Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Reborn: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 1

by M. H. Johnson

  “Tell me about it,” Alex chuckled, wincing with pain. Though when he felt the flood of potential flowing through him, he couldn’t help but grin with delight.

  His beautiful caregiver gave him a curious smile. “Why are you smiling so brightly, Alex?”

  Alex grinned. “Somehow, I’m sure that by tomorrow I’ll be a new man.”

  She chuckled softly. “Imperiling your life has put you on the verge of yet another breakthrough, has it?”

  He winked. “You could say that.”

  She gave a thoughtful nod. “The rush of combat, pitting my life like that, crazy as it may sound, I think I really have absorbed some of that creature’s essence, like the most skilled of cultivators are said to be able to do. My entire meridian network feels more… stable, somehow.” She chuckled softly. “Had we not been so close to peril, had you not rushed in like a hero out of legend, again, flawlessly using a technique that you had thought utterly beyond you, bracing for your foe’s tackling charge before Adderstriking it right in the chest as smoothly as any elite soldier…” she swallowed, looking away.

  “We almost got killed.”

  Alex nodded. “I know. But the choice was ours. And the Shadow blossom you had me plant in my garden will now forever be a part of your family inheritance, perhaps of use to your own future descendants, without having to come so close to death to make use of it.”

  She flashed a bemused smile. “A gift perhaps worthy of the duke himself, the lord and master of this entire principality, and the ten city-states within it. It would be fitting for a legendary plant never before seen beyond Silver Fox's own accounts to make its way to our duke's famous garden, a thousand pristine lotuses and Silverbell blossoms among the many exotic flowers filling his cultivating garden with purest Qi."

  Alex chuckled softly. “When you put it like that, maybe it was worth the crazy risk we took.”

  Her eyes positively twinkled. “And if you can really make it grow an entire season in a single night...”

  “More like a year in the richest sea of Heaven and Earth energy that you can imagine.”

  She smirked. “So modest.”

  “I know, right?”

  She patted his cheek, gazing so tenderly down at him. “Goodnight, my champion.”

  “Goodnight, Liu Li. Just remember, if the room looks empty… please don’t come in.”

  She turned once, her captivating smile pinning him where he lay.

  “Thank you again, hero.”

  Alex chuckled softly as quiet darkness enveloped him once more, grateful he had convinced the pair to let him plant that priceless blossom in his garden as opposed to having only one shot at making a cure. Because fortunate outcome or no, had things gone just a bit more south, had his Adderstrike not pinned one of the beast’s limbs as it crashed down upon him… they could all have joined that greater spirit beast in death.

  Alex wasted no time, having several goals he hoped to accomplish before resting, for all that morning was already upon him. Once they sensed what he was up to, he had no doubt they would leave him alone until he emerged once more.

  First he closed his eyes, and visualized his tree-lined glade blossoming and growing with fecund life once more, early morning waxing to noon as the Silverbells doubled in volume yet again, thankful he had thought to incorporate the powerful spirit beast remains along with additional soil he had gathered, in order to assure his grand garden had the strongest foundation possible.

  But it was only when he sensed the Shadow blossom's fresh shoots bloom with life, five pristine plants where before there had only been one, that he felt content with the progress of his garden.

  He then entered the ring, heading directly to the garden, knowing time had instantly normalized to a 1/1 ratio. It was then that he seated himself upon the Qi-rich blossoms, the intense spiritual energy of the sacred garden. For it truly was sacred to Alex's mind, being in the heart of Silver Fox's divine artifact. Then he began to embrace his too-long neglected Dual Path Purification Technique, smiling in anticipation of what was to come.

  Do you wish to access Greater Spirit Beast Potency?

  Yes! Alex cried, every limb suddenly tingling with the flood of energy now coursing through him. It was all Alex could do to focus his efforts on breaking down the still massive blockages sealing his remaining gateways, so great was the sheer rush of power roaring through his soul.

