Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior's Oath: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 4

by M. H. Johnson

  His hand stopped before including three ghost strands, no matter its potential to raise him even to the heights of Jade.

  He could do better.

  He could use placeholders that were more than just placeholders, but representative of Qi as a whole. For though he himself was no master of Fate, Shadow, or Time, the shimmering strands of wild Qi in constant flux were as true to those three elements as to all the others.

  He felt dread only for a moment, trying to force those strands to twine with the others, knowing that if his desperate hunch was off... the resulting explosion of so much pressure released in one catastrophic surge would fry this mystic garden to ash, perhaps collapsing the entire cavern complex.

  For countless heartbeats he hesitated, heart racing as the pressure built, recalling WiFu’s words, and the underlying message he had struggled so hard to convey.

  Mortality had its limits. Jade was as high as even emperors aspired, and Alex would be an absolute fool if he dared try ascending beyond that threshold.

  For all that he coughed blood, Alex flashed a fierce grin, finally understanding his mentor’s hidden message as he slammed every ounce of power into summoning forth those three wild strands to inhabit every thread of every fiber of his Dual Path’s cord of power.

  And the wave of euphoria that washed over him when he crashed to his knees, realizing he wasn’t dead, and that his third cord was flashing with pristine brilliance, flickering between all the elements, darkness, and ordered chaos, left him breathless with awe.

  Then the pain began to build once more, and he wanted nothing more than for his agony to end.

  It might not be perfect, but the cords he had already formed were as good as any mortal could hope to forge. Cords strong enough to take him to the dizzying heights of Jade, countless years from now, and no further.

  He knew he would survive long enough to get there as the three cords began oscillating, flipping states between one another, just as he had imagined they would.

  Already he took strength from them, sensing the sheer flow of endless possibility as they began to blur and flicker between one another.

  He knew he had the strength to take the next vital step, forging four more Bronze cords and, he was now certain, had more than enough power left over for his breakthrough to Silver. And far from a corrupt, warped cable that would fray and break, it would be strong. He knew that now. Strong as any mortal cultivator had ever forged in a thousand years.

  He nodded to himself, filled with a furious sense of exultation, on the cusp of true transcendence, when he froze.

  Gazing carefully at the three cords oscillating between energy states, between one another, suddenly hit by a revelation so profound it almost sent him crashing to his knees.

  Not one of the three cords held the same configuration at the same time. Though it was madness to think he could actually apply concepts from his favorite science fiction programs of a thousand years ago, a desperate part of his mind couldn’t help but wonder just how far he could push reality, or his own mental conceptualization of reality.

  Laughing with a mad cackle he was sure would do Silver Fox himself proud, Alex then proceed to do the unthinkable.

  He squeezed all three cords into one, as if those three cords could be made to occupy the same channel at the same time.

  The resistance was beyond extreme.

  He felt as if he were squeezing a living sun, compressing it into a neutron star, just shy of a true singularity and the destruction of all.

  He flashed a smile as wild Qi surged in fiery waves from his frying flesh, knowing that what he was doing was impossible, and would require reserves beyond any mortal cultivator.

  Power? He had all the power he could possibly need.

  He ignored his own crumbling flesh as he squeezed reality with all his might.

  No matter what it took, three would become one.

  You have successfully boosted Power Healing an additional order of magnitude! Congratulations, you’re still alive!

  You have chosen to directly access Pristine Gold Core!

  Artificer skill check made! Trial of Iron Will endured! You have successfully channeled Pristine Gold Core!

  Pauli Exclusion Principle in effect! Transcendent Bronze Cords presently occupy different energy states. All three cords have been successfully compressed into one!

  Congratulations! You have forged your first Divine Bronze Cord.

  You are now a Rank 1 Divine Bronze Cultivator.

  Willpower has been permanently increased by 1 point.

  And the only thing Alex found sweeter than the abrupt cessation of searing agony that had been blazing through his body and soul were the frustrated screams of multiple gods and WiFu’s quiet chuckle, making it clear his mentor had outfoxed them all.

