14 days later.
***
<+5 Qi: 7,229/12,000>
Noticing the interface glow, Ling halted and settled down onto his bed.
Today was the day, and over the past two weeks, he had made considerable progress.
Name: Ling Tianlei
Lifespan: 100 years
Talent: Low-Grade Mortal Root
Cultivation: Third Stage Tempered Body (Qi: 7,229/12,000)
Legacy: None
Bloodline: None
Physique: None
Breathing Techniques: Crude Breathing Method (Lowest Mortal Grade - Mastery: 36%)
Martial Techniques: Stone Splitter Palm (Low Mortal Grade - Mastery: 27%)
He realized something while channeling his Qi into his Dantian: every time he reached a milestone, his Qi would go down to zero and he'd have to gather all the Qi again.
But Ling didn't lose anything. Instead, his Stage was upgraded by one.
I needed 1,000 Qi to reach the Second Stage of the Tempered Body, and then I needed 6,000 Qi to reach Stage Three, and now it's 12,000... Ling thought as he walked up to the table and swiftly devoured the pile of stale bread he had been keeping for emergencies.
Having reached 20% mastery in the Crude Breathing Method technique, Ling managed to slightly increase his resistance to pain and dizziness. Of course, it also became much easier to control his breathing.
As for the Stone Splitter Palm technique, it was brutish, since he had to learn how to strike without injuring himself while hitting solid objects such as the steel door.
Even so, he was done, and he felt much stronger than he had two weeks ago. So, with firm steps, Ling hopped out of his bed, readjusted his clothes, and stood in front of the door.
He was nervous, but even so, he knew there was no way out of this for the time being.
Yet it seemed like he didn't need to wait long. The steel door suddenly swung open, revealing three individuals in full black attire and masks that hid their faces.
But the one in the very middle had a white line etched vertically on his mask, and he was likely their leader.
"You. Follow," the leader ordered and turned around before walking away.
The two others followed suit, and after a few moments of hesitation, so did Ling.
It was just as dark as the tunnel he'd walked through when he first arrived. However, he could spot several other steel doors scattered throughout the tunnel.
Nonetheless, after several minutes of walking, he finally arrived at the destination.
It was a small room, lit up by a single lantern hung from the ceiling. In the very center stood a massive stone cauldron, black steam rising from it.
Upon a closer look, Ling noticed the tar-like fluid inside the cauldron, and it almost seemed like it was bubbling.
Is that some kind of tempering pool...? Shit... Ling thought.
He was suddenly nudged forward by the three masked men behind him.
"Take your clothes off and get inside. You must endure for 10 minutes if you wish to live until the next trial," the leader explained. "Now get in. You have 15 seconds."
The moment Ling heard that, his brows furrowed. He wanted to resist, he wanted to kill everyone here and escape. But that was just wishful thinking.
I'm not strong enough to do anything, not yet anyways...
So with great reluctance, Ling took his shabby clothes off, approached the cauldron, and without waiting for a single moment, jumped inside.
He immediately sat down in a lotus position, making sure to get the most out of this concoction.
But not even two seconds in, a wave of pain washed over him, nearly causing him to black out. It was poison.
His body went numb from a paralytic poison, followed by searing burns from something acidic.
It was torture. Literal torture that Ling had to endure in order to survive this demonic cave.
But the more time that passed, the more he noticed something strange.
His body was assimilating the poisonous liquid and rapidly developing a resistance to it.
That was not all, as the moment Ling reopened his eyes, he spotted a surprising sight.
<+11 Qi: 7,240/12,000>
<+21 Qi: 7,261/12,000>
<+8 Qi: 7,269/12,000>
<+13 Qi: 7,282/12,000>
<+4 Qi: 7,286/12,000>
His Qi was increasing at an incredible rate, and he could feel his body growing stronger by the second. So Ling set aside the pain and decided to absorb all this Qi to his heart's content.
Ling took rhythmic breaths and attempted to open up his pores. To his surprise, the effect showed immediately.
<+39 Qi: 7,325/12,000>
<+42 Qi: 7,367/12,000>
<+33 Qi: 7,400/12,000>
***
<+5 Qi: 11,425/12,000>
<+3 Qi: 11,428/12,000>
<+1 Qi: 11,429/12,000>
A few more seconds had passed, yet no more pop-ups came. He had gained over 4,000 Qi in mere minutes... more than double what he'd gathered over two weeks.
That was when Ling finally opened his eyes and noticed something strange.
He was no longer submerged in that strange liquid. At the same time, his body seemed a bit sturdier than before, even if he was sore all over.
Ling clenched his fists and then sent a punch toward the cauldron. To his surprise, it shattered in an instant, causing him to fall onto the cold, hard ground.
In the meantime, the three masked men who had led him here stood silently by the entrance, unable to utter a single word.
But as the silence continued, Ling simply stood up, walked to his clothes, and put them on.
Then, he approached the three masked men and nodded at each one of them.
"Am I done?"
"Y-You..." the leader muttered before taking a moment to cough, clearing his throat.
"You've passed this trial... My subordinates will escort you to your quarters. Wait for further instructions," the leader added. With that, Ling made his way back to the room.
The walk back was silent, as usual, and when he finally arrived, he collapsed into bed.
He felt incredibly tired after what had just transpired. Still, it had been a fruitful trial.
Yet as those thoughts crossed his mind, a bell suddenly rang in his head.
And in the next moment, the blue interface descended, and his eyes widened in shock as he read the contents.
"...What?"