  But focus he did, awed once more as every Dual Path Purification breathing cycle seemed to have the power of an entire week’s worth of steady cultivation. So great was the flow of power that within a hundred breaths his Fourth Meridian Gateway was clear of all obstruction, his physical body flooded with brilliant Light Qi, with all the Dark Qi and a good portion of the unused Light Qi quickly stored inside his divine artifact.

  Your Greater Spirit Beast contains a Greater Spirit Core. Do you wish to harness this power?

  Yes!

  And this time Alex couldn’t help but howl as fierce, wild power coursed through his soul.

  He understood then why the chance comments of Liu Li and her father over the past few weeks had made it clear that most cultivators considered using spirit beast cores directly to be madness, and highly destructive to all but the most well-trained or wild cultivators, the latter as much savage beast as they were man. For it truly was like being swept up on stormy, savage seas.

  But far from being perilous, he found the surge of power to be indescribably sweet, his Dual Path Purification technique absolutely perfect for processing and refining all the Dark Qi from the light, the wild energies released flashing with actual Wu Wei, so potent was the jewel-like core he had absorbed. For all that his body could only use it as the most exquisitely pure Qi, a tiny corner of Alex’s mind not flooded with the storm of cultivation took solace in knowing that no matter how powerful he one day became, absorbing beast cores would always help him ascend ever further up the steep path of cultivation before him.

  When the last of the spirit beast core had been absorbed, Alex finally came out of his cultivation trance, delighted to find that he was able to cultivate, even level up as well in his magical garden as he was the actual world beyond.

  With a deep sense of satisfaction, he found his Fifth Meridian Gate free of all impurities, his entire body naturally suffusing itself with Qi. He was now well beyond the halfway mark to ascending to Bronze, and he sensed it would be easier for him to use his Qi disciplines than ever before.

  And though he was, as of yet, completely unable to direct his personal growth, his body naturally taking on the strengths of a body cultivator, he still delighted in the incredible feelings of strength and potency flowing through him, spending a few moments breathing deep with his now uninjured ribs, leaping effortlessly from leg to leg in a series of spinning kicks, his ankle completely healed, his finesse and speed now exceeding 90% of the population, even here in this wondrous realm. And his strength and vitality were beyond impressive. He was surprised to see the definition in his arms and legs.

  He was as cut as some of the best athletes of his former school had once been, those who had been as much about speed and power as brute strength. Indeed, his muscles seemed saturated with power he itched to try out, somehow sensing that he was already hitting a threshold with his physical body. At least, such was the case until he transcended to Bronze, but that was all conjecture.

  His body had taken on the strengths it had craved, but when an intently focused Alex had noticed a reserve of power as yet unclaimed, he immediately embraced it.

  Yet it had nothing to do with raw power, so much as knowledge. As aptitude.

  He found his mind immediately playing back to his use of Qi disciplines on the battlefield, both his Bullrush ability that had allowed him to dart across the treacherous squirming grass just as fast and effectively as Liu Jian had said, reveling in the memory of getting that one maneuver perfectly right, for the first and only time of his life so far.

  His mind also flickered to the dozens upo
n dozens of times he had successfully embraced Adderstrike, most especially his mastery of it using naught but his fists and shins, and the ji thrust that had pinned the Demon Beast’s limb to his chest, the blow so forceful it had actually managed to plunge past the creature’s ribs, though the dual axe heads had prevented it from plunging very deep, wedged as it had been by the pinned paw.

  Alex grinned. For creatures other than men, a spear with a wide, leaf-shaped blade was definitely better than a halberd-like polearm for thrusting. Inhuman beasts required a lot more meat to penetrate before hitting a vital organ than an upright man did, after all.

  Alex was already comfortable in his knowledge of Adderstrike, reveling in how well he could already use it. And if there was even more that he could do with it, and he could somehow sense in that moment of delicious possibility that there truly was, he might be able to use that Qi power in devastating, unorthodox ways, as befit a true master of the discipline.

