I summoned my previous and current notifications when I heard a ding sound stating I had completed the quest.
[Flowing River Sword Art: Great Success mastery achieved.]
[Recruitment Test Quest: Completed.]
For a second, I just stared in astonishment, and only then did I realize that I had already reached the Great Success in Flowing River Sword Art. My breathing hitched.
Techniques weren't something one achieved full mastery over in a few days, let alone during a recruitment trial.
My hands trembled ever so slightly, and the sword in my grip pulsed faintly as if resonating with my excitement.
Then another line appeared, followed by several flashes of golden lights as I summoned the system panel
Ding!
--- The Celestial System ---
[[Name: Xuan Yuan (Lucas Silva)
Age: 17
Cultivation Level: 5th stage of Qi Gathering – (10%)
Skills:- Flowing River Sword Art - Great Success(●●●●○), Iron-Bending Monkey Staff Manual – Intermediate(●●●○○)
Abilities:- Lunar Slash (click to view details)
Items:- Ruyi Jingu Bang – Mythical Weapon of Sun Wukong (Stored in Inventory)
Quests: CLICK HERE]]
"…Ruyi Jingu Bang?" I whispered aloud, my voice quivering with awe. The name was so absurd that I almost thought the system was mocking me. It was the staff wielded by the Monkey King himself, the one that could crush mountains and defy heaven.
I'd only read about it in stories or heard ancient legends depicting its might. Yet now, it was mine. If I hadn't seen the confirmation flashing on the screen, I wouldn't have believed it.
But what stunned me even more was the second line—not the staff itself, but what it meant."Stored in Inventory."
"Wait… I have an inventory?"I quickly focused on the faint new icon blinking in the corner of the panel. Inside was a limitless void, item sections neatly displayed like images: spirit stones, herbs, weapons, and there it was, my golden mythical staff floating quietly as if slumbering. But alas, all other sections were empty except the weapon section, which contained the mythical staff.
A fit of laughter tried to crawl up my throat, but I swallowed it. This changed everything. No more worrying about how to hide my weapon, as I have an inventory now.
The system wasn't just a tool—it was… a miracle. Just as my wonder settled, another chime rang in my ears.
[Congratulations! Exceptional performance!
The host has completed the quest exceptionally and was chosen by one of the most powerful elders of the sect.
Extra reward:- Cloning(ability)]
This time, the light was brighter and the tone was deeper, carrying a weight that made me instinctively straighten.
I read the message once, then twice more. I'd been recognized for "exceptional performance." That alone was enough to make me grin, but what followed next twisted the air around me. An ability—one of the core abilities of Sun Wukong himself.
Cloning.
I felt the blood in my veins stir as the word echoed again and again inside my mind. Cloning. My heart pounded. The possibilities were endless—spies infiltrating enemy ranks, multiple swords striking at once, overwhelming numbers, deception beyond mortal limits.
The calamity such a power could cause made even me flinch. My fingers clenched unconsciously. I forced myself to breathe.
Now wasn't the time. Lan Xue and I were already following Elder Mei Yuhan back toward our new home—Lotus Peak.
The path wound through clouds like silver mist, and as we ascended, the scent of blooming lotus filled the air around us.
Spiritual energy hung heavy in the surroundings near the hills, visible in threads of soft azure drifting lazily between the leaves. When the peak finally came into view, my breath caught.
"It looks beautiful," I murmured without even realizing it. The sight humbled me. A colossal mountain shrouded in crystal mist, its terraces overflowing with shimmering lotus ponds—each petal glowing faintly with spiritual energy.
Lan Xue, walking beside me, smiled faintly, her black hair brushing her shoulder. "Yes… almost ethereal."
Our voices carried up toward the sky, and I heard a soft, melodic chuckle from ahead. Mei Yuhan turned back slightly, gazing back at her two new disciples.
Dressed in snow-pure robes that shimmered with faint pink lotus patterns, she possessed an elegance that felt untouchable—like a painting come to life. When our master saw our dumbfounded expressions, she shook her head gently. "Close your mouths before the birds fly inside them," she teased lightly before rising gracefully into the air.
