Chapter 2: Issuing Tasks to Himself

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Lu Yi devoured his meat buns in three bites and then headed to the courtyard with his sword. He assumed a stance and began practicing the White Cloud Sword.

As an immortal cultivator in a sect, even the basic techniques like the White Cloud Sword were far more intricate than the sword techniques found in the mortal world. The White Cloud Sword captured the ethereal and unpredictable nature of white clouds, its movements ever-changing and its execution as smooth as flowing water.

Lu Yi’s White Cloud Sword was at level 2, according to the system’s ranking system. In the immortal cultivation realm, this could be considered a minor achievement. As he practiced the technique, a sharp gust of wind accompanied the flow of his sword.

While Lu Yi practiced the White Cloud Sword, Lu Gaoyang and Wang Siqi finished their breakfast and walked out of the main hall. They watched Lu Yi earnestly practicing his sword technique in the courtyard, both of them wearing faint smiles.

Wang Siqi whispered, “Yi’s talent in techniques is really impressive. He has already achieved Minor Mastery in the White Cloud Sword. If he could reach Major Mastery, he might even make it to the top five thousand in the Outer Sect Grand Competition.”

Lu Gaoyang smiled with a hint of pride, “Well, who do you think his parents are?”

Wang Siqi shot Lu Gaoyang a glance and retorted coldly, “Could you have had him without me?”

Lu Gaoyang chuckled awkwardly and said, “Of course, it’s all thanks to you, dear.”

Satisfied, Wang Siqi nodded and said, “Alright, go about your business. We better not disturb Yi’s practice.”

As outer sect attendants, Lu Gaoyang and Wang Siqi had their responsibilities to attend to.

Immersed in practicing the White Cloud Sword, Lu Yi did not notice when Lu Gaoyang and Wang Siqi left.

After completing a round of practice, Lu Yi glanced at the task progress—1 out of 10. He felt a surge of excitement and continued practicing. Round after round, quickly, Lu Yi completed ten rounds of practice.

Exhausted and panting, Lu Yi collapsed to the ground after the tenth round. Even though he had reached the Level 6 Qi Refiner stage, practicing the White Cloud Sword ten times in a row was still tiring. But the thought of the reward for completing the task kept him motivated, and he did not rest for a moment.

Now that he had finished ten rounds, Lu Yi felt like he could hardly lift his hands. He looked at the interface.

Current Task: Practice White Cloud Sword ten times (Progress: 10/10)

Reward: White Cloud Sword level +1

Task Completed.

Receive Reward: Yes/No

Feeling a rush of excitement, Lu Yi quickly selected “Yes”. As he made his choice, his mind was suddenly flooded with a wealth of information about the White Cloud Sword—how to manipulate the sword, circulate spiritual energy, regulate breathing, and maximize the technique’s power…

These details seemed to be imprinted into Lu Yi’s mind, becoming almost instinctual. As he absorbed the information, Lu Yi opened his eyes. With a swift motion, he swung his sword.

SWISH!

A faint sound of breaking air echoed, and Lu Yi noticed a wisp of sword energy trailing behind his sword. The sword’s energy left a mark on the stone floor.

Wide-eyed, Lu Yi marveled at the newfound power, ‘This was much stronger than my previous level 2 White Cloud Sword. Could this be considered close to the Major Mastery of the technique? If level 3 White Cloud Sword was already this strong, what about levels 4 and 5? Could they surpass Major Mastery, the Nascent stage, or even Regain Simplicity stage? What about even higher levels? Would the White Cloud Sword remain the same at that point?’

Filled with anticipation, Lu Yi looked forward to the daily tasks assigned by his father. Within a month, Lu Yi believed that he should be able to elevate his White Cloud Sword to a high level. In the upcoming Outer Sect Grand Competition, he might even secure a high ranking.

If Lu Yi made it to the top ten, he could directly enter the inner sect, much faster than he had originally expected. Moreover, the rewards for the Outer Sect Grand Competition task were likely to be substantial.

At that moment, Bai Lingling approached, announcing, “Young Master, it’s time for lunch.”

“Oh, alright.” Lu Yi replied.stopped his train of thought. After practicing the White Cloud Sword all morning, he was quite fatigued. He needed to rest and regain his strength, so he decided to continue his training in the afternoon.

