He closed his eyes to concentrate.
Jiang Jie focused his attention on himself, and soon, something miraculous happened!
He "saw" a current of energy circulating slowly inside his body. Soon, information came from the tiny gaming pod in his mind, telling him this was called "inner sight," something only martial artists who had reached the sixth level of Houtian could achieve. He was still a complete newbie who had only just entered the first level of Houtian. His ability to use "inner sight" came entirely from the gaming pod.
The Black Tortoise Longevity Art was an internal cultivation art, a method specifically for cultivating internal energy.
The Black Tortoise Longevity Art really was miraculous. Although Jiang Jie was so hungry his stomach felt stuck to his back, he was in good spirits. Most importantly, once he got started with this internal art, he would no longer need to actively cultivate it. He could advance while lying down. It was perfect for...
Slacking off!
The Black Tortoise Longevity Art was one of the very best internal arts a beginner could cultivate. He could not practice anything better yet. For once, the gaming pod had proved reliable.
According to the Galactic Federation's classification system, Houtian had ten levels in total. Levels one through three were unranked, levels four through six qualified as third-rate experts, levels seven through nine as second-rate experts, and level ten as first-rate experts. Beyond that were Xiantian powerhouses, few in number and formidable in strength.
There were actually ordinary martial artists below Houtian as well. Developing internal energy and entering Houtian was not that easy. Even though the Galactic Federation's research into life sciences had reached an almost inconceivable height, someone with exceptional talent still needed at least a year to develop internal energy.
Jiang Jie had skipped the beginner stage entirely. The gaming pod's miraculous qualities had already begun to show!
"What am I supposed to do with internal energy barely stronger than a puff of breath?" Jiang Jie felt utterly fed up.
Internal breath, internal qi, internal energy-it was all the same thing, an essential tool for Houtian experts whether they were upholding justice or murdering people and stealing their goods. It had all sorts of uses: strengthening the body, fortifying one's foundations and vitality, healing injuries, and neutralizing poison. It offered well-rounded development in morals, intellect, fitness, aesthetics, and labor... uh, strength, agility, constitution, intelligence, and spirit.
According to the information from the gaming pod, the Black Tortoise Longevity Art was truly marvelous. It drew on the ancient Dragon Elephant Divine Art. As long as someone was willing to put in the time and become an emperor of perseverance, they were guaranteed to rise steadily, advancing at a tortoise's pace! Once they cultivated it to its highest level, the eighteenth, they would possess not only a nearly endless lifespan but also the strength of the Black Tortoise, far surpassing ten dragons and ten elephants.
Someone of ordinary aptitude could enter the first level of Houtian in one year, the second level in two years, and the third level in four years. Each additional level required twice as much time.
Eight years for the fourth level, sixteen for the fifth, thirty-two for the sixth, sixty-four for the seventh, 128 for the eighth, 256 for the ninth, and 512 for the tenth!
As long as you spent 512 years, you were guaranteed to become a first-rate expert at the tenth level of Houtian!
Not enough lifespan? No worries!
The Black Tortoise Longevity Art extended your life. As long as you cultivated normally, your lifespan would definitely exceed a thousand years by the time you reached the tenth level of Houtian. There was nothing to worry about.
Although Jiang Jie still found this incredibly frustrating.
The whole world was about to descend into chaos. Where would he find that much time to cultivate?!
The good news, however, was that the energy density in this world was extremely high, and human physiques were far stronger than those of people on Earth. By a rough estimate, reaching the first level of Houtian would only take a month...
Suddenly!
Jiang Jie's nose twitched sharply as he caught the aroma of food!
Soon, the young maid came in carrying a tray with a few slices of bread, a bowl of soup, and a plate of food.
It smelled so good!
Jiang Jie could not hold back at all. He took the tray, grabbed the food with his hands, and started eating.
As for the knife and fork provided?
Well, having eaten Western food only a handful of times in his previous life, he had absolutely no idea how to use those things...
He had to admit, it really was delicious!
The bread was ordinary, and the soup was a wonderfully fragrant meat broth. The dish was also some kind of cooked meat, though he did not recognize it.
"What is all this? How about an introduction, little sister?" Jiang Jie asked as he ate.
"Pfft!" The young maid covered her mouth and laughed, shaking all over. Her large eyes were lovely and so expressive they seemed to speak. "You should call me big sister!"
Jiang Jie froze. Only then did he realize that although the young maid was just fifteen or sixteen, his own body was not very old either. He had not even turned fifteen yet. Come to think of it, he really should call her big sister...
Jiang Jie looked utterly dumbfounded.
Although he considered his skin thicker than a clefthoof rhino's hide, he was a man who had lived more than twenty years. He really could not bring himself to suddenly call a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl "big sister"...
"All right, I'll stop teasing you." Having had her fun with Jiang Jie, the young maid was in a cheerful mood. She pointed at the food. "The bread needs no introduction. These are crispy bat wings, and this is Loch frenzy soup. Neither is something you normally get to eat. The kitchen only made them specially because His Highness the prince returned victorious. This was a portion left over. You're really in for a treat!"
Wait!
Jiang Jie was just reaching for one of the golden, crispy wings when his expression abruptly changed. "What did you say this stuff was?"
The young maid looked at him enviously. "Crispy bat wings! This is Chef Romel's specialty, made by roasting fleshy wings from Tirisfal Glades with special spices. So many nobles want even a single bite but can't get one! If His Highness the prince hadn't returned victorious..."
Jiang Jie hurriedly withdrew his hand, picked up the Loch frenzy soup, and drained it in one go. Then he polished off all the bread in a few quick bites before rubbing his stomach with a satisfied expression. "Mm, I'm full."
Full?
The young maid looked at Jiang Jie's stomach, still sunken with hunger, then at the untouched crispy bat wings. Her pretty little face filled with confusion. "Little brother Nicholas, are you really full?"
Wait...
What? Little brother?
That way of addressing me... seriously!
"Don't call me little brother! You should call me big bro... forget it. Just call me Nicholas, or Jiang, if you like." Jiang Jie waved a hand. "I really am full! If you want them, go ahead and eat them. Help yourself."
You've got to be kidding!
Bat wings? He wouldn't eat them even if a three-Michelin-star chef had made them! A man... ahem, a stomach had its dignity!
Happiness had come so suddenly that the young maid's face was filled with delighted surprise.
She squealed, then suddenly threw herself onto Jiang Jie, hugged him, and planted a hard kiss on his cheek. Then, completely abandoning the palace etiquette and poise she had spent months learning, she grabbed the crispy bat wings with both hands and began eating, mumbling between bites, "Little brother, big sister thanks you..."
The smile on Jiang Jie's face stiffened, and he collapsed straight back onto the bed.
So, could you please stop calling me little brother? That really doesn't sound very nice!
Lying on the bed, Jiang Jie thought that this was not a game world. He wondered what Prince Arthas and Princess Jaina actually looked like, whether this world was exactly the same as he remembered, whether it should now be year twenty after the opening of the Dark Portal, whether the timeline he knew so well would really unfold in the same way, and how he should launch his grand conning enterprise using his foreknowledge...
Suddenly!
Jiang Jie turned his gaze and saw the young maid beside him looking agonized. Her face was pale, her forehead dark, and her eyes wide as both hands clutched tightly at her own throat. Was this...
A sign of poisoning?