After Li Tianwei sent his message to the system, the system—usually such a chatterbox—gave no reply for a long while.
As for why the system did not reply, it was tired. Truly tired.
Especially when it looked at Li Tianwei's five-colored Pseudo-Spirit Root, gleaming faintly yet unmistakably, it fell even more silent.
Over this period, Li Tianwei's every move had left it utterly dumbfounded.
He had violated every convention of cultivation, yet somehow, nothing had gone wrong.
It had been figuring out how, once the hundred days were up and Li Tianwei failed to achieve Foundation Establishment, it could have a proper talk with him and make him understand the limits of his talent.
Yet with the hundred days nearly over, the system had been filled with anticipation, waiting to see how its host would beg it in utter misery.
Then, in the final ten days, he erupted once more.
And this eruption completely exceeded the system's calculations.
He had accumulated strength for ninety days just to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm in one stroke?
Pseudo-Spirit Root and Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days—taken separately, anyone would understand what they meant. But put together, could this really be something a person could accomplish?
At that moment, the system even began to doubt itself.
Could it be... could it be that my host truly has a Heavenly Spirit Root?
With that thought, the system scanned Li Tianwei several more times—full-body scans, all manner of scans...
Yet there was only one result: this host possessed utterly trash cultivation talent. Forget Foundation Establishment; being able to set foot on the path of cultivation within a hundred days would already be miraculous beyond measure.
Yet this thing had actually achieved Foundation Establishment.
Am I broken?
The system could not help questioning itself and had no mind left to reply to Li Tianwei.
"Sure enough, my talent is simply too outstanding. Even the system cannot examine it and has fallen completely silent."
When the system did not answer, Li Tianwei sighed softly and slowly rose to his feet.
Feeling the surging spiritual energy within his body, Li Tianwei felt that with a single thought, he could destroy everything before his eyes.
Li Tianwei could not resist waving a hand. Drawn by his will, the surrounding spiritual energy swirled with endless streams of light, and then Li Tianwei himself rose into the air, hovering halfway above the ground.
Flight—an illusory thing pursued in humanity's dreams—was now something Li Tianwei could achieve with a mere thought.
Very good. Excellent. In Li Tianwei's mind, he had completed the first step of cultivation. Next, he would suppress the present age and cleave across eternity.
Li Tianwei believed that after reading so many novels, he was in no way inferior to anyone else.
"If Heaven had not given birth to me, Li Tianwei, the immortal path through the ages would be as long as night."
Li Tianwei could not help letting out a heartfelt sigh, though he inwardly regretted that Fenghuo Xizhuhou had been born a few years before him and had already written such a widely celebrated pretentious line. Otherwise, with his own talent, he could have come up with it too.
"Good, good..."
At that moment, a voice rang out in midair. A figure carrying a long sword and clad in a yin-yang Daoist robe appeared overhead.
Li Tianwei slowly raised his eyes, looked at Bai Muxu in the air, and cupped his hands in salute.
"Master."
Though Li Tianwei was exceptionally self-centered, he still understood basic courtesy. Even if he considered himself extraordinary, Bai Muxu had taught him the Dao, imparted knowledge, and resolved his doubts. Since he had acknowledged him as master, respect was due.
"What you said just now was indeed somewhat arrogant, but with your talent, you have the right to say it."
Bai Muxu slowly descended and walked before Li Tianwei, probing him with his divine sense.
"The Foundation Establishment Realm, reached in precisely a hundred days. You have also condensed an innate body; your Dao foundation is complete, and the great Dao lies open before you."
Bai Muxu nodded in satisfaction.
"It was only through Master's guidance and explanations that I was able to embark upon the path of cultivation."
Li Tianwei was no fool. Seeing Bai Muxu's reaction, he knew this was an opportunity to fleece the sheep, so he immediately chose to flatter Bai Muxu and save him face.
Seeing Li Tianwei's humility, Bai Muxu grew even more satisfied.
"Since that is so, your master shall impart another method to you."
"The Heavenly Origin Dao Foundation Method has been completed. Next, you must stabilize your cultivation, train in spells and methods, and strive toward the Fruit of Enlightenment of the Golden Core."
"When I observed your cultivation, manifestations of the five elements emerged. The path you walk should be related to the five elements. I possess a method named the Five Intentions Heaven-Congealing Art, which should suit you."
With a gentle wave of his hand, Bai Muxu produced a secret manual in his palm.