  “That Qi flood should have destroyed him!” Long Wang’s roar blasted through Alex’s skull.

  “Yet it didn’t,” noted the frigid voice of General Shalu. “Calamity and inhuman power that should have destroyed, instead forged a divine cord I shall one day rip from his skull. And Panheu’s plight was known to all of us. A flood of power even that madman should have known better than to use, with nowhere to go. Nowhere save a thorn too annoying to let live, too well hidden for us to strike, with that single bond between them. So easily exploited.”

  The deity of war chuckled coldly. “Too easily exploited. You knew his mentor would be unable to resist temptation, that he would be as eager to flood his former disciple in a desperate search for relief as we were to destroy him. You set us all up, didn’t you, WiFu? Set us up and played us masterfully!”

  “Why, dearest brother, I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about!” declared WiFu. And Alex could just imagine the madcap grin upon his mentor’s features. “It’s not like he was deliberately apprenticed under a master who believed in forging his disciples in fire, after all, and you all specifically heard me advise him to know his limits. Jade is good enough for any mortal, and few would dare even that! Why, to even dream anything further...”

  “Would be the mark of a fool or a madman. Fitting for your disciple!” Long Wang roared.

  And Alex couldn’t help laughing at those words, laughing so hard he imagined it was heard even in the grand halls of heaven, and the surprised looks of fear and apprehension he saw upon the faces of bellicose gods, laughter echoed by the fox-eared inspector raising his wine glass in mirth as he gazed upon the world-sized board, were no doubt the random imaginings of a mind pushed to the brink of utter exhaustion.

  Only then did Alex collapse into deepest blackness once more. And it was only by dint of the most miraculous and desperate of gambles that he slept upon a soft bed of grass and loam, and not deep in the depths of the River of Souls, hungering for his spirit even now.

  ______________________________________________________

  Alex Hammer

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

  Rank 1 Divine Bronze Cultivation Achieved

  Physical Characteristics

  Strength - Bronze Rank 2 (25) (Relentless Resolve is now recognized as a core element of your path.)

  Vitality - Bronze Rank 2 (26) (Eternal Resilience is now recognized as a core element of your path.)

  Quickness - Bronze Rank 1 (20) (Chaotic Unpredictability is now recognized as a core element of your path.)

  Finesse - Bronze Rank 1 (20) (Mastery of Oneself is now recognized as a core element of your path.)

  Spiritual Characteristics

  Scholarship - 13 (Exceeds 84% of Population.)

  Perception - 17 (Exceeds 99% of Population.)

  Willpower - 17 (Exceeds 99% of Population.)

  Qi Pool - 16 (All meridian gateways are open.)

  Health Points: 365

  Perks

  Insightful – Rank 2

  Charismatic – Rank 2

  Lesser Shadow Affinity – You can now sense Shadow Qi! You have +5 to s
pot all those using Shadow to ambush or confuse you.

  Favored Skills

  Poison Spitting – Rank 4

  Golden Realms Kung Fu – Rank 5

  White Crane Kung Fu – Rank 7 (You may now freely channel Light Qi to aid your strikes at all times and sheathe your limbs in Dark Qi while doing so, even in the pits of Purgatory!)

  Silver Swan Kung Fu – Rank 6 (You may now use this martial art in conjunction with White Crane and Dark Qi, channeling the force and fury of the sea in any and all circumstances! Reduced risk of straining meridians when using forbidden techniques!

  Stealth – Rank 3 (At least you can be sneaky at night, or if you stay out of your opponent’s line of sight!)

  Qi Disciplines

  Dark Qi Projection – Rank 4 (You can now sheathe feet, shins, fists, and forearms in Dark Qi! Dark Qi is resistant to all Elemental attacks. Dark Qi Projection can pierce all Light Qi Wards. Dark Qi Projection will disperse or deliver concussive force as if plate armor had been worn. Minimal Qi drain when summoned in Dark Qi-saturated areas or the Netherworld. Significant Qi drain when used anywhere else.)