"Meet me at the Lotus Mansion at the top," Mei Yuhan said, then, in a blink, she disappeared, ascending effortlessly into the clouds while leaving us mortals to stare from below. Lan Xue, seeing this, simply sighed.
"Of course… she flies while we climb. We'll also be able to do that one day but not today," I said, forcing a grin seeing the actions of our new master.
The path above the peak was narrow, paved with jade slabs. Each step seemed to test our endurance due to its height, though the surrounding serenity dulled the fatigue.
The lotus ponds reflected fragments of the sun, and spiritual mist brushed across our skin, refreshing our minds little by little.
After around two hours, maybe more—we finally reached the summit. And there it was: the Lotus Mansion.
Carved entirely from pale pink stone and ringed by floating lotus lanterns, the structure towered gently, its eaves folding like lotus petals in bloom.
A majestic feeling coiled above it like a slow golden spiral. I glanced at Lan Xue—she was as speechless as I was.
Together, we stepped forward, crossing the golden bridge that connected to the entrance of the mansion.
The moment we entered, we felt a wave of warmth around us, Mei Yuhan stood inside, her hands clasped behind her back, gazing towards us with a faint smile on her face.
When she spoke, her eyes reflected both warmth and unreadable depth. We instantly bowed deeply.
"Disciple Xuan Yuan greets Master Mei!"
"Disciple Lan Xue greets Master Mei!"
Her laughter was soft. "No need to be that formal," she said with an amused shake of her head.
"You've already proved your worth during the recruitment. Besides—disciples of mine don't need excessive bows. I prefer determination over manners."
Her words lightened the air, and I straightened with a faint smile."Take this," Mei Yuhan continued.
She moved her hand gracefully, and two jade slips floated toward us, glowing softly. "Wang Chun Cultivation Technique. Its potential reaches as far as the Nascent Soul Realm—if you have the aptitude to pursue it."
As the jade slip settled into my hand, I felt the inscriptions humming faintly, a river of profound knowledge locked within.
She spoke calmly, but her expression carried warning."In this world, techniques are common," she said, "but the resources to wield them properly are what separate prodigies from failures."
Her words hit like truth carved in stone. Without pills, fruits, treasures—no cultivator can pursue true immortality.
Just as I nodded, she raised a hand again. Twelve glowing orbs appeared, softly pulsing with red-gold light—Spirit Fruits."These," she said, "are spirit fruits. Consume one whenever you train in a weapon technique. The better you perform, the greater your chance to comprehend weapon intent. You'll each take six."
Lan Xue's eyes widened, and I, too, swallowed hard. Such fruits weren't common. Most inner disciples would kill for just one, and here she was, giving us six each when even one was rare as it was able to provide enlightenment, giving a chance to comprehend the embryo form of any weapon intent.
"Six should be enough for you to reach the embryo form of your chosen weapon's intent," she continued.
"Eat one fruit per week to absorb its full essence. Don't even dare to waste them. Your training begins tomorrow, and you can simply make yourselves familiar with the peak during the remaining time of the day. Your new home will be a single house which is 120 metres on the right to my mansion."
When she finished, the room grew quiet. For a moment, I simply watched the fruits float before us—the soft spiritual glow bathing our faces. That's when we realised, our master our really generous, too generous to provide spirit fruits on the first day of taking in disciples.
A master of Mei Yuhan's stature, a real mythical artifact in my inventory, and now the legendary Monkey King's ability is also within me.
My destiny was no longer just mine—it had begun to intertwine with the fate of many around the world."Now," Mei Yuhan concluded, waving dismissively, "explore the peak and let me cultivate and remember this,
Once you understand the calm of the embryo form of weapon intent, you'll learn to harness the spirit of the weapon, that is what we call intent."
Realization dawned through us as we bowed once more, less formally this time. As I went out of the mansion, turned toward our new houses, the wind caught my hair, and for a brief instant, I saw my reflection in the lotus pond outside.
My eyes glimmered faintly with golden light—like the staff sleeping in my inventory was already whispering to my soul. Tomorrow, training will begin.