He bit into the crimson celestial fruit, muffling a chuckle before it could slip out.
Then, with a flick of thought, he brought up his system interface
[Dominion Protocol Interface]
NAME: Jin Yu
CORE ATTRIBUTE: Influence
ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 2 DP
PHYSIQUE: 110 (Initial Stage Nascent Soul Realm)
INTERNAL STRENGTH: 120 (Beginning Stage Nascent Soul Realm)
SPIRITUAL TECHNIQUE: Uninitialized
QI AFFINITY: Holy Qi, ???
CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES:
– Sanctum Sword Technique (Peak Stage)
– Misty Veil Technique (Peak Stage)
– Divine Phase Technique (Beginning Stage)
BLOODLINE RECOGNIZED: Golden Sun Bloodline, ???
TRAIT: Invading Qi Immunity
PASSIVE TECHNIQUE: Hostile Qi Reversal
PROGRESS TRACKER:
– Hostile Qi Absorbed: 3%
– Next Breakthrough: 100%
– System Note: Absorbing higher realm energy will accelerate progress.
VELKHARRA SPACE: 1 Pet [Alpha]
INFLUENCE POINTS: 610,500
That’s a whole lot of points… and the system’s just alerting me now?
He frowned, tossing the last bite of the crimson fruit into his mouth.
Wait… my Divine Phase Technique is still at Beginning Stage? No wonder those assassins had an easy time. I completely forgot to level it up.
Typical. Only when I’m nearly dead do I remember I have upgrades. Then again, that bastard was too strong, I didn’t even think of it.
Bitch wanted to kill a handsome man like me, a handsome man who has a beautiful woman waiting for him....hahahahaha.
He laughed in his mind and looked up at the twin moon, a faint smile curling on his lips.
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When are you bitches merging huh?, It's been....
He buffered for a moment.
.....oh, less than twenty-four hours I guess.
He grinned sheepishly as he glanced back at the system, his fingers caressing his lips in slow, deliberate motion.
Forget it, time flies.
His eyes flickered to the Velkharra Space.
Alpha... that mutt, totally forgot about him.
He sighed. That’s what happens when you handle too much at a young age. So pitiful.
Also… shouldn’t the system display my age?
He licked the juice off his thumb, eyes fixed on the interface, lost in thought.
To the others still glaring at him with clenched jaws and twitching brows, it only looked like he was displaying madness. For a moment, they questioned his mental health.
Since I only got the breakthrough alert at 600,000, I probably used less than that for the previous one. Which means...
He glanced at his Physique stat.
Pressed it.
Ding!
–400,000 Influence Points
Beginning Stage Nascent Soul Realm Reached.
Damn... that's a lot.
I didn’t even notice during that life-and-death duel, I was just throwing points at everything.
Crunch!
A new apple appeared in his hand, and he took a slow, absentminded bite.
Wonderful.
He nodded in satisfaction, a faint smile forming as he felt the stream of soothing heat going through his body.
He tapped the [+] next to Divine Phase Technique.
Ding!
–50,000
Mid-Stage Divine Phase Technique Learned.
I swear it was just 10,000 per level before... but whatever. Let it keep draining my points, just like I spend my father’s money.
Ding!
–50,000
Ding!
–50,000
Peak Stage Divine Phase Technique Learned.
Crunch!
"Hummm..."
The sound escaped him as he bit into the fruit again. But this time, it wasn’t the apple that satisfied him.
It was the current-like energy surging through his veins, body, and soul.
He couldn't quite describe the sensation, but one thing he knew for sure:
Even a deity… would struggle to keep up with this.
I feel....
He haven't completed his thought when
“Pretty boy,” the woman in red purred, her voice like silk draped over a blade. “I know the fruit is juicy, but you need to refine the first before biting into another.”
Jin Yu paused, for a second, but didn’t glance at her. He took another slow, deliberate bite. Crunch.
Juice stained his lips again. He licked it off lazily, eyes still fixed on his interface. “Mm. You sound like my overseer's nagging alerts. You two should talk.”
Her ruby lips curved upward. “Oh? I can do more than just talk, you know. But I do like my men focused. Especially ones who can bite into spiritual fruit without flinching.”
Jin Yu finally looked up. Just briefly. His gaze swept over her the way a man might glance at a painting he’d already seen.
“Ah, so you’re the bold one of the trio. Black plays mysterious, white plays innocent, and you…” He bit again. Crunch. “...play with fire.”
She smirked, leaned back on the rocky ground with her elbow, hips tilted up like temptation incarnate. “Does that scare you?”
“No,” he said, tone dry. “It bores me.”
That caught her. The smirk faltered for a second, then sharpened. “You're either a monk pretending to be above pleasure, or someone who’s already drowned in too much of it.”
Jin Yu held up his fruit, examining the red skin as if it were more interesting than her entire being. “I’m someone who values silence over background noise. Which you're quickly becoming.”
The woman in red chuckled lowly, the sound curling through the air like a charm spell. “Fine then, pretty boy. I’ll stop talking....when you start begging.”
He tilted his head. “I beg my overseer for cheaper upgrade costs. You? Not even top ten on the list.”
A single sharp laugh escaped her lips. She sat back with a flair of graceful mistress, her voice warm like silk velvet.
“I’ll make top five by sunset.”
Crunch.
Jin Yu didn’t even look up. “pipe dream.”
Silence returned, except the particularly loud crunch of eating and the stares that seemed to scream.
Jin Yu's eyes flitted up for a second, and met the girl's beside the mature-looking man.
Panic surged in her eyes for a moment before she quickly averted her gaze..
Unbothered, Jin Yu didn't spare her another glance, he closed his system's interface and continued munching on his apple.
Seer had already stopped drinking tea at this point, instead, he closed his eyes and meditate silently, the silver disc rotating slowly in front of him.
-----
The sun set. Night fell.
The twin Moons rose high into the sky, glowing in all their pale glory, casting a quiet silver light across the land.
Then… something strange began to stir.