  Spirit Crane Strike – Rank 1 (You can now harvest the soul stones of enemy cultivators upon their death! Warning! Extreme Karma penalties may apply. Claiming the cultivation essence of your target will indelibly relegate them to mortal status for countless future lives!)

  Adderstrike – Rank 6 (Expanded Comprehension / Efficient Strike) (0.5 Qi cost per strike. Internal Qi is undetectable and lightning fast. Extremely hard to counter. Temporary invulnerability at moment of impact.)

  Bullrush – Rank 4 (6) (Instantly move 5-50 feet in any direction / Lightness / Maneuverability)

  Wind Running – Rank 2 (Now you can race through the storm of Qi flowing all around you! Qi drain: significant, unless accessing a spirit pearl, beast core, or you are in the middle of an actual storm!)

  Water Walking – Rank 2 (Now you can race upon waves, or ride the very raindrops in the air! Qi drain: Minimal! Synergizes with Wind Running during stormy weather.)

  Storm Flight – Rank 3 (You may now travel along ley lines as fast as a phoenix, whether or not foul weather manifests. Multiple experiences riding along magical conveyances channeling the energies of Heaven, Hades, Earth, and Shadow have allowed you to transcend mortal limits! So long as you have within your possession artifacts of all Four Realms, peripheral channel strain is minimized!)

  Black Swan – Rank 2 (You have discovered an advanced Silver Swan assassination technique! Strike with the fury of a tsunami behind your blow! This technique can shatter lesser wards. Water-Metal Qi elements involved. Cost to use: 4 Qi and risk of significant meridian strain, unless used after Silver breakthrough made, or in a storm.)

  Piercing Strike – Rank 1 (Excellent for piercing elemental wards, once Soul Sight and Find Weakness have been successfully used.)

  Qi Deflection – Rank 0 (You do not yet fully comprehend this art.)

  Qi Absorption – Rank 3 (Breakthrough made! An additional 5 points of damage is absorbed from all Fire Qi and Poison-aspected attacks.)

  Qi Flood – Rank 2 (Flood a grappled target (or artifact) with Dark Qi!)

  Qi Perception-linked Disciplines

  (Note: all of these abilities are Qi Perception-based. Their rank may not exceed Qi Perception rank. All specialization points invested in Qi Perception will boost all underlying skills!)

  Qi Perception – Rank 5 (6) (Sense all physical and Qi manifestations around you within 60 feet. Increased details sensed with concentration. +6 to all Perception checks.)

  Artificer – Rank 3 (4) (Understand, manipulate, or destroy treasures and artifacts!)

  Find Weakness – Rank 3 (4) (Works on artifacts, constructs, demons, spirit beasts, and cultivators! Note: Basic check with Qi Perception lets you sense the weakest points in any opponent’s physical body and technique. Advanced skill rank and successful use of Soul Sight is needed to actually pierce a cultivator’s Qi defenses.)

  Soul Sight – Rank 4 (5) (Sense the flow of Qi through any spirit beast (effortless) or cultivator (difficult). If this skill is not successfully used, Find Weakness can only sense surface weaknesses. Adept status achieved! Specialization chosen! You may now measure the karmic merit of any soul’s past (5) lives with a basic skill check!)

  Spiritual Teacher – Rank 5 (6) (You may now directly impart the knowledge of any and all Cultivation disciplines upon suitable students with a successful skill check! This skill allows suitable students to enjoy multiple breakthroughs up to Spiritual Teacher rank. Diligent focus is required over a period of days, weeks, or months, depending upon student-teacher compatibility and mystic connections being harnessed.)

  Qi Purification Techniques Learned:

  Dual Path Purification Technique (100% Efficiency.)

  Cleansing Breath Purification Technique (100% Efficiency.)

  Qi Restoration Techniques Learned:

  Golden Realms Meridian Restoration Technique (100% Efficiency.)

  Qi Cycling Techniques Learned:

  Dual Path Dark Qi Cycling Technique (75% Efficiency.)

