The busy, exhausting, dangerous day was finally over. Even Yun Che's stamina had barely held up.
After returning to his little courtyard, he washed up without much fuss and fell into a deep sleep, even though dawn was already approaching.
At around three in the afternoon, Yun Che got up with a yawn. A meal had already been laid out on the table.
Feng Chu walked in, having just finished a stage of her cultivation. She reached out with her little hand and touched a bowl.
"It's a little cold. Let me heat it up for you, Master!"
Yun Che quickly stopped her and smiled. "I'm not that fussy. As long as it's edible, it's fine."
As he ate, Yun Che asked, "How's your cultivation coming along?"
Feng Chu thought for a moment before saying, "Master, I feel like I'm progressing a little slowly. I've only just broken through to the middle stage of the Body Tempering Realm."
Yun Che nodded calmly, but inwardly, he was rather surprised. A peerless martial root certainly lived up to its name! She had reached the middle stage of the Body Tempering Realm in less than three days.
"That's not slow at all. Haste makes waste in cultivation. Your martial root is exceptionally good. Just cultivate steadily and build a solid foundation. There's no need to rush."
Feng Chu nodded softly, looking a little dejected as she muttered, "But I want to help you as soon as possible, Master."
Yun Che set down his bowl and chopsticks and gently patted her little head. "Don't rush. You've only just started cultivating. You'll be able to help me someday. Who knows? I might even need you to protect me in the future."
At that, Yun Che remembered the Demonflame Heart Sutra. With a turn of his hand, he took it out of his inventory and passed it to her.
"If you want to cultivate faster, you need both a good cultivation method and resources. I specially prepared this Top-Grade Technique for you. It's a little unorthodox, but I believe you'll be able to master it."
"And these Purple Dew Fruits and Green Ganoderma Flowers will also help speed up your cultivation once you consume them."
"When you break through to the Acquired Realm, I'll give you a good sword."
Her eyes brimming with emotion, Feng Chu threw herself into Yun Che's arms and hugged his waist tightly.
"Thank you, Master. Apart from my parents, you're the person who's treated me best."
"If you hadn't saved me that day, I would have suffered a horrible fate."
The Red Skull Bandits' reputation was enough to instantly silence even a crying three-year-old. They were a gang of man-eating villains.
Whenever Feng Chu recalled it, she still felt lingering fear and relief. That was why she was so grateful to Yun Che, who had suddenly appeared that night.
Yun Che gently patted her back. He couldn't deny that. Although Qin Keyi had eventually rescued her, Feng Chu had died taking a sword strike for her. The rest of her life had been miserable.
It could be said that, in the game's storyline, the day Red Skull dragged Feng Chu into the bandits' lair was the day she fell into hell on earth, enduring a fate worse than death.
Although she later became the deadliest sword under Qin Keyi's command, she was merely an emotionless killing machine. Her sole reason for living had probably been to protect Qin Keyi, her benefactor!
But for Feng Chu, who had already been tortured beyond recognition by then, did Qin Keyi really count as a benefactor?
Yun Che didn't think so. Perhaps an early death would have been a form of salvation!
"Ding! Grab successful. Congratulations! You gained 1 Constitution."
Yun Che shook his head helplessly. It seemed he would have to wait until tomorrow to grab his dear disciple's peerless martial root.
Her little face flushed, Feng Chu shyly pulled away from Yun Che. Holding the Demonflame Heart Sutra and the spiritual fruits and herbs, she went into the courtyard to continue cultivating.
Amu, the inept sweeping monk, watched Feng Chu sitting cross-legged in meditation with some envy. Like Yun Che before, he had only the lowest-grade martial root. Only with a good cultivation method and abundant resources would he have any hope of reaching the Acquired Realm in his lifetime.
Unfortunately, he was merely a servant. Never mind cultivation resources-he couldn't even afford a low-grade cultivation method. How could he possibly cultivate?
Seeing the longing in his eyes, Yun Che casually tossed him a low-grade Greenwood Art manual. He could practice it for fun to while away his free time.
