Page 80: A gift from a King

[System notice: Absorption and conversion of poison essence has been initialized.

Cultivation level has increased by a level...

Cultivation level has increased by a level...

Cultivation level has increased by a level...

Raising the cultivation level further will lead to unstable foundation. System redirects the excess essence for gate channel opening.

Gate channel opening initializing. Targeting gate of rejuvenation.

Inner essence not enough. Initializing maximum absorption and conversion of poison essence.

Central Core capacity reached 100%. Excess essence detected..

Remaining essence was transfered to the elemental cores as temporary storage.

Essence for gate channel opening met. Resuming gate channel opening.

(Boom! Boom! Boom!)

Gate of rejuvenation opened. Your healing speed has been increased by 200%. Internal damage can be healed at a faster rate. ]

Inside the chamber, Long Bai let out a long exhale after trying to withstand the bombardment of his second gate channel. In his central abdominal cavity, he can feel the flow of essence which become faster and smoother compared before. In addition, his central core has become more sturdy looking unlike before that it looked like a brittle thin glass. This means that the core can handle more stress when it stores kore than its normal capacity. He felt happy and as he opened his eyes, the green mist that filled the chamber has been reduced to nothing. He felt like he became an anti-pollutant machine of this place.

[STATUS

Cultivation: Core tempering layer (4th level)

Core grade: Unique (multi-elemental)

Gate Channel opened: 2/8

-Gate of strength

*skills can become stronger with more essence used

-Gate of rejuvenation

*healing of wounds has become faster. ]

He looked around and noticed that he was still far from the center of the chamber. Looking back to where he came in, he remembered his senior. He went back to call Zhang Li but when he saw her outside the chamber, she was weeping.

"Se..senior, why are you crying? Did something happened?"

Zhang Li regained her wits after hearing something in front of her.

"Huh? Wh..what happened? Long Bai! I thought you died!"

Pack!

Zhang Li's was supposed to give a slap because of frustration but was stopped by Long Bai's right hand. Seeing his senior cry, he felt sorry for making her feel like that.

"Uhm, senior Li, didn't I sa that you just need to wait? I did not say anything about dying. Why should I go to such painful process when I still have a lot of aspirations? Senior Li, look I'm fine and you really must come inside."

Long Bai pulled Zhang Li inside the chamber that was already cleared of its poison mist.

"Ah! Junior Bai, wait!"

Long Bai noticed a small residue of poison on her hand. She might have attempted to enter the chamber while the mist was still present.

"Senior Li, please let me remove the poison."

Zhang Li was surprised by her junior's ability. She never knew this young lad could be keeping a lot of secrets. She was tongue tied by her situation. She began to realize that instead of her taking care of her junior, she's the one who's being taken cared of instead.

"Look senior Li. This place is an herb garden. We have hit it big time!"

Just as they entered the garden, the two heard a voice that echoed in the chamber. The two was startled which was enough for Zhang Li to jump and grab Long Bai's arms.

"Hm, you kid! Your talent is not bad. To be able to absorb the poison miasma and convert it into your own essence, you must have a special constitution. Hahaha! Since you proved your worth, I'll allow you to enter my burial chamber."

"Who are you! Please show yourself and speak in front of us!" Long Bai demanded.

He was waiting for the system's alert but there was nothing. This could mean that there is no threat nearby.

"Brat! If I can do that, I should have done that earlier. I am just a wisp of my remaining presence here in this world. Looking that a talented young lad came, at least I can finally fulfill my last duty. I have waited for so long and at last, I can pass on some of my legacy. I have travelled many places and collected many things, practiced a profound martial technique, reached the height of pill making and yet, I still lost against time. By the way, you may call me as King Kong. Now, I'll ask you both, would you like to receive a gift from me? If then, aporoach the center of this room."

The old voice sounded sincere and there was no threat accompanied with it. This made Long Bai trust the voice they are hearing.

The central area was bright but one thing was distracting the two. There was a dried bones of a corpse laying on a raised platform surrounded by growing flowers. Although the flowers were adding beauty to the scene, Long Bai noticed that these were the source of the poison mist that accumulated over time. Each flower were harmless on their own but when they release their essence together, the condensation of all combined essence can turn into a toxic fume. Good thing he has the green revolving sphere that can absorb wood or plant relates essence which one of those were poison.

"Sister Li, it is alright. If I am to guess, this voice might be the remaining wisp of the deceased who was buried here. Now, let's give our reply."

The greeted the dead elder and agreed to receive whatever it wants to give. Long Bai and Zhang Li expressed their thanks to the great elder.

"Before that, you must answer my question. Remember, there is no right answer. What I want to hear are your honest answers. I want to hear how your generation would reply to my simple question. During my time, all of them will answer the same. I wonder about you.

Here's my question. how would you desire power? "

First to answer was Zhang Li. As a youth that had experienced a lot of things, she had then established one thing on her heart since she entered the sect. That was alchemy

"Elder, my name is Zhang Li. My answer to the venerable elder is skills. I saw the power of what alchemy can bring. It can become great and at the same time, destructive. Alchemy has helped a lot of people establish great and influential families, clans, and even sects. They hold great power which dictated most of people's lives. Although these were the things I saw, I want to use that power to change something. I want to change the mentality that power is not just to keep things as is but is also an agent of change."

