Chapter 69 | Cultivating Through a Game, Becoming Unstoppable

【Cultivator has leveled up】

【Cultivator: Nan Zhi】

【Bone Age: 18】

【Level: 27】

【Cultivation: Qi Refinement level 7】

【Constitution: 36 (+1+1) (In terms of physical constitution and martial skill alone, you can go toe-to-toe with first-rate masters in the mortal realm; overall, you are still a squishy mage)】

【Combat Power: 98 (+1-5) (A fledging Qi Refinement newcomer; when battling opponents of the same rank, you seem capable of holding your own)】

【Reputation: 120 (+2) (You have slain the fierce tiger, and your renown has spread further, seemingly drawing the attention of certain factions)】

【Planting: 10 (You can now begin attempting to cultivate spirit herbs)】

【Gathering: 15 (You possess a basic understanding of gathering; your knowledge base is equivalent to that of an alchemy apprentice)】

【Cultivation Techniques: 《Small Huanzhen Manual》 (Tier 1 Mid Stage), 《Moon-Worshiping Breathing Method》 (Tier 1 Early Stage)】

【Skills: Five Thunder Protection Curse, Mirage Pearl Escape】

【Currently Equipped: "Butcher’s Daughter", "Mountain Lord’s Curse" (Luck stat -10, Combat Power -5)】

Looking over her newly overhauled stat panel, Nan Zhi could not help calculating whether she had come out ahead or behind this time.

A bumper harvest!

Though she had taken quite a few risks this time, she had struck it rich in one fell swoop. Not only did she obtain two pieces of blue quality equipment, but she had also jumped ten levels at once, and her cultivation had even leaped two minor realms back-to-back.

【White Tiger Demon Core: A spirit tiger of the mountains that fell into evil and devoured human blood, condensing into a demon core. (Can be used to refine dharma treasures and elixirs, or train Dao soldiers. However, a trace of baleful energy still lingers within the core; use with caution.)】

【Azure Sea Sky Boots (Blue Quality): Constitution +10. Among the twelve provinces of Dongsheng lies the Heavenly Spirit Azure Sea. These boots were refined by a Daoist who traveled there in his early years, capturing spiritual energy from the Heavenly Spirit Azure Sea. (This dharma treasure can borrow spiritual energy to travel A Thousand Miles a Day. Truly a divine tool for highway robbery, saving one's skin, and making a getaway. After use, requires a twelve-shichen cooldown to replenish its wood spirit energy.)】

【Azure Sea Sky Garment (Blue Quality): Constitution +50, Combat Power +10. Among the twelve provinces of Dongsheng lies the Heavenly Spirit Azure Sea. This garment was refined by a Daoist who traveled there in his early years, capturing spiritual energy from the Heavenly Spirit Azure Sea. (This dharma robe can withstand three full-power strikes from a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Afterwards, it will lose its spirituality and degrade to green quality.)】

【Dream Soul Flower: A spirit herb that grows atop special remains. When it blooms, it emits an unusual fragrance. It is one of the primary ingredients for refining Foundation Establishment Pills.】

【Tiger Saliva Grass: A spirit herb that sprouts where mountain tigers drool. Difficult to cultivate, it is one of the primary ingredients for refining Foundation Establishment Pills.】

How did the game designers become so generous this time?!

Nan Zhi’s eyes sparkled, and she was just short of cheering "Long live the developers!" three times.

Never mind the White Tiger Demon Core and the two spirit herbs—just the Azure Sea Sky Boots and Azure Sea Sky Garment, these two pieces of blue quality equipment, were enough to support her in smoothly and safely passing through the Qi Refinement stage.

Combining the former with Mirage Pearl Escape for running away, and wearing the latter to pick fights—it was simply too perfect.

Even if Nan Zhi encountered an enemy at Foundation Establishment one day, relying on these two treasures, she wouldn't be completely devoid of winning chances.

Could this be the belated beginner's gift pack?

Nan Zhi could not wait to equip these two treasures, and sure enough, her character stats showed new changes:

【Cultivator: Nan Zhi】

...

【Cultivation: Qi Refinement level 7】

【Constitution: 36 (+1+1+50+10) (In terms of physical constitution and martial skill alone, you are currently number one in the mortal realm. Among cultivators of the same level, it is hard to find anyone more turtle-like than you)】

【Combat Power: 98 (+1+10-5) (A fledgling Qi Refinement newcomer; even when fighting opponents above your level, you have a slight chance of victory)】

Gaining sixty points of Constitution all at once, the corners of Nan Zhi’s mouth curved up to the heavens.

In comparison, the five points of Constitution reduced by 【Mountain Lord’s Curse】 suddenly seemed trivial.

However, that curse did not sound auspicious at all.

