PTSD Intensified
PTSD Intensified
Before Cao Mao reached the half-step 4th-stage, this space used to be a blank cubic room with nothing but white walls and a ceiling. Now, a shallow pond of water and a thundercloud were added to the room. He figured that system might have done something without his permission again.
Cao Mao didn't mind the changes since it added life to the environment. Still, he was concerned if damaging the pond and the cloud might harm his power since it related to his element power within his dantian.
Ding
--
Isolation Training Space (Lv. 5/10)
Conversion Ratio (Real World Hour/Isolation Space Hour): 1:20
Dual Cultivation Mode
Protagonist Rematch Mode
Upgrade Conditions
100 Liters of Life Essence.
Comprehend and master at least one element Qi
Next Upgrade
Conversion Ratio (Real World Hour/Isolation Space Hour): 1:50
Realm Expansion (Depending on the mastered element.)
Description
After you've fallen asleep, your consciousness will be sent to System's isolated space for special training sessions that you can design for yourself.
Inside this space, you can choose to spar against illusions of fighters that you had once encountered in the past, rematch against the protagonists you have defeated, spend your time practicing various arts that you haven't mastered, or dual-cultivate with your yin slaves.
The Conversion Ratio is the time in the real world and the time you can spend in space. Currently, 20 hours in the isolation space is one hour in real life. You can upgrade the conversion rate by spending the life essence.
--
Without the system's advice, Cao Mao would have upgraded the space anyway since the next level would give him more time to train each night. Instead of having 160 hours per 8 hours of sleep, he would have 400 hours of training time.
'You don't even have to say that. I'm planning to upgrade the space anyway. How many liters of life essence do I have left?'
Ding
--
[Energy Pool]
Life Qi: 3,649,056 Strands
Life Essence: 333 Liters
Elemental Crystal Levels
Wood (Primary): 1/3
Lightning (Secondary): 2/2 (MAX)
--
After the evolution of Cao Mao's Qi and Essence, the status menu changed a lot. The energy silo was gone as the remaining Yin Essence merged with his Life Essence Pool. Unfortunately, he couldn't see the amount of his elemental Qi other than the elemental crystal levels.
The Lightning Element Crystal had already reached the max level, but his primary element was still level 1.
"Why is my primary crystal is still level 1, but the lightning crystal is at the max level?"
Ding
"…"
Cao Mao rolled his eyes as he already got used to the system's high standard. He changed the subject, "Use 100 liters of life essence water. Upgrade the space to level 6."
Rumble
This was the first time that Cao Mao upgraded the space while he was inside it. He got to see the changes for the first time.
The entire white cubic space shook. The ceiling and the walls moved away from Cao Mao as the space was expanding. The water pond and the thunder cloud maintained their size and location, but the yellow gas increased and covered the entire space.
The earthquake lasted only a few minutes.
Ding
--
Isolation Training Space (Lv. 6/10)
Conversion Ratio (Real World Hour/Isolation Space Hour): 1:50
Dual Cultivation Mode
Protagonist Rematch Mode
Upgrade Conditions
100,000 Liters of Life Essence.
Increase the level of wood element crystal to level 5
Possess at least two primary element crystals.
Defeat any protagonist's clone in Protagonist Rematch Mode at 300% difficulty once.
Next Upgrade Perks
Conversion Ratio (Real World Hour/Isolation Space Hour): 1:100
Realm Expansion (Depending on the mastered element.)
Private Plane Development Mode
--
More tasks had been imposed on Cao Mao once more. This time, it wanted something impossible since he had to increase the wood element to level five, but his current max level was only three. Moreover, it demanded him to obtain two primary element crystals.
"I guess I have to raise my cultivation base ASAP."
Cao Mao's eyes stopped when he read the line, "Defeat any protagonist's clone in Protagonist Rematch Mode with 300% difficulty once."
Cao Mao hadn't tried fighting against Xie Tian's clone yet since every fight consumed a lot of energy. Currently, fighting against level 10 3rd-stage clones at the max difficulty had already become something Cao Mao hated.
During the tutorial days, Cao Mao had it easy. After every sparring match, the system replenished his energy regardless of the result. But after Cao Mao completed the last tutorial quest, the system stopped returning his lost energy after completing sparring matches. After every fight against 3rd-stage clones or Zhu Qiao, Cao Mao always spent more than 50% of his total energy. Whether he lost or won, the spent energy didn't return. He had to recover it back by dual-cultivating or absorbing Qi from spirit stones, which made his sparring progress slower.
Moreover, Cao Mao always lost 9 out of 10 times whenever he fought against 3rd-stage clones. The fights became gruesome and complicated since the clones usually ambushed him with a self-detonation. Sometimes, they even had enlightenment during a battle and attacked him with a random elemental power, which was the main reason for his defeats.
