Boundless Cultivation-Chapter 78 - Reaping Rewards

Besides, a deep rumbling in the surroundings - the start of an earthquake - indicated that he didn’t have the time to evolve his skill at that very moment. Now that the king had been defeated, the pyramid would collapse soon and he needed to escape.

Alaric glanced at the remains of the sarcophagus - a glowing red-hot mess of molten stone that radiated intense heat. The parasitic pipes had disintegrated along with a huge chunk of the stone floor, carving a hollow well where the stone coffin once resided.

The quaking intensified. He dodged to the side just as a section of the floor crumbled below the ground. I need to escape but where is my reward? He scanned the room and his eyes settled on the remains of the ghostly apparition.

Well, there wasn’t much - not even ash. A small vial brimming with radiant crimson swirls took the spot where the ancient Pharaoh had perished. He approached the spot and picked up his reward.

Pharaoh’s Bloodstone Elixir - A potent elixir distilled from the heart of an Ancient Pharaoh, infused with sunfire essence. Can be consumed to greatly enhance heart reforging and awaken dormant bloodline abilities. It strengthens bloodline-based capabilities, enhances inherited traits, and unlocks buried genetic potential. Used in rites of ascension, bloodline restoration, and the awakening of forgotten ancestry.

Alaric whistled as he read the description. It is exactly what I need right now. Once again, he was indebted to the system for granting him a suitable reward.

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With his reward now secured, he exited the sealed chamber. But not before glancing at Anu-Khepra-Ra’s destroyed sarcophagus one last time. Towards the end, the king had tried to reveal the secrets of the system in a desperate attempt to gain mercy from him.

However, in the end, the secrets of the system were lost with the king - the system had censored his revelations just as Alaric had predicted.

So, he hadn’t even considered the possibility of siding with the Pharaoh at the last moment. Anu-Khepra-Ra had to die. He convinced himself for the last time.

A complicated emotion erupted in his heart when he suddenly heard the chime of a notification and inspected it.

Ding! You have accumulated goodwill with the system for defeating its enemy. Keep accumulating goodwill to enjoy privileged benefits.

Alaric was stunned. He was confident that there wasn’t any documented method to garner goodwill with the system. At least, if there was, there wasn’t any mention of it in any books.

None of the adults had ever mentioned such a thing, which led him to believe that such a feat wasn’t really possible - for most cultivators. Could it be because of my signature title?

He still had no idea how beneficial his signature tile, ‘Ally of the System’ really was. If the system was prepared to grant goodwill when he sided with it, there was a possibility it could turn sour as well.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Still, Alaric resolved to uncover the truth of the system, following every tiny little breadcrumb that led to its origin. It wasn’t like he was actively trying to endanger the system, so he wasn’t that apprehensive.

If only the system behaved like a true ally and didn’t censor so much information from him. But all hope wasn’t lost. His sixth sense was telling him that investigating the treasury with the system replica could yield some more information - perhaps the secret area to this zone as well.

After all, even though all the remains of the king had disintegrated - crown, scepter, and all - the four scarab key fragments and the mysterious prismatic triangle were still intact. That meant there was still some purpose for these objects.

He wondered whether he should risk investigating the treasury while the whole pyramid was restructuring itself or return later. In the end, he concluded that whatever secret lay buried within this giant structure couldn’t be erased with the death of the king if the key fragments remained intact.

With that thought in mind, he exited the Howling Expanse.

***

Inside the cultivation sanctuary - Heart Chakra Island

Alaric opened his eyes, concluding his meditation for the day. Yesterday had been very productive. When he returned and shared the good news of defeating the king with Edgar, his mentor conveyed his exhilaration by extending the training session.

It also allowed him an opportunity to discuss the skill evolution options for [Mana Pulse].

Sonar Sense was the direct advancement to the mana pulse skill. It boosted the sensitivity of the mana pulses for long-distance traversal and penetrating through the terrain.

