Beggar Cultivation System

I think… it's working, Apollo thought. He could feel his organs being washed by Qi, like a hand massaging them. He didn't follow the pattern from the Simple Breathing Technique; instead, he treated his body like a bucket, continuously pouring Qi and submerging his insides with it.

His brain felt cool as the Qi entered it, putting his mind in a state of calmness.

A smile formed on his lips; however, in the next second, like he was hit by a bolt of lightning, his body became stiff. He started shaking before he threw up blood for the second time.

"Argh," the beggar grunted in pain. Seeing the blood on the ground, he couldn't help but spit some more. "Sh*t, something is wrong."

He did feel that his organs were being revitalized by the Qi, but he suddenly felt overwhelmed.

"It's the pattern," Apollo immediately realized. "But if I want to have a perfect pattern, I have to do trial and error."

Glancing at the blood on the ground, the beggar gritted his teeth before he closed his eyes and tried the method again, this time changing the pattern of how the Qi moved inside his body.

His face relaxed, then scrunched.

Blood spilled to the ground, forming a pool.

"Not yet," Apollo wiped his mouth. "Again."

He kept entering the black world with only him and the Qi, before it was tainted red as he kept vomiting blood.

Just to save his Alm points, Apollo kept trying and trying.

Does he feel ridiculous doing such things? Yeah, but he is not doing this just for the sake of saving up; it's the challenge of going against the System that made him want to do this.

…

Somewhere in Klown City, in the courtyard of a private villa.

A man sat cross-legged in a garden, bare-backed and only wearing pants. He didn't have a big figure, but his muscles were compact and glistening with sweat.

With eyes closed, the man frowned before a relaxing smile appeared on his face. Soon, the sweat evaporated as the temperature in the surrounding area increased.

Water vapor covered the garden, shrouding his body into a shadowy figure.

This lasted for a few hours before the temperature went back to normal. As the mist started disappearing, the man opened his eyes, and a glint shone within.

"I can finally enter it," he muttered in contentment. Arke stood up and went inside the villa where a table was set up along with hot steaming tea.

Sitting at it, he reached out his hand and took hold of the cup. But he didn't drink it yet. Instead, he just kept staring at it, specifically his reflection in the tea.

With this 'realization,' I will take first place, he thought. He had been cultivating seriously these past few days, aiming to be able to 'enter' that place. The place where only the most talented cultivators can go.

The Void. A state of cultivation that, once achieved, increases their cultivation speed. And Arke, with dedication and talent, managed to enter a part of it.

Arke closed his eyes and the surroundings dimmed for a bit. The invisible Qi turned barely visible, shining subtly, as if on the verge of collapsing. He could 'see' the Qi; although it wasn't bright, he could still 'see' it. With a sigh of contentment, the surroundings returned to their original light before he took a sip of the tea.

This was a great day for him.

"With my cultivation increasing in speed, it won't be long before I reach the 1st-Step Qi Condensation," Arke muttered. He had already achieved the Half-Step Qi Condensation two days ago, and although he wouldn't be able to reach the 1st-Step Qi Condensation before the Advancement Examination began, he was still satisfied and confident that he would take first place.

He continued to drink his tea, taking his time and relishing these moments.

As the tea was almost reaching the bottom of the cup, slow and steady footsteps came from behind. This caused Arke to stand up and stare in the direction of the sound.

His fist suddenly turned bright red, and with a spark, it was covered in flames.

"Do not worry, I am no enemy… Well, not currently," someone said from the shadows. The voice was low and cold, but most prominent was the age behind it. Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

"Show yourself," Arke shouted, his eyes staring dangerously. What does he mean by that?

The footsteps stopped, and a man wearing a black butler suit appeared. He had short white hair, white eyebrows, and a mustache. A monocle rested on top of his hawk-like nose, while his eyes squinted in a smile, though his lips told otherwise.

"Who are you?" Arke asked, the fire covering his hands burning intensely. This old man can sneak up behind me without me noticing first. If it weren't for the deliberate footsteps, Arke wouldn't have known someone was walking behind him.

"I'm the mayor's butler, Holst," the butler said, bringing his hand in front of his stomach while bowing, though he only moved his head a bit before he stood back up straight.

Hearing this, Arke's eyes shook. "You… it must be about that kid, right?"

"You are smart," Holst nodded, his expression unchanged. "You still can't find him?"

The fire around Arke disappeared, the temperature returning to normal. Shaking his head, he answered, "Not yet."

"I figured," Holst looked around the villa before staring back at Arke, his eyes remaining squinted, hiding the pupils behind. "You do know that you only have two days left, right?"

Arke frowned; nevertheless, he still nodded. "I know. But, what if he's already dead? Or out in another place outside the city?"

"It's your task, so you worry about it," Holst said. "However, we have competition, and you are given another task. We will extend your mission for… let's see, two days."

"Competition? What do you mean?" Arke asked, not feeling delighted that he was only given two days for another task.

"Bel Kleinford, she's also on the kid's tail," Holst explained.

"Bel? That b*tch?" Arke muttered. "So the other task? Do you want me to—"

"Kill her in the upcoming Advancement Examination. In four days, you have to complete your tasks, or else… Your body will serve as dinner for Mr. Klown," Holst said, his tone lowering even more, making the surrounding air turn cold.

Arke's body was covered in a red haze, seemingly trying to fight back the 'cold'. Arke recognized this kind of 'cold'. It wasn't because the temperature was lowered, but because this old man was emitting death itself.

"I understand," Arke nodded.

"Good," Holst smiled. "I see you have entered the Void, quite talented, enough to kill that girl. I should get going now, kid. If you fail, hopefully you taste good."

Arke's eyes widened at the butler's words. H-how did he know? It's impossible! I just achieved that state a few hours ago, and I haven't told anyone else. Did he figure it out just by looking at me? He was about to open his mouth when he noticed that the old butler was already gone.

This time, Arke was shocked. He didn't even feel the old man leaving.

His legs gave way, and he fell into the chair.