Lin Mo did not know how long he had been unconscious. When he woke up, his body felt weird. He clenched his fist. He could feel a subtle flow of energy beneath his skin. Something was moving inside him.
System: "You have successfully advanced to Qi Gathering Realm, Stage One."
Lin Mo looked at his body "…Qi Gathering Realm?"
"I…" His voice faltered. "I can cultivate?"
System: "Yes. You're in the initial stage of cultivation."
His heart began to pound. For years… he had watched others step into this realm. Disciples younger than him—rising, growing, leaving him behind in the dust.
And now, he was one of them.
A cultivator.
A quiet, disbelieving laugh escaped his lips "…I did it…"
But the moment didn't last.
System: "Warning: Current state unstable. Foundation incomplete.
Lin Mo stilled "…What?"
System: "You've only completed initial meridian clearance. Remaining pathways remain obstructed. Continued cultivation required."
Lin Mo nodded still looking at his body. Qi Gathering Realm. He knew the stages of cultivation, and Qi gathering realm was the first step to cultivating.
The Qi gathering realm consisted of three stages, he was at stage one, the early stage. Stage two was the mid stage, and stage three was the late stage.
Lin Mo stood up, moving towards the exit again. Now that he could cultivate, he would venture into the world without the fear of being bullied. He smiled to himself as he took a step forward but was bounced back.
He looked at his hands, that still hurt from the force "why? What's happening? I can cultivate now, so why can't I leave?"
System: "You can't pass through the barrier unless you're at the third stage of Qi gathering realm"
"…Stage Three?" his voice was loud, full of shock. "You expect me to reach Stage Three… here?"
System: "Yes"
Lin Mo laughed. The system must be joking with him. That was impossible. Even Zhao Feng took years to reach that level and he had elders guiding him… resources… pills… techniques…
He flopped onto the ground. And him? What did he have? Nothing. Just a system that talked like it didn't care whether he lived or died. His shoulders sagged "…I might as well die here."
System: "Yes. You can choose to do nothing and die here"
Lin Mo: "..."
System: "Doing nothing will result in gradual depletion of body heat. In three weeks, you'll have become one of the many icestones here"
Lin Mo: "..."
The system wasn't even trying to encourage him
System: "You can also choose to continue cultivating. Either way, time will pass"
Lin Mo: "You really don't care whether I live or die?"
System: "Your progression is my priority. The stronger you are, the stronger I become"
Lin Mo let out a slow breath. The system might have been blunt, but it was right. Whether it was possible or not, nothing would change if he didn't continue cultivating"
"…Fine," he said quietly "let's continue."
Time soon lost meaning in the cave, Lin Mo sat cross-legged on the cold ground, his breathing slow and controlled. Around him, the threads of Qi flowed endlessly, weaving through the air like silent currents.
At first, it had been overwhelming. Too much. Too chaotic. But he soon got used to the rhythm, the flow of energy, the pain. He collapsed many times and sat back up. His worn clothes had stiffened with dried sweat, clinging to his skin uncomfortably, and he had gotten thinner.
But his mind had sharpened, and his tangled roots were no longer as chaotic as they were in the beginning.
A sudden surge of Qi rushed through his body. Lin Mo's eyes snapped shut as the energy within him flowed with great force, as though trying to penetrate every part of him.
System: "You have advanced to Qi Gathering Realm, Stage Two."
Lin Mo didn't respond, he simply sat there, breathing heavily, his entire body trembling from the strain.
"…Stage Two…"
He had done it.
He laughed, though it came out more like a whimper "…I'm still alive."
Though his head throbbed faintly, his eyes strained from constant use. The threads around him seemed sharper now, like his eyes could pick out faint twists of thin woven threads.
The system didn't even allow him to breathe, "Continue."
---
The third stage was worse. This was torment. He lost control of the Qi more than once, and the backlash felt like his skin was being torn apart.
After a long period of time that felt like years to him, he finally did it. He broke through the third stage of Qi gathering realm. Something that took other disciples years to achieve.
Lin Mo fainted immediately drenched in sweat.
When he woke up, the system's voice greeted him "Congratulations, you have advanced to Qi Gathering Realm, Stage Three."
Lin Mo didn't have the strength to cry or laugh, he just laid on the ground, sprawled across the cold surface, breathing in and out heavily.
When he finally stood up, he turned towards the entrance, carefully. Half expecting the barrier to throw him back, but he walked through it easily as if the barrier was never there.
Only when he was out did he laughed looking at his hands and body.
"I'm officially a cultivator!" he shouted
"I'm a third stage Qi gathering realm cultivator!"