"Hm, You must have experienced a decent portion of a dark life. If I am to dissect your answer, you are saying that influence is a form of power which can be born from skills. You are saying that one can dominate many with wealth and connections. I see."

"Elder Kong, my name is Long Bai. As for my answer, that would be knowledge and wisdom. To achieve great things, one must seek it. A frog in a well will never know how wide the skies until it goes out of its comfort zone but without the wisdom to do it is just a pipe dream. In addition, a godly martial technique is in truth a strong art but such things would turn useless to someone without having enlightenment.

Long Bai answered based on his experiences, first life and his current. During his first, being knowledgeable about how things work became an advantage in living since he can do a broad spectrum of things. In addition, with his previous work, the more knowledge he has, the more it made him confident in his delivery. However, the most important would be his current life. With the system assist that he had, he would benefit greatly with how much information it takes. Everything that the system learns becomes his own which is why he chose to answer it that way.

"As for you young lad, you are saying that knowledge with wisdom is power. To achieve great things, one must seek it.. Yes.. I agree. A frog in a well will never know how wide the skies if it would just prefer staying in his comfort zone. To say that you are strong just because you possess a godly technique doesn't mean that you have mastered it. Anyone can read the godly manual but only scarce can truly understand it and reach it. I am liking it.

I hear your answers. Now before I'll give you my gifts, I must say something. Receiving it will be a painful process, will you still dare want to have it?"

Long Bai and Zhang Li agreed to the elder. Since they are here, they can't miss such chance. Just like they have said, one must endure difficulties in order to gain great things.

"Since you agreed, then let's start. First, the young lady, come and approach the platform. Beside me is a crystal ball that opens my last treasures. Go and put a drop of your blood. Since I have recognized you both, I will bestow you my things according to your answer. Just don't forget, the more you endure, the more you can receive."

Zhang Li was still hesitating but after looking at Ling Bai's reassuring face, she was able to muster her courage and followed the elder's instruction. She took a knife from her cosmic pouch and made a small incision on her index finger and allowed the drop of blood to trickle down unto the surface of the crystal ball. Upon touching the crystal ball with her right hand, the crustal ball glowed bright red and just then, golden words entered her hand and creeped towards her head.

"Ahh!"

Zhang Li screamed due to the pain she felt in her head. A lot of information about alchemy was being added to her mind and is being imprinted permanently as if it was hers to begin with.

"Senior, are you alright?"

Long Bai was supposed to approach her but then he saw her pointing out that she's doing great and that she will endure the pain.

Her screams echoed all throughout the chamber and it sounded like a woman getting a torture. After a minute and a half, she reached her limit and took out her hand from the ball.

"Hmm. A minute and a half. You received 90 years worth of my alchemy experience. At that time, I have reached the pinnacle of grade 9 alchemist. For someone who aspires to become an alchemist, this is already enough. If you want to reach the next realm of alchemy, you must find your own way to the truths of pill making.

Now, next would be you, young lad. Do as she did and receive my gift."

After helping her senior settle down, he approached the crystal and made the needed procedure. Just then..

[System notice: An invasive force is trying to enter your central core. Scanning for malicious content...

No threat detected. Reorganizing the object transfer...

An orb is added to your core system. Rerouting object to the new orb.

A new orb system has been created.]

During the process, Long Bai did not feel any discomfort but instead, he was enjoying what was happening inside him. As he plunged his consciousness into his core system, he watched another small and transparent orb form next the the 5th orb. It was as if he watched a new small planet form and have its own orbit around the central core. Although it formed around the central core, it looks more like an asteroid since the size was just one fourth of the 5 revolving orbs. Upon closer look, he noticed that the small orb contained life!

'Huh? What is going on? The inside look like a garden.. wait.. it looks familiar.'

Long Bai retracted his consciousness and just then, he heard his senior calling him. He looked at the surroundings and it turned into a desolate place. The precious herbs that has adorned the place were gone and the land that was supposed to be there went missing. All that's left was a hard and cold cobblestone floor.

"Junior Bai, are you alright?"

Zhang Li was full of concern as she was still bolding his hand. Her eyes were full of worry but her legs were shaking.

"Senior Li, what happened here? Can you tell me about it?"

"I also don't know. Just when you put your hand on the crystal, the voice of the elder seemed like he was being pulled into some place and then the whole area also followed to the crystal. It was like everything was sucked into the crystal ball and then this.. Nothing was left."

Long Bai was on deep thought and then realized something..

"Could it be.. Senior, can you guard me for a while? I'll just check something else."

Long Bai sat and let his consciousness enter his core system again. He immediately checked the 6th small orb and approached it closely. Upon closer inspection, he was surprised because he knew what was inside. It was the herbs which went missing. He tried touching the surface of the orb and the next thing, he was inside it. It was as if he was back on a sunny place with many herbs around him. The herb garden was blooming brightly with the bright sunlight.

'Wait sunlight? Ho come there's a sunlight? Just then, he realized that he was inside his core system. It must have been the central core that generated such bright light.

Just when he was enjoying the place, he heard a familiar sound.

"Hahaha! I can't believe you are hiding such secrets in your body. Young lad! I'm thankful that you came."

"Elder? "