The instant the manual appeared in the world, the surrounding spiritual energy gathered toward it.
It was merely a book, yet it radiated a pressure all around it, with the five elements circling it.
Li Tianwei's eyes lit up at once. Clearly, this manual was no ordinary thing.
Although Bai Muxu had given him quite a few good things when he first entered the sect, most had concerned cultivation, along with miscellaneous ordinary spells.
But this Five Intentions Heaven-Congealing Art seemed different.
"I obtained this once from an Immortal Ruin. Unfortunately, I had long since found a method and path suitable for myself, so I did not choose to recultivate it."
"This Five Intentions Heaven-Congealing Art allows one to comprehend the Dao intentions of heaven and earth, bind heaven and gather intention, condense a grotto-heaven within the body to gather spirit energy, and ensure that spiritual energy flows without end. It can be cultivated all the way to ascension. For every Dao intention comprehended, one's combat power will exceed that of others in the same realm by several times."
"It is essential for fighting across realms. Unfortunately, besides requiring exceptional talent, this method also demands comprehension surpassing all else. Otherwise, it is difficult even to condense the five intentions."
"Even the Heavenly Wave Sword Art I currently practice is somewhat inferior to it."
Bai Muxu explained the Five Intentions Heaven-Congealing Art in his hand and waited for Li Tianwei's choice.
As Li Tianwei looked at the Five Intentions Heaven-Congealing Art in Bai Muxu's hand and heard that this manual required exceptional comprehension and talent, his eyes brightened.
Was this not prepared specifically for him? He possessed a Heavenly Spirit Root, and upon first encountering the path of cultivation, he had even modified the Heavenly Origin Dao Foundation Method into a method suited to himself.
Combined together, it had been born entirely for him.
"I'll take the Five Intentions Heaven-Congealing Art."
Li Tianwei chose this method without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing Li Tianwei's decisiveness, Bai Muxu could not help nodding again.
"Good. Although the Five Intentions Heaven-Congealing Art requires extremely high talent and comprehension, and ordinary cultivation based on talent alone will be exceedingly slow because intention cultivation must progress alongside it, once mastered, it possesses spiritual power five times stronger than other methods."
"I believe you can master it."
Bai Muxu handed over the Five Intentions Heaven-Congealing Art, and it landed in Li Tianwei's hands.
The instant Li Tianwei took it, he seemed to hear something.
"Bastard, bastard! You're just giving me away to someone else? I'm an immortal art..."
"Damn it, what is going on? Isn't this guy a Pseudo-Spirit Root? This fellow with a Primordial Spirit Root actually gave me to a Pseudo-Spirit Root."
Hearing this voice, Li Tianwei frowned and could not help raising his head to look at Bai Muxu, then at the book in his hand. He immediately realized that the voice came from within the Five Intentions Heaven-Congealing Art.
Seeing Li Tianwei's expression, Bai Muxu understood that he had heard it.
"You heard its voice, didn't you? An immortal art possesses sentience. If I am not mistaken, it should be an immortal art."
"Falling into your hands should be the best choice."
"An immortal art?"
Li Tianwei muttered to himself, inwardly scoffing at it.
After all, this immortal art called him a Pseudo-Spirit Root, just like his system. It was blind as a bat.
But since Bai Muxu had said so, there was no reason to refuse this method.
"Thank you, Master. I never expected a cultivation art to possess sentience as well."
Seeing Li Tianwei's emotional words, Bai Muxu continued taking out more things.
"These are Compendiums of Spell Arts of various kinds. In addition, there are some magic treasures and protective artifacts."
"Since you have completed Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days, you are now the first disciple of me, Bai Muxu."
Bai Muxu placed everything into a storage ring and handed it to Li Tianwei.
Naturally, Li Tianwei could not possibly decline. After taking it and probing within, he found all sorts of treasures packed densely together, immortal light spilling everywhere. There was far more than what Bai Muxu had previously given him. Even Spirit Stones were piled into more than a dozen mountains; he had no idea how long they would last him in cultivation.
At that moment, Li Tianwei held not the slightest dislike for Bai Muxu and hurriedly thanked him again.
"Thank you, Master."
"Next, you should properly stabilize your cultivation, begin tempering your heart and gathering intention, so that you may enter the gates of the Five Intentions Heaven-Congealing Art."
Seeing Li Tianwei accept them, Bai Muxu explained what he needed to do next.
At last, Li Tianwei listened with full seriousness.