Resource Trial

The second day since Cultivation Era's fourth server opened!

Qi Refining Layer 8!

What are the big shots in Server One doing? Do they even know how to play? Only reaching Golden Core after two years—how pathetic!

After getting stuck with the Welfare Version client when the server opened yesterday, Jiang Liu knew his path of cultivation would be smooth sailing. But he never expected to level up this quickly.

Qi Refining Layer 8 already?

Was cultivation really this easy?

No matter how unbelievable it felt, he really had reached Qi Refining Layer 8.

Jiang Liu was somewhat dazed, but he quickly calmed down. He was only in the Qi Refining Stage, the lowest realm in cultivation. There was nothing to show off about.

After taking a few seconds to compose himself, he turned to the newly unlocked [Resource Trial].

[Resource Trial] was right beside [Story Trial]. After entering it, three instances appeared before him.

The three instances were called [Golden Scale Pillar], [Mechanical Secret Device], and [Immortal Forest Grass Stone].

They corresponded to the Spirit Stone Instance, Cultivation Instance, and Material Instance, respectively.

Only the first stage was currently available. The second stage would unlock after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage.

They were standard, run-of-the-mill resource instances. There was nothing else to see, so Jiang Liu directly opened [Golden Scale Pillar].

[Golden Scale Pillar]: Attack the Golden Scale Pillar for 5 minutes. The more damage you deal, the more Spirit Stones you receive.

He could cry. There was finally another way to obtain Spirit Stones!

Wasn't this just hitting a target dummy? Easy.

Jiang Liu decisively activated the 'Immersive Experience' function. His vision darkened, the world spun, and he entered the simulated cultivation world.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a training ground paved with white stone. In the center stood a golden pillar over thirty meters tall, its surface carved with golden dragons and covered in countless markings that looked like cryptic talismans.

Ten-second countdown.

Jiang Liu gripped the Sunrise Sword. The instant the countdown vanished, Water Spiritual Energy erupted from within him, and several Water Spirit Sword Qi slashes streaked through the air toward the Golden Scale Pillar!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Golden Scale Pillar shook violently under the attack. One gold ingot after another flew out of it, showering onto the ground like celestial maidens scattering flowers, clattering brightly before vanishing like bubbles.

So tacky!

Jiang Liu's eyes went wide at the sight of gold ingots filling the sky. His hands moved faster and faster as he slashed with increasing enthusiasm.

In just three seconds, he ran dry. After sending out more than a dozen Water Spirit Sword Qi slashes, all the Spiritual Energy in his body had been drained.

Was the Qi Refining Stage's Spiritual Energy capacity really this low?

Even with his Spiritual Energy exhausted, Jiang Liu didn't stop. He swung the Sunrise Sword and hacked wildly at the Golden Scale Pillar. He didn't know any sword techniques, so he simply chopped away. Crisp metallic clashes rang out nonstop until five minutes had passed.

[Instance Complete]

[Rating: C]

[Spirit Stones Obtained: 4]

"Phew... phew..."

His vision shifted, and Jiang Liu was kicked out of [Golden Scale Pillar]. He stared at the settlement screen and panted softly.

Not bad. Four Spirit Stones for five minutes—what a steal.

The rating was just too low. He had given it everything and only earned a C rating. It seemed his overall combat power simply wasn't enough to support his Qi Refining Layer 8 realm.

Thinking about it, though, it made sense. The only things that could raise his combat power were the Supreme Water Spiritual Root and the Sunrise Sword. The sword's innate spell had been banned, and he couldn't use Fire Blowing Palm either. His combat power naturally couldn't be that high.

"Looks like I need to get some water-element spells."

Jiang Liu silently calculated. Who knew when he would pull the Supreme Fire Spiritual Root? If he wanted to increase his combat power quickly, learning spells was his only option.

His only offensive technique was Water Spirit Sword Qi. It merely condensed Water Spiritual Energy and released it as a slash; it barely even counted as a spell and couldn't bring out the full strength of Qi Refining Layer 8.

He had a realm but no combat power. If things were still like this after the realm arena opened, people might challenge him across realms in PK matches. That would be humiliating.

"I need spells, but there isn't any fixed way to get them."

Jiang Liu wore a troubled expression. He could only plan to check Taobao later and see whether anyone was selling them.

Putting aside the matter of buying spells for now, Jiang Liu entered the [Mechanical Secret Device] instance.

[Mechanical Secret Device]: Counterattack continuously under the attacks of Mechanical Dummies. The more Mechanical Dummies you kill, the more Cultivation Points you receive.

The last one was target practice, and this one was getting beaten up?

Jiang Liu pursed his lips but still activated Immersive Experience.

He returned to the white-stone training ground. This time, there was no Golden Scale Pillar in the center, but a two-meter-tall wooden dummy standing there barehanded.

Countdown.

Holding the Sunrise Sword, Jiang Liu held his breath and stared intently at the dummy across from him.

[Round One Begins]

The instant the countdown ended, the wooden dummy charged straight at Jiang Liu. It had no defenses whatsoever, only offense.

Jiang Liu aimed at the wooden dummy's arm and sent out a Water Spirit Sword Qi slash. The dummy's right arm fell off instantly.

One sword strike had cut off an arm. Even Jiang Liu was stunned.

"It's that easy?"

Jiang Liu froze briefly. In the blink of an eye, the wooden dummy had reached him, swinging its only remaining arm down like a hammer.

It wasn't fast or slow. From Jiang Liu's perspective, it was like watching children fight—there was no difficulty at all. He easily sidestepped it, then cut off the dummy's other arm with another strike.

Ten times easier than that old man in Story 1-7!

Scared the hell out of me. I thought it would be something outrageous!

Jiang Liu raised an eyebrow, his tense nerves relaxing. In a few swift moves, he chopped the wooden dummy into eight pieces. The scattered wooden blocks on the ground were still twitching, nearly making him laugh.

However, he couldn't laugh the next second.

Round Two: two wooden dummies. Jiang Liu dealt with them easily.

Round Three: four wooden dummies. Jiang Liu was drenched in sweat.

Round Four: eight wooden dummies. Jiang Liu turned and ran.

In the training ground, which was larger than a basketball court, Jiang Liu ran while cursing as more than a dozen wooden dummies chased relentlessly behind him.

If his killing speed couldn't keep up with the rate at which new rounds deployed dummies, there would only be more and more of them until the challenger died.

Round Five: another sixteen wooden dummies appeared. Jiang Liu stopped running, gritted his teeth, and charged into the crowd of dummies, slashing wildly.

A few seconds later.

[Instance Complete]

[Kill Count: 4]

[Rating: D]

[Cultivation Points Obtained: 2000]

"What kind of trash instance is this?!"

Jiang Liu cursed at the settlement screen. The image of himself being pinned to the ground and pummeled by a huge mob of wooden dummies still lingered in his mind. Even without pain, it had left a considerable psychological shadow.

His entire body had been smashed to pieces. That was worse than getting instantly killed in one blow!

"Two thousand Cultivation Points aren't even enough to cover my emotional damages."

Jiang Liu shook his head and opened the final resource instance, [Immortal Forest Grass Stone].

[Immortal Forest Grass Stone]: You will appear in an Immortal Forest, where numerous Spirit Grass Magic Stones are hidden. Find them within the time limit.

The final resource instance was a treasure hunt!

Jiang Liu's eyes lit up. Compared to fighting and killing, he preferred treasure hunting!

I have Luck +1. This trip will definitely bring huge gains!

Please keep reading!