…

After lunch, Lu Yi returned to his room to rest. He had completed the task of practicing the White Cloud Sword in the morning, and the outer sect assessment task was not feasible for him at the moment. Judging by the situation, Lu Yi thought he needed to find more tasks for himself.

At this moment, Lu Yi had a bold idea. Raising his right hand into a fist, he cleared his throat and solemnly coughed near his lips before speaking to himself, “In the afternoon, I will practice the White Cloud Stance ten times.”

As Lu Yi finished speaking, the interface in front of him once again changed.

Task: Practice the White Cloud Stance ten times (Progress: 0/10)

Reward: Enhancement of White Cloud Stance insights

Accept: Yes/No

‘Wow!’ Lu Yi was surprised. He stared at the task prompt, feeling like he had just opened the door to a new world. He thought, ‘Could I issue tasks to myself?! Could this be real?!’

Lu Yi’s mind brimming with audacious ideas, he coughed and said, “Next, I will take my first step with my left foot!”

Eagerly, Lu Yi watched the interface, but after a moment of silence, it remained unchanged. No task for taking a step with his left foot was issued.

Feeling a bit disappointed, Lu Yi tried again, “Next, I will take a step of two meters!”

A long period of silence followed, and the interface still showed no response.

Lu Yi felt let down, and he had even considered issuing tasks for his everyday actions. It seemed that the task interface did not acknowledge such simple tasks. Perhaps the tasks Lu Yi thought were too basic or unrelated to cultivation.

However, despite his disappointment, Lu Yi remained optimistic. Regardless, he was already thrilled that he could issue tasks to himself. There was no need to be too greedy—being able to create and complete tasks for himself was already a significant step. Being too greedy might trigger heavenly retribution.

Lu Yi then noticed something peculiar. When he practiced the White Cloud Sword in the morning and completed ten rounds, his technique’s level had directly increased. However, now, after practicing the White Cloud Stance ten times, he only experienced an enhancement in his insights, without directly leveling up.

Lu Yi pondered for a moment and quickly grasped the difference. His White Cloud Stance was at level 3, which was higher than the original level 2 of the White Cloud Sword. Practicing the same number of times would naturally yield different results.

According to gaming logic, raising a skill’s level required experience points. The higher the level, the more experience points were needed for an upgrade. The difficulty of leveling up naturally increased with higher skill levels. Completing the same task might yield the same experience, but upgrading a lower-level skill was easier than a higher-level one.

Realizing that, Lu Yi understood that if he wanted to use self-assigned tasks to enhance his technique levels, the higher the level, the more difficult it would be to upgrade. More practice sessions would be required.

Regardless, it was still far faster than relying solely on Lu Yi’s insights.

‘From today onwards, I, Lu Yi, am a peerless genius!’ Lu Yi thought and was satisfied.

After resting, Lu Yi began practicing White Cloud Stance. The practice task was not particularly challenging; it was just a bit tiring. After an afternoon of practice, Lu Yi easily completed the task.

In the evening, Lu Gaoyang and Wang Siqi returned. Bai Lingling had already prepared dinner, and after the three of them finished eating, they returned to their rooms to rest.

In the world of cultivators, evenings were usually reserved for cultivation, and it was no different for Lu Yi and his parents.

Back in his room, Lu Yi sat cross-legged and issued himself another task. Practice the White Cloud Qi Refining Art ten times. Since the White Cloud Qi Refining Art was also at level 2, the task reward was the same as his morning practice of the White Cloud Sword—raising the technique’s level by 1.

Cultivation involved controlling spiritual energy to form a circulation cycle within the body, absorbing external spiritual energy. Generally, higher innate talent, stronger techniques, and a deeper mastery of a technique led to more efficient absorption of spiritual energy.

Lu Yi’s White Cloud Qi Refining Art was only at level 2. Circulating the technique took time, but practicing it ten times in one night was not overly difficult.

After cultivating the White Cloud Qi Refining Art repeatedly, absorbing spiritual energy, Lu Yi felt his cultivation gradually improving. By the time he completed ten rounds of practice, dawn was approaching.

With the task completed, Lu Yi chose to receive the reward.

Instantly, Lu Yi’s mind was flooded with various insights about the White Cloud Qi Refining Art. His understanding of the technique began to rapidly advance.