Chapter 49
Windfall (I)
Ah, home sweet home!
It still looks like someone sneezed it out of a pus-filled, putrid nostril, but it's the only one I've got. It was well past the evening by the time we returned, as I actually took the pair on a bit of a stroll and even to the sect's restaurant, where we somehow managed to spend 100 low-quality Spirit Stones.
In fairness, half of that was spent packing two meals for Hua and Light. Me? Heh. I don't count the stones I spend on me. Never.
Khm.
Anyway, on our way back, there were quite a lot of stares still, but they were rather... different. Not toward me, no--there was still a lot of loathing, hatred, and such other feelings--but toward my disciples. They weren't invisible any longer, and they will likely never be invisible again.
As soon as we got to the peak, I vaguely said that I was tired and would like to rest for a little bit before I sprinted toward my room like there was a ghost chasing me.
Why?
Well.
This abomination of the window was constantly hovering at my periphery. I needed to read through it immediately, or I'd go mad.
I closed the door to my bedroom, sat on the bed, took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a moment, and opened them to focus on the window itself. Alright. Let's see what my Bus 1 has given me.
[--congratulations, Host. One of your Disciples has achieved a major breakthrough]
[Long Tao has broken through to the First Stage of Foundation Establishment]
[... anomalous breakthrough noted]
[...]
[As the Disciple hasn't achieved the breakthrough using a Host-Created method, rewards will be lowered]
[Time Taken to reach the Foundation Establishment: 176 days]
[Speed: Slow (World Correction--> Impossible)]
[Foundation: Immortal Perfection]
[Immortal Perfection: your Disciple, Long Tao, ensconced the Seed of Dao within a Spirit Palace arrayed with 13 layers of walls, achieving Immortal Perfection]
[--Long Tao's talent has been updated: Jade(+) -> ???(+)]
[Due to the nature of the Sword Embryo talent, the Spirit Palace has been molded into an Immortal Sword]
[Long Tao can only learn Sword-based arts from hereon]
[...]
[Rewards]
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
[Reward 1: 500 Creation Points -> Deducted to 200 because the host's method was not used]
[Reward 2: You may spend up to 1,000 Creation Points (--> deducted to 500 because the host's method was not used) creating an art with Sword Embryo & Sword Heart trait restrictions; it cannot be a Cultivation Method and can only be used once. Expires in 360 days]
[Reward 3: Body Purification +20% (--> deducted to 10%)-> 14%]
[Reward 4: Custom System Function unlocked, 'Art Discerner'; you may spend Creation Points to discern specific weaknesses in the Arts of both your & your disciples' opponents]
[Reward 5: Host Talent upgraded: Mortal (Abysmal) -> Mortal (Ordinary)]
[Reward 6: an additional use of Creator's Eyes per day; 4/4 remaining]
[Reward 7: Additional Art Type Unlocked: Growth (You can invest Creation Points once a year to upgrade the tier of the Art. Does not apply retroactively. Limited up to Heaven-grade Arts)]
[...]
[Bonus Reward: 'Tortoise Mirror' (Epic)]
[Tortoise Mirror: a shard of an ancient artifact said to have been made from the shell of the Primordial Tortoise Spirit. Has 4 --> Deducted to 2 --> remaining uses; can block an attack of any realm below ??? and reflect 200% of the damage back onto the attacker. After 2 uses, it will disintegrate]
[...]
[Keep raising your Disciples, Host, and unlock more things! Good luck!]
... hooooooh.
Wow. Oh my God. So many rewards.
For starters, I first want to bitch and moan a little bit, if you'll allow me. System: Okay, fine, I get that you have to deduct some rewards because Long Tao used his own legendary or mythical or whatever method, but did you have to be so brutal with it?! Good God, so many things up in flames!
Haah, whatever, I'll make it up with Dai Xiu. She'll be my proper golden egg.
Anyway, now that the bitching and moaning were out of the way, where were soundproof arrays when you needed them? Because I want to squeal like I'm back in high school, and instead of rejecting me in the most brutal fashion imaginable, Hannah said yes to me asking her out on a date. No, this is even better.
Okay, okay. So, first things first--cloaking art. I can finally actually make it. A free 500 points art as long as pretty much only Long Tao can use it... yeah, why not? It's clear that the big, juicy rewards were in the major breakthroughs, and Long Tao, well, he can be my herald. He can keep shooting through the realms like they're paper, and I can just keep reaping rewards... or, well, approximately half of those rewards.
God, so depressing...
Khm.
One big thing (well, maybe the biggest thing): the Tortoise Mirror. It appeared in my lap as soon as I read the reward.
It was a palm-sized mirror with a cracked, jade-colored frame. I couldn't actually see my reflection in it; rather, it was a swirling mist, blocking whatever resided therein in haze. Somewhat rough and cool to the touch, I held it as I would a kid and hid it in my robes. Give it to my disciples?
Yeah, right.
I finally have a way to protect myself! And seeing as it will block an attack under the '???' realm, it actually means someone has to be stronger than a Demigod to potentially harm me! Isn't that insane?!
Well, maybe. I don't really know; maybe just past this dilapidated corner of the world, there's an oasis where everyone's a Demigod. No, no, can't be thinking that. Slow and steady, slow and steady. For now, it's precisely what I needed. My precious.
Setting that aside, I was hit by another bout of depression, actually.
Growth-type Arts... you mean to tell me I didn't already have this unlocked?! Honestly, I was always under the impression that I'd be able to just occasionally spend Creation Points to upgrade the arts once my dear disciples outgrew them. There was even a limitation, so it's kind of like, you know, Growth-type Arts is a Growth-type Reward.
...
Alright.
I completely even skipped over my upgraded talent!
I went from trash to... well, I'm still trash, but at least I'm ordinary trash now! Hurray for me!
Besides, the real bulk of it was actually in purification; once again, I found myself breathing with more ease, and trying to use Qi felt less like trying to fish out a plastic bottle from those twining weeds and vines that would wrap around everything and more like trying to pick up a perfectly smooth marble while both it and my hands were covered in butter.
Why were they covered in butter? ... it could happen.
There's really nothing quite like the dopamine hit of seeing so many rewards be given to you, even if, ultimately, they aren't that mind-blowing. Or, well, they are, and I'm just not nearly educated enough to understand the value.
... if I were a betting man, I'd definitely bet on the latter. Too bad there's nobody in the sect left who'd be willing to gamble with me... I robbed them all...