With a Luck stat reduction of ten, she didn't know whether it would affect her real life.

Nan Zhi stroked her chin, intending to find an expert to dispel this thing when she had the chance.

As for who to look for?

Nan Zhi already had a plan in mind.

...

With the white tiger dead and the chang ghosts' remains incinerated, they turned to ash and drifted into the mountain forest.

The thunder-fire summoned by Nan Zhi seemed only to target yin-baleful ghostly energy; once it burned the chang ghosts to cinders, it extinguished without a sound.

Looking at the bloodstained corpse of the giant tiger on the ground and the severed head whose eyes remained wide in death, she had a sudden thought and walked toward the tomb where the three ghosts had tried to trick people earlier.

The tomb had fallen into disrepair over the years and was already dilapidated, but it had been built using high-grade blue bricks, which clearly showed that the tomb's owner had been either wealthy or noble in life.

The inscriptions on the tombstone were blurry and indistinct, with only fragments like "Youngest son Yi," "Born in the Great Zhou's Tianshou...", and "Died in Shenlong..." barely legible.

Was this an ancient Tang dynasty tomb?

The owner of the tomb was a youth named Yi, born in the year Empress Wu ascended the throne and died at the age of fifteen.

Nan Zhi walked in a circle around the tomb and saw that it was otherwise intact, except that the tombstone was tilted and an opening seemed to have been dug out by some animal.

—Considering how Chunsheng and Mei Niang had tried to trick people into this tomb before, this was likely the white tiger's lair.

The white tiger's dying wails had scared off the fierce beasts in the forest, so even though the air here was thick with the stench of blood, there would be no immediate danger for a while.

Nan Zhi simply lit a torch and leaned half her body into the tomb to see what was inside.

The ground beneath the tomb had been hollowed out by the white tiger, carved into a massive cavity that served as its den.

—One truly wondered how that white tiger, with its massive bulk, had managed to squeeze inside.

Inside the tomb, white bones were piled high, shrouded in grim ghostly energy, while decaying shoes, socks, and skeletal remains lay in a corner.

Clumps of human hair were messy heaps, caked with dried blood and scalp tissue, sending shivers down anyone's spine who saw it.

Seeing that there was no immediate danger, Nan Zhi simply jumped inside to investigate carefully.

Inside the tomb, the coffin was completely intact, resting neatly against one side.

Although the seven coffin nails had decayed into a terrible state, they remained firmly embedded in the coffin lid, untouched by anyone.

A large red flower sat atop the coffin, its bloom already faded, with petals scattered across the floor. In the center of the pistil hung a single fruit, scarcely larger than a sesame seed.

The ground was slightly damp; it looked as if the flower had been watered frequently.

【Immature Dream Soul Flower: Ripening countdown (One year, three months, and seven days)】

—Could this be the very spirit herb that the mother tiger swallowed back then?

This white tiger was quite clever, digging a den here to keep watch over this spirit herb day and night.

Nan Zhi circled the coffin, finding it increasingly strange.

The coffin was pitch-black and covered in inky talismanic incantations. Crooked, dense script covered every single wooden plank; staring at it for too long even made one feel dizzy.

It had been over three hundred years since the Great Zhou dynasty, and the blue bricks on the tomb had weathered almost to dust.

Yet this coffin was remarkably intact, showing neither signs of rot nor a single wormhole.

There had to be a reason for this.

Nan Zhi certainly did not believe the white tiger was the type to respect the elderly, cherish the young, or honor the deceased.

The entrance to the tomb was narrow; even she had to duck her head to enter, let alone a mountain-sized tiger.

Why hadn't it simply moved the coffin along with the flower?

Either the white tiger had lived beside the coffin for so long that watching over the flower day in and day out had fostered some attachment, so it didn't disturb the coffin;

Or the Dream Soul Flower had a unique growing environment and could not be transplanted;

There was also another possibility...

The white tiger dared not open the coffin, fearing it might provoke whatever was inside.

Nan Zhi suddenly had an outlandish hypothesis.

Narrowing her eyes, she carefully memorized the illustrations and script on the coffin.

Fearing she might forget, Nan Zhi took dozens of photos of the screen from multiple angles with her phone before climbing back out.

A dozen minutes later, Nan Zhi climbed back in and began moving out the white bones and human garments one by one.

There were numerous skeletal remains inside the cave, and it took Nan Zhi several trips back and forth to clear them all out.

Having finished this task, she bowed toward the coffin with a pious expression:

“Friend lying inside, I took care of the giant tiger that squatted in your home—no need to thank me. Since I’m already here, I figured I’d tidy up the inside for you too. No need for pleasantries; let’s meet again in a year! Keeping in touch builds relationships, don’t you think?”