"PHEW"
After Releasing black smoke through his mouth, Xiang stood up. Meditation was something he liked to do because it cleared his mind from all his problems, but it was still a tiresome process.
"Finally, the remaining poison from this crappy elixir left my body. I was worried that I needed to take another elixir."
Xiang opened his bandages and saw his closed-up wounds.
"Looking like a newborn baby!" Xiang said with a chuckle.
Xiang had a bright smile on his face. At this stage of his cultivation, a low-grade elixir was still enough to heal these shallow wounds.
"GROWL"
"Hmm....I should get something to eat."
Xiang was so focused on his regeneration that he completely forgot to eat something. Skimming through his fridge, he was disappointed.
Xiang jokingly said, "looks like it will be low-rank 1star beast meat with low-rank 1star beast meat."
Even though the choice of ingredients was meager because he needed to provide for himself since he was 13, his cooking skills were exceptional for his age. As a result, the apartment transformed into a 5star kitchen with a heavenly smell that even gods would be jealous of in a few minutes.
While finishing the dish, Xiang heard a knocking from his door.
"PLEASE WAIT FOR A SECOND"
Fast Xiang got some fresh clothes to put on and opened the door.
"AYE u smelly brat looks like you're already back on the feet. I also got some booze for us." Brother Jay said while holding his beer cans in a plastic bag.
Caught off guard, Xiang responded, "Oh..Brother Jay, you just came at the right time I just finished cooking. Take a seat."
"Hahaha, You don't need to tell me that twice even if you only had some rotten meat you could make a Delicacy out of it."
While Brother Jay sat down on the table, opening a beer can, Xiang got back to the stove and prepared another dish for his lifesaver.
"You got lucky that I was around, brat. You got me almost worried seeing you all bloody and this ugly beast trying to eat ya up!"
Brother Jay always made jokes about him, but you could see that he was genuinely worried about him. After all, he had known Xiang since he was 13 years old and took care of him like a real brother.
"Thank you for saving me Yesterday without you I would have... been deep in trouble."
"Don't eat food that is already eaten ,your cooking skills are enough gratitude for me, want some booze? Hehehe"
"I'm still Underage, you know."
Both started laughing like mad. At times likes this, Xiang didn't feel all alone in this world. But times could always change.
Both finished eating and talked for another hour before Jay decided to leave.
"oi brat, I need to go, a beautiful girl is still waiting for me. Thanks for the food lets drink some booze when your 18!"
"Sure but you need to pay!"
"Hahaha, no worries your Brother got you covered," said Brother Jay While smashing his chest like a drunk Gorilla.
Closing the door, Xiang was all alone in his apartment, thinking about the next steps he should take. It was Saturday which means he would awaken his bloodline on Sunday enough time to figure everything out before Monday.
"I know that Bloodline awakenings can last for one hour and are more painful then aether pulse awakenings, so I should get some painkillers before it starts. I guess I need to wait until the awakening is done before I get any information on what a origin bloodline is."
After Cleaning the dishes, Xiang decided to shower before going out because he still smelled like a dead person. Finishing up, Xiang stepped out the door and started walking through his neighborhood.
He lived near the slums of HolyCity, but the streets were still clean, and you could see students and old folk walking around. Even some flying cars could be seen, which were commonly used in the inner part of the city.
His high school was in the inner part of HolyCity, but with the high-speed train, it only took 3 minutes for him to arrive at a station near his school.
Walking through the streets, Xiang arrived in front of a store called "Sabrinas medicine store." Xiang opened the door and got in.
"DING"
"Good morning Sabrina." Xiang said with a bright smile.
"Ahh..Xiang how are you I didn't see you for a whole week."
"Yea I was busy with training but I'm doing good how about you."
Sabrina full of joy said, "Better than ever because of a recent breach in the walls, some beasts are attacking people, which means I'm making a lot of money selling elixirs. So what do you need today?"
