want to buy a temporary mid nine-star earth affinity."

Purchase confirmed. Cost 35 credits. 10 credits remaining.

One month later, I arrived back at the stadium for our challenges.

In the intervening time, I had pushed to cultivate faster and better than ever before. I was more confident and forceful when aligning the qi flows in my body, and I was able to create much more consistent qi whirlpools. When I broke through, I found my acupoints faster and more accurately than ever before.

However, I had still made zero progress on learning qi filters. I had attempted it a few times, but trying to maintain them while doing everything else pushed me far past what I could manage. Still, I had begun to see hope. Cultivating was beginning to require a bit less of my concentration, and in the future, I might be able to focus on the filters while I maintained everything else in the background. I just needed more practice.

Even with my faster, better cultivation, I had only made it back to Martial Disciple 4 by the time the challenges rolled around. Since I had been more accurate when piercing my acupoints, I felt I was a little stronger than the last time, but I still had a foundation of rotten mud. I knew I wouldn't be able to defeat a skilled opponent, and I didn't want to try.

My plan was to delay, skip this challenge, and cultivate further. That would net me more practice and more credits. In the silence and privacy of my little house, I was easily able to focus my mind on staying low-key and quietly advancing.

As soon as I began following our instructor to the stadium, a question appeared in my mind: 'If I did fight, could I win?'

That wasn't the plan. I didn't want to fight. But if I did, could I win?

The more the question echoed, the more confident I became. I had just been surprised last time. Also, I was stronger than ever. I could definitely win if I fought. That wasn't the plan, but if I did fight…

The moment I saw the elite disciples, pride and confidence exploded out of me.

I had to prove myself. I needed to make up for the mistake in my last life.

Yes, these children may be stronger than me. Their cultivation may be purer. Their muscles may be more powerful. But I was a skilled warrior.

I could take down any of them. Last time, I was too relaxed. Our instructor had always warned us about that, but I had still fallen into the trap. I hadn't taken the fight seriously. That was why I lost. As long as I focused, I would be able to defeat all of them at once.

A small voice echoed in my mind. 'This isn't the time.'

I started to regain a bit of calm.

The elder in charge of the competition stood before us. "Does anyone wish to challenge?"

No one made a move.

Our instructor looked at me. I gave a slight shake of the head. He squinted his eyes.

The elder looked at our instructor. "Deacon Xu?"

"Sir, I believe there is one disciple who should be given an opportunity to fight. It would be a good lesson for everyone."

"Oh? Who is that?"

"Su Fang." He looked right at me. "Please come forward and give us all a demonstration."

I smiled and bowed. "Very well, Master Xu."

I realized that this might have been the first time I learned the man's name.

I pointed to the same child I had fought last time. "I will challenge him."

I was willing to wait, but they wanted to see what I could do. Fine, I would show them!

Yes, the boy's cultivation was powerful, but he was a mere Martial Disciple 2. The only part of his body that had been strengthened was his upper right arm. Avoid that, don't let him hit me with a right hook, and I would be golden.

I charged forward, careful to veer towards his left side.

Take him by surprise, then take him out before he even has a chance to respond!

As soon as I got within reach, I made my attack.

He swung a fist.

You have died. Calculating…

You died as a Martial Disciple 4 – 40 credits awarded.

Total Credits: 50

On the walk back to my house, I was angry.

I was angry at this sadistic place, but also angry at myself.

Yes, my mind was being affected, but I should still have been able to control myself. I did control myself, but the moment that bastard opened his mouth, my control completely disappeared.

I had a plan. I knew I couldn't beat that guy. I didn't want to beat that guy. I wanted to learn to cultivate more efficiently, cultivate deeper, and earn some credits along the way. Was controlling those impulses truly impossible?

No, that wasn't right. Last time, I was able to regain my calm. My original thoughts had begun to resurface. I could fight against those external influences, and the more practice I got, the more easily I would be able to push them away. This was just another form of training.

So, what now?

If I tried again, would I be able to do better against whatever was controlling me? Would I be able to push it away?

More importantly, my practice was effective. I was getting better at all aspects of cultivation. I could push further with better results. Soon, I would be able to incorporate a filter to increase my strength even more.

With the additional mental training I was getting by fighting the cultivation technique, I might even be able to completely resist the urge to fight next time. That would allow me to reap even more rewards.

I looked at my credits. Should I buy anything? Excluding the 35 credits I needed to reserve for an affinity, I had 15 to spare. I could try to use them for information, but I couldn't think of anything affordable that would be of immediate help. I could try to use them to improve something about my personal capabilities, but I wanted to wait. If I had more to spend, I could buy something more powerful.

I sighed.

One more time. I would try one more time to see if I could make it past this first challenge. If not, I would try a different path.

After a month, my qi control had improved by leaps and bounds. I was now able to establish a minimally effective qi filter while also maintaining strict control of my qi flow and whirlpool.

However, I didn't use the filter much in this life. It slowed down my cultivation speed, and I wanted to see how far I could push without it. A higher cultivation level would mean more credits when I inevitably died.

When it was time for the challenge, I was a Martial Disciple 5.

Being a Martial Disciple 5 meant that I had strengthened both upper arms, my chest, and my upper left leg. I had not yet had much of a chance to begin working on my right leg, but that was fine. My cultivation base far surpassed the other disciples. Even if they wanted to, they would never be able to compete with a Martial Disciple 5!

I looked at the elites. When the instructor asked if anyone would fight, I stepped forward without pause and roared out my challenge.

The fight went exactly as I should have expected.

You have died. Calculating…

You died as a Martial Disciple 5 – 50 credits awarded.

Total Credits: 65