My Clan Cultivation System: Only My Clan Can Cultivate
Chapter 15: The Meeting In The Woods
A transparent blue screen was floating in front of Ian.
[Ian Thorne]
[Age:] 17
[Lifespan:] 73
[Martial Arts:] None
[Cultivation Arts:] Adamantine Ox Hide Technique
[Martial Stage:] Middle Stage of Skin Cultivation [+]
[Prosperity Points:] 70
[Prosperity Shop]
[Notifications]
I guess the points it costs to upgrade my cultivation stage are equal to the points I get when a clan member breaks through that same stage, Ian thought. That seems fair, at least.
Ian focused his mind and pressed the [+] symbol next to his Martial Stage.
[DETECTED THAT THE HOST WOULD LIKE TO CONSUME 50 PROSPERITY POINTS TO INCREASE THEIR CULTIVATION STAGE. DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED? YES / NO]
Ian immediately pressed YES.
Instantly, the familiar warm feeling returned, spreading to every inch of his skin. But it was much hotter this time, and his skin took on a slight red hue. The intense heat and the red color didn’t stay for long, and soon his body returned to normal, leaving behind a massive surge of dense, heavy strength.
The feeling of breaking through is always exhilarating. I just wish I could cultivate normally; then I would truly feel a sense of personal accomplishment after each breakthrough, Ian thought with a sigh.
"System," Ian called out. The blue panel refreshed in front of his eyes.
[Ian Thorne]
[Age:] 17
[Lifespan:] 73
[Martial Arts:] None
[Cultivation Arts:] Adamantine Ox Hide Technique
[Martial Stage:] Late Stage of Skin Cultivation
[Prosperity Points:] 20
[Prosperity Shop]
[Notifications]
Late stage, huh? I guess the journey of cultivation is a long one, Ian thought, clenching his fists to test his new power. I wonder what level I am at in actual combat. Can I even beat a first-stage Aura user yet? I guess I should pay a visit to the knights’ training grounds tomorrow to find out.
Later that night, while Ian was in his room planning his next move, two men on horseback rode through the darkness. They wore heavy black cloaks that covered their entire bodies, traveling rapidly away from the Thorne Barony and heading deep into the wild forests of the Zenin Barony.
If one took a closer look beneath their dark hoods, they would recognize Alarick, the son-in-law of the Thorne family, and his loyal servant, Edward.
"How much longer until we reach the meeting point?" Alarick asked, his face twisted in annoyance.
"We are almost there, Young Master. It will take another three to five minutes at this speed," Edward responded calmly.
"Why would they ask to meet us out in the middle of nowhere like this? This is the first time they’ve ever done this. Couldn’t they just have used a communication crystal to talk?" Alarick complained, his breath visible in the freezing night air.
"That I do not know, my lord. I am as unaware as you are," Edward replied. A few minutes later, he pulled back on the reins of his horse. "We are here, my lord. This is the meeting point they told us about," Edward said, carefully scanning the dark perimeter.
They were so deep into the forest that no powerless human would dare venture here alone. Luckily, Edward was a third-stage aura user. His presence alone made the journey easy, as the low-level beasts lurking in the shadows tried by all means to avoid his intimidating aura.
"Well, where are the people that the Patriarch sent? Damn, it’s freezing out here," Alarick complained, wrapping his cloak tighter around himself. Because he was neither an aura user nor a magician, his mortal body had no way to naturally fend off the biting cold.
"Well, well. What is the trash of the family complaining about? Did living with people as weak as you make you think you are special or something?" a voice sneered from the dark trees.
A man with short, dark brown hair and a small scar on his cheek stepped into the moonlight with a mocking smile. There were two other men following close behind him: one in heavy armor, and another wearing a grey robe.
"Abel," Alarick spat, a deep frown forming on his face as he clenched his right fist in anger.
"Is that what you say to a cousin you haven’t seen in such a long time? Where did your manners go? Did living with that family make you soft trash?" Abel laughed.