Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Deadly Weeds
An entire hour had passed before Li Muyang finally settled the surging Spiritual Energy within his body.
The vast Spiritual Energy circulated within his meridians and Dantian, eventually being refined and merging into the vortex of Spiritual Energy within Li Muyang's Qi Sea.
His Spiritual Energy vortex visibly grew much larger.
And beneath the character card in the system interface, the progress bar that resembled an experience meter also changed.
[Li Muyang: Qi Condensation Realm Level Two (27%)]
Previously, Li Muyang was only at 12%. After one meal of superior Spirit Rice, his cultivation progress soared directly to 27%.
With this pace, wouldn't that mean he could break through the second level of Qi Condensation within a mere seven days?
Li Muyang was startled by this rapid increase in cultivation.
To know that an Outer Sect Disciple working odd jobs within the Sect, subsisting on the lower-grade Spirit Rice distributed by the Sect, would normally take about a year to advance one major realm.
Would I be able to reach in about ten days what ordinary people take a year to achieve?
With this progress, it won't be long before he reached ninth level of Qi Condensation Realm, with the hope of Foundation Establishment.
"What a joy..."
This truly is a great joy.
Li Muyang, invigorated in spirit, opened his eyes and happily paced back and forth in the room.
Unfortunately, having to hide in the Refinement Demon Sect, a sect of the Demon Path, he had no one to share his joy with.
In his former life, when he scored a pentakill in games, he could at least brag about it with his roommates.
Now, facing such a thrilling matter, he could only keep it secret within himself.
The matter of the superior Spirit Rice, once leaked, would lead to unimaginable consequences.
And this was still only the reward for the first time clearing the game.
Li Muyang was even more looking forward to the subsequent rewards given by the game system.
After pacing around the closed-door room a couple of times and adjusting his emotions, he eventually sat back down on the wooden bed and closed his eyes.
At this moment, the vast system interface resembling a heavenly scroll had undergone a change.
[Unlimited-Time Game—"Deadly Weeds" has been opened. Would you like to enter to experience it?]
[Yes/No]
[Note: This game is a cultivation-type instance. Successfully clearing it will award a special prize. Please choose carefully, Host.]
The text prompt that appeared in his vision made Li Muyang blink.
A cultivation-type game?
Special awards for clearing it?
Is that even something to consider?
Li Muyang immediately chose to confirm.
Mainly because the system had searched for a whole day but only came up with this one game, leaving Li Muyang no other option.
As Li Muyang selected [Yes], the game interface in his field of vision changed once more.
The vast and profound mountains appear in his sight, and amongst these mountains, a mysterious settlement that resembled a village could be seen.
But the building made of bamboo gave off an eerie and bizarre vibe.
In the woods surrounding the village, dried corpses were hanging from the trees.
Under the dim sunlight, the colors of the world seemed somewhat grey and dull.
Following this somber depiction, pale system text emerged.
[She is neither the proud child of heaven nor the offspring of a noble family, not even a student from a poor household can she claim to be.]
[She is merely a wild grass by the roadside, a wildflower by the riverbank.]
[Neither sought after nor cared for by anyone.]
[Yet within her, lies tremendous potential and hope.]
[This unnoticed wild grass has now drifted into the dangerous miasma-filled lands, surrounded by devious minds filled with malice.]
[The actions, the viewpoints, and the opinions of these malicious beings influence her day after day.]
[She might hold true to her original heart, growing into a fairy flower that dazzles the world and makes all things under heaven pale in comparison]
[Or she might draw from the noxious soil around her, transforming into the most venomous weed known to man...]
[Whatever her end may be, you, the lucky one, now have an opportunity]
[You will personally water this wild weed, nurturing her into the shape you prefer]
[Attention! The nurturing simulation instance—Deadly Wild Weed is now open]
[This instance is an interactive game, where different storylines unfold based on the host's choices, and saving is possible at any time]
[Please select your game character]
[Nameless Constable: An elusive shadow that appears fleetingly](Note: By choosing this character, you will abandon your game identity and directly enter the scene)
[Leng Aqi: A character generated by the system, the insignificant fourth-generation disciple from the Savage Soul Stronghold, a person from the Demon Sect](Recommended)
Li Muyang blinked at the lengthy text that appeared in his field of vision and the character selection interface below it.
"So this is what the character cards are for?"
Could the character cards obtained after successfully clearing the stage be used in subsequent game instances?
Wouldn't the Time Stop and Hidden Sword skills of the Nameless Constable mean an instant boost?
However, Li Muyang wasn't planning to use the Nameless Constable card for this game, after all, the system's text was quite explicit.
This is an interactive game, simply put, a galgame. After entering, it unfolds different narratives based on selections made during character dialogues.
Such games nearly lack combat scenes, so naturally, there's no need for combat skills.
Time Stop and Hidden Sword are indeed strong skills, but they seem to be useless in this game.
Besides, if a new character was chosen, might there be a chance to get a new character card?
Li Muyang immediately selected the system recommended character,[Leng Aqi].
As he selected the character, the system interface changed once more, and he found himself directly entering the game.
This time, Li Muyang wasn't given a choice for special skills, which clearly matched his guess that this nurturing game needed no combat.
The profound darkness surged like a tide, engulfing Li Muyang in the blink of an eye.
When he opened his eyes again and his vision was restored, he found himself sitting inside an unfamiliar stilted building.
The stilted building, made entirely of bamboo and wood, had streaks of sunlight seeping through the cracks in its walls.
Li Muyang took a look around and suddenly a dialogue box popped up in his field of vision.
[I... I'm not dead? That's great! I need to go report to Manager Wu and continue working]
[I'm so tired... I'm in so much pain, I don't want to work anymore, I'll go back to sleep]
"Tsk..." Li Muyang clicked his tongue, not surprised.
This option, it really is a galgame, a mode all too familiar.
After thinking for a bit, Li Muyang chose the second option.
It looked like this Leng Aqi was in dire straits, nearly worked to death and still thinking about laboring? Lie down and rest!
Then, Li Muyang heard himself speak.
"So tired... Anyway, it's already late, I won't go to work today, let's sleep a bit more."
Saying so, Leng Aqi lay back down on the little bamboo bed, and Li Muyang's vision plunged into darkness.
Clearly, Leng Aqi had fallen asleep.
As Li Muyang was wondering how long this Leng Aqi was going to sleep, a blood-red dialogue box suddenly popped up in his field of vision.
[The wild weed has died, game over]
The next second, Li Muyang was forcibly ejected from the game and returned to the main game interface.
Looking at the spread-out scroll in his field of vision, and the vast mountains and eerie bamboo fortress in the painting, Li Muyang was somewhat speechless.
"Failed so casually? Just because I didn't report for work, the game's female protagonist died?"
"What about that great potential they mentioned, dying so suddenly... Outrageous..."
Li Muyang had no choice but to re-enter the game and select the first option again.