A long crimson carpet stretched along the floor tiles, reaching a set of cracked stairs.
Aged pillars surrounded it along the way, some carrying bright flames and some broken beyond repair.
Dense, black fog covered the entirety of the ceiling, an ominous sight to behold.
A purple beam could be seen far behind the stairs, piercing through the fog and reaching the sky.
The more Justin looked at it, the more attracted he was.
If anything, it felt like the light was begging him to step forward.
Unlike outside, this place was seemingly a single piece, one worth investing in.
He followed his instinct, marching forward while imagining how fancy and majestic this place would be if it were repaired.
"Huh? Justin felt shocked as he closed in, the unholy sight revealing itself.
It was a crumbling throne with a skeleton sitting on it, and a purple, gleaming sword piercing through it.
The skeleton was dressed in a set of old rags with a silver crown sitting on its head.
Justin exclaimed, "This can't be a coincidence.", standing before the skeleton.
No matter how ruined and messed up the beasts outside were, it was a fact that they were alive.
He thought the same would apply to the skeleton, causing him to grin.
"You are alive, aren't you?" Justin questioned, roughly smacking the skeleton's skull.
The skeleton's bones moved, clapping in surprise. Its jaws moved, praising Justin with a shout.
"Brilliant, my liege!"
It tried to move, but it embarrassed itself as the sword kept it in place.
"What's up with this sword?" Justin responded, pulling the sword and freeing the lich.
"Thank you, thank you. The is a cursed sword, it drives its users into madness..."
The lich began explaining, as unfortunately, the system had beaten him.
Its explanation sounded like a massive textbook to Justin, resulting in ignorance.
[Chaotic Space Cleaver (Legendary, +170 Strength, +250 Dexterity, +80 Vitality, +120 Spirit]
[Dao Fragment detected within the item, do you wish to absorb it?]
[Warning: Absorbing the Dao Fragment will drop item quality to Epic!]
"Yes, fuck the quality!" Justin agreed without any hesitation, too excited to care about the quality.
A moment passed with absolutely nothing happening, then he felt the surge of energy invading his body.
It was painful and lasted a few minutes, but he took it easily while gritting his teeth.
[Dao Fragment absorbed successfully! (1/3000)]
-Your understanding of space laws has increased. New skill: Shatter was unlocked!
[Strength: 150==> 240!]
[Dexterity: 150 ==>280!]
[Vitality: 150 ==> 190!]
[Spirit: 120 ==> 160!]
The information flooded Justin's mind as he entered a state of enlightenment.
He grinned, feeling like skill and stats were an extra treat compared to what space laws made possible.
"Will anything happen if I take it?" He turned his head, asking the skeleton.
Even after the downgrade, it was a great weapon, something his greed wouldn't allow him to hand over casually.
The skeleton shook his head, showing no signs of rejection.
"So be it, continue your role until we meet again." Justin waved his hands, disappearing in a blink.
He appeared far above the floating islands, where the realm entrance was located.
He muttered casually, "Splendid, but expensive...", returning to the desolate continent.
The law allowed him to phase through space, cutting high distances, but consumed an insane amount in return.
It wasn't even a five-minute distance, but Justin burned five thousand Qi.
"May I ask how, fellow daoist?" A voice rang, bringing Justin's attention.
'Oh well,' Justin grumbled. He expected some early company, but not this quick.
There were several cultivators around him, strangers, nonetheless.
He sneered, guessing the early fries made it before anyone else, hopping to snatch something.
Justin answered, "No, you may not.", preparing himself to return to the sect.
"How dare a mere core forging trash refuse his seniors?!" The speaker, a middle-aged man, shouted.
He burst, charging at Justin, only to freeze right in front of him.
"You are an annoying, shallow-minded insect, I won't play with you." Justin lamented, snapping his fingers.
Suddenly, the space around the man began collapsing rapidly, entraping him in place.
The man's bones were getting crushed, their noises serving as a warning to the rest.
Justin continued, "There will be plenty of time to accompany you, if you make it through your suffering, that is."
He waved his hand, a challenging smile painting his face.
He disappeared from his place once again, appearing back in his residence.
As for the man, Justin didn't mind farming him a little before killing him.
Not that he saw him as a threat, either way.
"Damn it, thanks god!" Justin grumbled; the mere act of showing off cost him another ten thousand Qi.
If not for the insane amount he had, then he would have been in grave danger.
The Qi could recover on its own, but without meditation, it was no different than a baby crawling on the ground.
Thus, Justin took the hour remaining before tournament qualifications to recover.
"Time to wake up the old man!"
Once done, he stretched, surprised he recovered more than he initially imagined.
He strolled to Elder Alex's residence and shouted, "Senior, it is time!"
"Of course, let's go." Alex's voice rang out as he sensed the old man appear behind him.
Justin turned around, nodding his head.
He led the way, arriving at the training grounds shortly.
Then he suddenly bowed, revealing his intention.
"I humbly request the elder's guidance, please teach me!" Justin shouted, taking an offensive stance.
He wanted to test his newly found strength, to decide whether he should be cocky or low-key later.
Elder Alex burst out laughing, shouting excitedly, "Be my guest."
However, he took no stances. Instead, he stood still with a mighty smile, signaling to Justin to begin his assault.
"May I use my sword, senior?" Justin asked, as the Chaotic Space Cleaver appeared in his hands.
The old man's face changed drastically, the appearance of the sword sending a shiver down his spine.
He pushed himself back, pulling out his sword immediately.
He felt the chaotic, rampant energy within the sword, a threat that pushed him to act seriously.
----
AH! Drop some power stones or golden tickets you stinky bastards.