Back in the quiet solitude of my room, the events of the day felt like a distant dream. The gasps
of the crowd, Zhang Wei's snarling face contorted in pain, the measured praise from the Elders—
it all faded into a pleasant hum in the background. The only thing that felt real, the only thing
that truly mattered, was the glowing [SHOP] icon in my mind's eye.
With a thought that was equal parts reverence and greed, I opened it.
The interface that unfolded was beautifully simple. It was divided into several tabs:
Cultivation Aids
Techniques & Skills
Constitution & Spirit Root
Miscellaneous
My heart hammered against my ribs. This was it. The cheat code to ultimate power.
I clicked on [Cultivation Aids] first.
[Auto-Cultivate Efficiency Upgrade (Tier 1)] - Increases Qi absorption speed by 50%. Cost: 100
Points.
[Minor Enlightenment Pill] - Boosts comprehension of a single technique for 1 hour. Cost: 30
Points.
[Pure Qi Pill] - Provides a burst of refined Qi, equivalent to one week of dedicated cultivation.
Cost: 25 Points.
[Spirit Root Cleansing Elixir (Mortal Grade) - Slightly purifies impurities in a Mortal Grade spirit
root. Effect: Variable. Cost: 500 Points.
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. The efficiency upgrade was a must-have, but I only had
60 points. And that Spirit Root Cleansing Elixir... that was the key to solving my biggest
fundamental problem. But five hundred points? It might as well have been five million.
Swallowing my disappointment, I moved to [Techniques & Skills].
[Auto-Learn Function] - Instantly master any technique manual you have observed. Cost: 10
Points per technique.
[Skill Proficiency Boost (Novice to Apprentice) - Instantly elevate a Novice-level skill. Cost: 50
Points.
[Hidden Technique: 'Veil of the Common Soul'] - Masks the user's cultivation level and aura.
Foundation Establishment Stage and below cannot see through it. Cost: 200 Points.
The Veil technique was incredibly tempting. Being able to hide my rapid progress would save me
from so much unnecessary attention and suspicion. But again, too expensive.
The [Auto-Learn Function], however, was perfectly affordable. At 10 points per technique, I
could instantly master several of the basic skills I'd been manually practicing. It would save me
days or weeks of effort.
Finally, I checked the [Miscellaneous] tab. It was a bizarre collection.
[Inventory Expansion: +10 Slots] - Cost: 20 Points.
[Cosmetic Aura: 'Gentle Breeze'] - A non-combative, pleasant aura surrounds the user. Cost: 5
Points.
[Summon: 'Stray Cat Companion'] - A spiritually aware, but utterly lazy, cat will find you.
Cost: 1 Point.
[System Quest Hint (One-Time Use) - Reveals a hidden objective or optimal path for a current
quest. Cost: 15 Points.
I couldn't help but laugh. A cosmetic aura? A lazy cat? The system had a sense of humor. But the
Quest Hint was intriguing. For now, I needed to spend my points wisely.
I had 60 points. My goal was clear: I needed to grow stronger, faster, and smarter without
drawing the deadly attention of real power players.
First, I purchased the [Auto-Learn Function] for 10 Points. A new option now appeared next to
every technique I had observed in the library.
I focused on the [Gale Palm] and [Iron Skin Technique] I'd been slowly practicing. With a
mental command, I spent 20 Points to auto-learn them both to the Novice level.
A flood of knowledge and muscle memory surged into me. The precise Qi channels for the Gale
Palm, the subtle way to tense my muscles and circulate energy for the Iron Skin—it was all there,
perfectly integrated as if I'd practiced them for years.
[ New Skill Acquired: Gale Palm (Novice) ]
[ New Skill Acquired: Iron Skin Technique (Novice) ]
Next, I looked at the [Veil of the Common Soul] technique. I couldn't afford it yet, but I
needed a way to hide my level. I had an idea. I focused on my [Observe] skill. The shop
offered a [Skill Proficiency Boost] to take it from Novice to Apprentice for 50 Points. It was
almost all my remaining points, but the benefits could be huge.
I took the plunge. [50 Points Deducted.]
A sharper, more analytical energy settled in my mind. The [Observe] skill evolved.
[ Skill Upgraded: Observe (Apprentice) ]
New Function Unlocked: 'Passive Scan.' Automatically gathers basic information (CultivationLevel, General Intent) from all beings within a 10-meter radius.
Enhanced Function: Can now see through basic illusions and low-level concealment techniques.
Perfect. This was better than I hoped. With Passive Scan, I would instantly know the cultivation
level of anyone near me, and more importantly, if they meant me harm. I could avoid trouble
before it even started.
I was down to 0 points, but I felt infinitely richer. I now had three combat-ready skills at the
Novice level and a supercharged observational tool.
As I was marveling at my new capabilities, a system notification popped up, bordered in a subtle
gold.
[ New System Quest: 'The Idle Collector' ]
Objective: Acquire and 'Observe' 10 unique cultivation technique manuals (Basic or higher).
Reward: 100 System Points, Unlock 'Technique Synthesis' Feature.
My eyes lit up. One hundred points! And "Technique Synthesis"? That sounded incredibly
powerful—the ability to combine skills into something new.
A slow, determined smile spread across my face. The outer disciple library had just become my
primary hunting ground. I needed to read, to learn, to collect.
The path of the idle cultivator wasn't just about lying around. It was about building an empire of
knowledge, one perfectly learned, system-corrected technique at a time. The evaluation had
been a victory, but it was only the first step.
The real cultivation was just beginning.