  Yet as tempting as pursuing that path was, he forced himself to look beyond his immediate hunger for mastery, recalling both in his history lessons and his personal experience, desperate to save Liu Li when it was almost too late, that perhaps nothing was so important as battlefield mobility.

  So he visualized his Bullrush maneuver again and again, that one moment of perfection that had allowed him to dart across the field so fast the grass had no chance to latch onto him, re-imagining his training session with Liu Jian once more, only this time able to make full use of the skill.

  And how his mentor had commended him, before pushing Alex to use his odd rushing ability with ever greater finesse.

  The old man had laughed, a twinkle in his eye. "Try harder, Alex. I don't care if this is just a dream we share or a commitment to myself on the morrow, but I'm going to push you until you can maneuver with the very best of them. And that's a promise!"

  Alex laughed in their shared dream. “Or I’m never eating dinner again, right?”

  The old man had smirked. “Shut up and strike that target!”

  Alex’s eyes widened, looking at the lifelike targets of clay, covered in bronze armor. The closest one was a good 25 feet away.

  “Now!”

  Alex grinned, immediately summoning forth his Qi, feeling it saturate every iota of his body before launching forth, somehow completing an entire charge in an eyeblink, shield bashing a target five feet beyond the supposed maximum range of the art, before lashing out with his unarmored fist with an Adderstrike so well focused that the bronze breastplate donning the training dummy crumpled under the blow. And though his newly enhanced strength made a difference, his Qi discipline meant his arm was immune to damage for that split second, his knuckles not even bruised by the blow.

  ___________________________________________________________________

  Alex Hammer

  Class – Cultivator: Disciple of the Dual Path (Unlimited potential. This is a Divine path.)

  Rank 5 Basic Cultivation Achieved

  Physical Characteristics

  Strength 15 (Exceeds 95% of Population)

  Vitality 15 (Exceeds 95% of Population)

  Finesse 14 (Exceeds 90% of Population)

  Quickness 14 (Exceeds 90% of Population)

  Spiritual Characteristics

  Scholarship 11 (Exceeds 62% of Population)

  Perception 13 (Exceeds 83% of Population)

  Willpower 14 (Exceeds 90% of Population.)

  Qi pool 10 (5 Meridian Gateways Open)

  Health Points: 215

  Perks

  Insightful – Rank 2

  Charismatic – Rank 1

  Skill of Significance

  Terran Grappling – Rank 2

  Terran Fencing – Rank 1

  Terran Capitalism – Rank 3

  Mathematics – Rank 2

  Poison Spitting – Rank 3

  Golden Realms Kung Fu – Rank 3

  Dagger – Rank 3

  Dao (Saber) – Rank 2

  Gladius (Short Sword) – Rank 3

  Fangtian Ji (Halberd) – Rank 3

  Long Spear (Pike) – Rank 3

  Short Spear – Rank 3

  Cleaving Polearms – Rank 2

  Interface Enhanced Skills

  Biochemical Mastery (Now includes Alchemy – usable in Divine Artifact only.) – Rank 5

  You may now synthesize or cure any poison or formulae mastered. Limitations apply.

  Botanical Formulae mastered: 26

  Botanical Poisons mastered: 8 Ancient / 4 Modern

  Arcane Formulae mastered: 1

  Bio Contaminants mastered: Tetanus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

  You have 60% Immunity to the effects of all caustic compounds or inhaled irritants.

  You have full immunity to the caustic and toxic effects of all poisons mastered and all alchemical reagents used.

  You have 30% Immunity to Ethanol intoxication.

  You have full Immunity to Tainted Spirit Beast Blood.

  Full regenerative capacity – Heal rate based on Vitality. Injuries will be free of scarring. Missing limbs will require 1 week per pound of bio material lost to regenerate fully.

  Cultivation Talents

  Rank 5 Basic Cultivator. (5 Meridian Gateways opened.)

