The blue-robed stranger shook his head, seeming to have lost interest in the topic. He turned to Shen Chu, that half-smiling, half-not-smiling expression returning to his face.
"All right, that's all there is to say. Take care of yourself. Live well—I hope we'll meet again someday. Don't disappoint me."
Before his words had even faded, his figure swayed slightly and vanished from where he stood. He had simply disappeared into thin air, as though he had never existed at all.
Only Shen Chu remained in the mountain hollow, holding a crimson lotus as he stood beneath the moonlight, silent for a long while.
After remaining silent for a moment and confirming that there was no further movement around him, he slowly sat down on a boulder and let out a long breath of stale air.
He then closed his eyes. With a thought, he summoned his system panel.
The light screen slowly unfolded before him, lines of clear text appearing in his field of vision.
His gaze swiftly swept over the information for the [Bladesmith] and [Martial Artist] professions.
Then it settled on the newly appeared entry beneath the [Cultist] profession:
[Primordial Weird Energy (Awaiting Activation)] [Status: Implanted, currently in incubation period] [Description: A strand of origin energy from the Primordial Weird Path is gradually transforming the host's innate constitution and meridians. The first stage of transformation is expected to be completed in forty-nine days. If subsequent guidance is not completed within the time limit, this energy will corrode the host's internal organs in reverse, causing the meridians to rupture and resulting in death.] [Current transformation progress: 1%] [Expected innate constitution enhancement after transformation: Lower C-grade upgraded to Upper C-grade (or higher, depending on the host's adaptability)]
Shen Chu stared