Cao Mao also tried fighting Zhu Qiao's clones, whose cultivation base was only level 10 of the 2nd-stage. Yet, he lost 19 out of 20 times because of her endless P2W items and talismans.
Sparring against 200% difficulty clones was not fun anymore. It became hellish torture that Cao Mao wanted to avoid even though he could learn some skills from the opponents.
And now, the system wanted Cao Mao to fight against Xie Tian's clones at a higher difficulty level. The thought already discouraged him to the point that he didn't want to train or do anything productive anymore.
"You're cruel, my sponsor. I don't wanna fight Xie Tian ever again. Don't tell me that he didn't use his full strength when I fought him? Hell, no. I won't fight his UPGRADED version!"
Ding
Not only this new mode was hard, but it also had limited access. In short, this new mode was a boss hunt while clone fighting was the same as mob-clearing.
"That sounds like a boss hunt."
The reward might be tempting, but it didn't change the fact that Cao Mao had to gamble his energy pool against a monstrous clone. He might lose his life essence for nothing if he couldn't win.
"Oh?"
Now, Cao Mao was tempted. If he didn't have to spend his precious life essence resource, this mode might be worth trying.
"Xie Tian's strength was level 1 of Meridian Establishment Realm. I'm now a half-step 4th-stage, so this should be easy!"
Although Cao Mao said that, he hadn't defeated Zhu Qiao, who had a weaker cultivation base than Xie Tian, in the sparring mode properly yet.
"OH, COME ON!!"
Once again, the system trolled him and indirectly forced Cao Mao to earn his strength through hard work. He couldn't exploit a loophole this time.
Ding
Without waiting for Cao Mao to initiate the rematch mode, the system showed the status of Xie Tian's clone.
--
Difficulty Setting: 300%
Name: Xie Tian
Cultivation Base: Half-Step Essence Gathering Realm
Core Cultivation Technique: Fiery Yang Meridians
.
Bloodline/Physique/Constitution
Fire Dragon Bloodline
Fiery Flame Vital
Yang Flame Immunity
Fire Immunity
.
Element Mastery
(Primary) Fire
.
Secret Techniques/Battle Styles
Fire Dragon Saber Style
Flame Sword Style
Fire Dragon Dance
Fire Dragon Skin
Fire Dragon Transformation
Supreme Dragon Recovery
Dragon Strike
Return to Zero
.
Secret Weapon/Familiar
Sovereign Flame Saber (Heaven-Grade)
Baby Divine Dragon Spirit
--
"Ah, shit! Xie Tian, I hate you! WHY DO I HAVE TO FIGHT YOU AGAIN!?"
Cao Mao's PTSD intensified. He couldn't keep calm when he read the detail of Xie Tian's clone. The OP cheating skill, Return to Zero, reappeared to haunt him again.
Cao Mao couldn't cultivate the space-and-time technique yet since he needed more mural fragments. Xie Tian's mural piece clearly stated that he might lose a portion of his cultivation base upon activating the time-and-space technique since it violated the laws of the mortal world. The second piece revealed that only immortals could cultivate this technique.
Yet, Xie Tian could use it, which was unfair.
"So, if I breakthrough again, will Xie Tian's cultivation base scale up with me?"
Ding
"What about his skills? Will he get more skills if I have a higher cultivation base?"
Ding
"…"
Cao Mao was curious how strong Xie Tian would be at the max difficulty settings. He played around with the system menu in front of him.
And the embodiment of the ultimate nightmare of all antagonists showed itself.
--
Difficulty Setting: 1,000%
Name: Xie Tian, the Dragonewt
Cultivation Base: Half-Step Foundation Establishment Realm
Core Cultivation Technique: Divine Dragon Meridian
.
Bloodline/Physique/Constitution
Divine Dragon Bloodline
Holy Flame Physique
Holy Flame Element Immunity
Light Element Immunity
.
Element Mastery
(Primary) Holy Flame
(Primary) Light
(Secondary) Chrono
.
Secret Techniques/Battle Styles
Divine Dragon Saber Style
Sacred Flame Sword Style
Divine Dragon Dance
Divine Dragon Skin
Divine Dragon Transformation
Holy Dragon Recovery
Dragon Smite
Instant Self-Heal
Time Manipulation
.
Secret Weapon
Sovereign Dragon Saber (Divine-Grade)
Divine Dragon Spirit
--
"HO-RI-SHET!!"
Many skills evolved to a higher grade, and Xie Tian's cultivation base surpassed Cao Mao. Even his element mastery was inhumanly cheating.
"HOW OP CAN THIS GUY CAN BE!? AM I SEEING THINGS? TIME MANIPULATION!? CHRONO ELEMENT!? REALLY!? HE EVEN HAS HIGHER CULTIVATION BASE THAN ME!? HOW AM I GOING TO BEAT HIM!?"
Ding
"…"
Cao Mao wanted to cry. The system forcefully dictated his life once more.