"Can I get two low-grade Pain reduction elixirs and one low-grade healing elixir?" Then, thinking about what he needs, Xiang added, "ehm.... and also five low-grade body refining elixirs, I'm running low on them."
"Sure thing please wait a moment while I get it from the back."
While alone in the storefront, Xiang hoped that he didn't need to use the pain reduction elixir, but that was only wishful thinking.
"Alright two low-grade Pain reduction elexirs, five low-grade body refining elexirs and one low-grade healing elixir, anything else?"
"Nope that's it I will pay with my card."
Because Xiang was in the Elite class, he got a personal card for his expenditures. However, he could barely afford a few body refining elixirs per month with his savings.
"Okey that will be 410$!"
"DING"
"Have a nice day. I hope you come back soon..kekeke."
"I don't!"
While stepping out of the store, Xiang mumbled, "Sometimes she seems more like a Witch then a Human being with empathy.."
Before long, Xiang was already back home and was preparing to start a round of cultivation. Taking a low-grade body refining elixir would help him gain more aether after one set of his Cold-blooded Dragon Body technique.
He usually would gain around four aether per cultivation session, which was higher than the average person. This was thanks to reaching the advanced rank in his technique and the technique as a whole. Even Xiang didn't know those ordinary people could only absorb around one aether per session in the advanced rank because of their poor quality techniques.
After taking the elixir, Xiang looked thoughtfully at the hologram from his bracelet and started his cultivation. Starting with a horse stance, he moved his body into directions that an average Body refining realm person could never do. But, while feeling a raging fire inside his body, he kept going.
After an hour, he heard a sound.
"*DING* user gained 5 Aether."
Still focused, he repeated his actions two more times.
"*DING* user gained 5 Aether."
"*DING* user gained 5 Aether."
After finishing 3 Sets, Xiang was utterly worn out, and it took him immense power to even move on his bed to lay down. At the same time, in his bed, Xiang whispered.
"status"
The bracelet around Xiang's wrist opened a blue hologram in front of him. Looking at it kept him wondering why his Great grandfather gave only him such a bracelet before he became 13.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Mu Xiang
Age: 16
Life span: 90 years
Bloodline: Can be Awakened [Click for details]
Status: Healthy
Realm: 4th stage in body forging Realm [995Ae/1000Ae]
Strength: 4.9
Speed: 5.1
Agility: 4.93
Endurance: 4.95
[SKILLS]
~ Basic Bull fist [Intermediate]
~ Basic Steps skill [Intermediate]
[Cultivation Techniques]
~ Cold-blooded Dragon Body technique [Advanced]
-------------------------------------------------------------
Looking at his status, Xiang was proud of his achievements. With his strength, he is almost at the 5th stage. However, he still remembers when he started cultivation after being kicked out of his home, Xiang couldn't get himself to cultivate for half a year—feeling lost.
Only after being bullied at his school for being so weak did he start cultivating half-heartedly with his Great-grandfather's body refining technique. After reaching Beginner rank in the technique, he could only gather one aether after an entire routine. Reaching Advanced rank, he gains four aether after a whole practice without any byproducts.
A technique or skill is divided into four ranks that someone can achieve while practicing them: the Beginner rank, Intermediate rank, Advanced Rank, and Mastered rank. The Efficiency of them is increased each rank.
While thinking about his past, Xiang got tired and fell asleep. Waking up hours later, he looked at his clock and saw that it was already 23:40.
Xiang stood up, prepared the elixirs, and sat on his bed without wasting any time. He couldn't wait anymore. This would be the moment, his chance to change his life.
Looking at his status, Xiang was focused on the bloodline. Then, as the clock reached 23:45, he got surprised.
"*PING*."
"You received a Message, do you want to open it?"
[YES/NO]
"Y..yes"
Xiang never got any Notifications, so he was more than surprised while wondering what kind of message he received. Then, lost in his thoughts, a Hologram appeared of an older man, and he started to speak.
"*GASP*."
Even more surprised, Xiang said, "Great-grandfather!!!!"
My dear Xiang....