"Practice on your own. Whatever you manage is fine."
At the sight of the cultivation manual, Amu nearly dropped to his knees in gratitude. Yun Che couldn't be bothered with the blockhead, though. He returned to his room and took out the old man who had been waiting so long for his answer.
He noticed that the old man's figure had grown extremely faint, as though he might disappear at any moment.
Startled, Yun Che hurriedly used Divine Hand to grab something. Even one grab would be good. He couldn't let it go to waste!
"Ding! Grab successful. Congratulations! You obtained a Class Change Scroll (unique)."
"A-another unique Class Change Scroll? Since when did rainbow scrolls become so cheap?"
Yun Che hurriedly opened his inventory to check.
[Class scroll: Order Annihilator (unique Fistmaster). Shatter order and break rules. When activated, base Defense and HP become 1, with the remainder added to Attack. No class change requirements. Compatible with other classes. Note: You may take only one compatible class. Choose carefully.]
"I really can take a Second Profession!"
Yun Che was a little surprised. He had heard long ago that a handful of closed-beta players had taken a Second Profession, but he had assumed they were just bragging. He hadn't expected these rare compatible classes to actually exist.
"Order Annihilator, huh? It's certainly powerful, but using this class will turn me into a glass cannon. A really fragile one, at that."
"This is a double-edged sword!"
Yun Che found himself torn. This class would have absolutely devastating Attack, but wouldn't even an accidental bump send him straight to his grave?
"Only my base stats become 1. That means the Defense and HP provided by equipment won't be added to Attack. If I have top-grade armor, or even supreme-grade armor, I shouldn't get killed in one hit."
"Besides, some Special-Type Treasures can automatically avert fatal damage. If I can get something like that, won't the Order Annihilator class instantly become invincible?"
At that thought, Yun Che had nothing left to agonize over. With the Old Craftsman Brand Cauldron, he would eventually be able to forge top-grade treasure items. This Order Annihilator class might actually suit him very well.
"You're the one!"
"Ding! Congratulations! You successfully acquired your Second Profession: Order Annihilator." "Ding! Congratulations! You gained a class stat bonus: Agility +300. Takes effect when you switch to your Second Profession."
"Holy crap! It gave me 300 Agility just like that? Am I about to become the Flash?"
Yun Che felt immensely pleased. Although it boosted only one stat, this was more impressive than adding 100 to each of three stats.
The only drawback was that the bonus would take effect only after he switched classes.
Class: Titan Enforcer · LV2 (Righteousness Points: 160/500) Second Profession: Order Annihilator · LV1 (Death Qi points: 0/100)
Yun Che checked both classes and discovered that even the Order Annihilator's leveling requirements were strange. It didn't need experience either.
Moreover, at only LV1, the Order Annihilator could convert just ten percent of his combined Defense and HP into additional Attack.
"One collects righteousness, and the other collects death qi. Am I supposed to be a whore and still claim to be a saint?"
"No, I shouldn't describe myself like that. I should say I'm both a sage and a god of destruction."
Yun Che nodded, thoroughly approving of his own correction.
Just then, the eyes of the old man on the jade pendant, who was about to fade away, suddenly lit up. His previously mechanical expression became strikingly lifelike.
He stroked his neat, silky white beard and said indignantly, "You little brat! You've freeloaded three great legacies from me without helping me at all. I won't stand for that."
"Ding! Congratulations! You received a mandatory quest." [Quest requirement: Destroy a branch demon-production facility.] [Quest location: Sacred Profound Sect.] [Time limit: Three years.] [Failure penalty: One randomly selected class will be revoked.]
"Little brat, I won't make things difficult for you. I'm only asking you to complete this one quest. Work hard. I have high hopes for you!"
With that, the white-bearded old man vanished with a wicked grin. The Legacy Jade Pendant crumbled into powder as well, slipping through the stunned Yun Che's fingers.
"Holy fucking shit! You can actually do that?"
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