Unfortunately, this upgrade came at the cost of reduced stealth. For maximum effectiveness, the users had to hum - the louder the better. Thus, although the sonar sense skill was extremely beneficial for cartographers, terrain mappers, or treasure hunters, for him it was a no-go.

Echo Perception added an extra element to the detection capabilities of the mana pulse skill. Beyond emitting internal mana pulses for tracking, it enabled cultivators to track external sound sources and vibrations emitted by living beings as well as non-living entities such as a waterfall.

As a result, the skill was extremely mana-efficient and had a broader use-case scenario. It was also perfect for stealth. Frankly, it was a good upgrade.

However, Mana Resonance was the most suitable upgrade for him. It granted far greater control over the mana pulses he could generate, extending their range and sensitivity. On top of that, he could now direct the emission of mana pulses from any part of his body, which greatly diversified their application.

Fortunately, Edgar had agreed with his choice of skill upgrade as well. Without further ado, he selected the mana resonance skill as his next upgrade.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Mana Resonance] (Uncommon).

[Mana Resonance lvl 1]

Mana Resonance - You can emit controlled pulses of mana from any part of your body, adjusting their strength and direction to detect creatures and map your surroundings. The concentration of mana in each pulse determines its range, precision, and the risk of detection. This technique is highly efficient and non-destructive, enabling precise spatial awareness while minimizing exposure. Higher skill levels improve range, sensitivity, and the ability to penetrate obstacles with greater clarity.

He activated his newly evolved skill with a grin, accumulating mana for a moment before releasing a concentrated mana pulse in all directions. Vivid, intricate details of his surroundings revealed themselves to his senses as the mana pulse traversed through the region.

The first improvement he noted was the velocity at which the mana pulses propagated and relayed information about his surroundings. The next was the extended range - he could perceive everything in a range of 300-meter radius.

That meant he was aware of the entirety of the heart chakra island from his position without having to move. Overall, Alaric was quite happy with his selection. Still, he would require extensive testing to determine the capabilities of the [Mana Resonance] skill.

Finally, he was so close to acquiring the [Superior Mana Manipulation] ability that he could practically taste it.

Not too long now. He clenched his palm in anticipation of acquiring the rare mana manipulation ability.

Alaric retrieved the vial with radiant crimson swirls - Pharaoh’s Bloodstone Elixir. He was itching to consume the rare elixir to reforge his heart, but Edgar had advised him to wait for a week to complete his reforging all the other aspects of his body for this weekly cycle.

This approach would allow him to reforge all the aspects of his body in harmony. As usual, Edgar had warned him of the perils of reforging multiple aspects of his body - even though he was clearly proud of Alaric’s achievements.

It wasn’t hard to read from Edgar’s expression that he had begun to trust Alaric’s judgment, especially if his reforging progress was any indication of success. He simply wished he could share his joy with his father as well.

The count had been busy for the past few weeks due to which Alaric couldn’t visit him. Edgar had been keeping his silence as well. If he had to guess, it had something to do with the witches and the church.

He shook his head. No matter. I’ll know it when the time comes. Among all the benefits he had derived from fighting the king, he was the most pleased with the partial awakening of his heart chakra.

Alaric summoned his status screen, reading through the description one more time.

Anahata (Heart Chakra): Purified (Partially Awakened)

Passive Effect: The purified subtle energy of the Heart Chakra continuously refines your bloodline, strengthening your natural resistance against diseases, ailments, and poisons while enhancing your body's regenerative capabilities. The purer your bloodline becomes, the greater your potential for awakening dormant ancestral powers.

Active Effect: By channeling the purified energy of the Heart Chakra, you can temporarily amplify your bloodline’s latent abilities, significantly enhancing blood-based skills, techniques, and regeneration. Additionally, this surge of power allows you to resist subjugation from stronger or more dominant bloodlines, ensuring your will remains your own.

He released a deep breath. Now, he could focus on partially awakening the three higher chakras - starting with the throat chakra. He soared through the air and arrived at the throat chakra island.

Taking his spot on the meditation grounds, he pondered on a suitable oath that would represent his values - at least for the time being.