  Body Cultivation Techniques Learned: – NONE

  Qi Purification Techniques Learned: – Dual Path Purification Technique (90% Efficiency) / Cleansing Breath Purification Technique (3.25% Efficiency)

  Qi Cycling Techniques learned: – NONE

  Qi Disciplines

  Adderstrike – Rank 2 (Expanded Comprehension. Can be used with fists, shins, and any thrusting weapon known to Rank 3 or better.)

  Bullrush – Rank 1(3) (2 Level-up specialization points invested. Extended Range discovered. What else can you do with this ability?)

  20

  When Alex woke up, it was with a groan.

  After the intensity of his dreams last night, he was surprised to find himself feeling strangely off, a tad bit dizzy, and utterly famished.

  He let loose a dry, painful chuckle, immediately summoning forth some of his stored water.

  Eyes widening when the ring gave him nothing.

  He groaned, not quite sure what to make of it, before his gaze settled with gratitude upon the pitcher of water left on the stand by his bed, drinking his fill and summoning some of his stored rations.

  He blinked with surprise when all he brought forth was a single pastry he had offhandedly stored months ago, still edible, if not as fresh as he thought it should have been.

  “What the hell?” Now feeling genuine panic, he slipped back into his ring, desperate to find out what was going on.

  Chuckling softly when terror turned to rue, all becoming instantly clear after dashing from empty storerooms and water cisterns to his wondrous garden, a gentle mist falling at that very moment, and he couldn't help gazing up at the glorious sun of Dark Qi and Silverbells, sensing that his almost sentient tree-lined glade within his ring had made use of all the food and water he had in storage for its own ends. And how could he blame it? His own edict had been that no matter what, the garden was to grow only using the materials he brought in, and despite his best efforts, the massive quantity of fresh forest loam had not been enough to support the wondrous garden now stretching off for quite a ways. Thousands of pounds of spirit beast meat saturated in wild Qi and the vast reserves of water he had stored, dipping his ring into the purest of streams had, however, suited his miniature forest quite well.

  He shook his head, realizing it was his own fault, and that as soon as he alleviated the terrible hunger devouring him from within, he'd spend the rest of the day gathering soil and water both. At least the massive influx of Dark Qi from his own meridians, as well as from the spirit beast and its potent core, meant that his reserves were even greater than they had been before.

  And by the time he realized he really should have taken a basketful of his own apples, he was back in his room once more, Master Li
u himself opening the door, and Alex was reminded once more of how famished he was, suddenly terrified the man would push him past the point of exhaustion, refusing to feed Alex until he had trained the entire day away.

  Alex immediately bowed his head. “Forgive me, Master, but this one must eat before he dares train further.” Alex swallowed, knowing how rigid Liu Jian was in terms of pushing Alex beyond his limits, offering to revert to his more merciful self the moment Alex was willing to surrender his dreams of becoming a master cultivator. He swallowed, still not daring to look up. “It is not that my resolve has weakened, it’s just that—”

  “—Of course, Alex. Eat. Liu Li has prepared a feast of freshly cooked spirit beast meat for you.”

  Alex blinked. “You mean I don’t have to… oh.”

  His mentor chuckled dryly. “Embracing the bitter is one thing, Alex. But you’re a natural body cultivator who has just cleared not one but two meridian gateways, if I’m not mistaken.” His eyes had actually widened as his natural teacher’s sense kicked in. He shook his head. “Remarkable. But at this point, nothing you do should surprise me.” His gaze turned critical. “And you’ve put on a considerable amount of muscle. Your body is pushing itself too hard without the sustenance to keep up. This is actually a dangerous time for you, Alex. You need to eat immediately, so your body has the sustenance it needs to truly blossom without risk of injuring yourself or potentially stunting your considerable potential.”

  He tilted his head. “Yet I’m surprised you haven’t made use of your extensive food reserves.”

  Alex had the grace to flush. “About that.” He swallowed. “Um… you see, regrettably, it looks like we're going to have to go hunting again, pretty soon."

  Liu Jian’s gaze hardened. “We were trusting you with the supplies, Alex. All save that which we already packed away in our house’s storage container.”