  Dual Path Light Qi Cycling Technique (75% Efficiency.)

  Divine Quantum State Cycling Technique (50% Efficiency.)

  White Crane Cycling Technique (100% Efficienc.y)

  Body Cultivation Techniques Learned:

  The Eternal Fox Unified Cultivation Technique – Rank 10

  - This divine technique now incorporates Golden Realms Meridian Restoration Technique (can regenerate damage meridians), Cleansing Breath Purification Technique (can cleanse all meridian gates), and White Crane Cycling Technique (additional 5-fold increase in rate of healing) at 100% efficacy! Works with all elemental affinities at all levels of cultivation.

  - Breakthroughs currently in effect include Saintly Aura, Longevity, Regeneration, Power Healing, Dark Qi Recycling, Pristine Light Cultivation, Pristine Dark Cultivation, and Pristine Form.

  Damage from all poisons and caustic agents is neutralized at a rate of 10 damage per Rank in Eternal Fox per second from all threat tiers: mortal, infernal, or ethereal. Cellular mastery achieved! All cells naturally revert to their ideal age. Eternal youth has been achieved!

  Additional breakthrough made! – Metabolic Mastery achieved. You are now utterly self-sufficient! Proper focus means you will no longer need food, air, or water for survival. Healing rate and Qi Pool will suffer a significant reduction depending on how significant your environmental hardship is. For peak performance, external food, water, and oxygen sources are ideal!

  - Tier 1 Bronze Ogre status achieved. 0.5 pounds of lost flesh will fully regenerate per hour. This is now automatic, whether meditating, sleeping, or in combat! Cuts will be healed in seconds.

  A Path Cloaked in Mist

  Thanks to your constant training and the crucible of abuse you endured pushing yourself to Bronze, you have permanently gained 8 points of Impact Resistance, 4 points of Cutting Resistance, and 2 points of Piercing Resistance! You have taken your first step in forging a new body cultivation technique. Details: unknown.

  Your peripheral meridian channels have expanded, and can handle significantly greater amounts of Qi than ever before. Your meridians have been forged in fire! Your peripheral meridian channels are now Extremely Resilient, and enjoy a total +5 modifier to all durability checks, +6 against all meridian-searing attacks based on Flame.

  Biochemical Mastery – Rank 6

  You are now able to near effortlessly synthesize any compound naturally found in even trace quantities within the body, as well as synthesize or cure any poison or alchemical formulae mastered, save those reliant upon silverbell or shadow blossoms. You may now store modest amounts of said concoctions in your body indefinitely, and no longer feel weak or dizzy synthesizing limited quantities of reagents using your own personal physical reserves.

  _______________________________________________________

  26

  Alex awoke with a start, eyes flaring open, heart
lurching in his chest. He choked back a scream, on the cusp of extinction... before the memory of where he was and what he had finally managed to accomplish came crashing back to him.

  He gazed around in awe and wonder, beholding the most miraculous of woodland gardens, a glorious grove of a dozen different varieties of fruit trees covered in fragrant blossoms and perfectly ripe fruit in simultaneous perfection, truly appreciating the beauty all around him after weeks of desperate distraction. The mounting terror of so many perilous trials endured so quickly finally began to ease its steely grip as Alex basked in the warmth of countless silverbell blossoms shining their healing light over the lush green forest canopy.

  Alex sighed in profound relief as the final lingering nightmares that had haunted his sleep at last faded away completely, taking a moment to truly appreciate his profound accomplishment.

  He had done it!

  He had achieved the unthinkable.

  A shimmering Bronze cord oscillating at unthinkable speeds, flashing with all the power and potential not only of his Dual Path cultivation technique, but of order and chaos and Qi as a whole.

  An incredible feat he was somehow certain should have destroyed him utterly.

  He shuddered, awed anew by just how perilous a tightrope he had walked to accomplish what he had.

  And for all that he had used an inconceivable amount of power just to advance his one singular cord, even though he hadn’t even risen a single rank, he knew that the transformation had been of profound significance.

  No matter that he was still the lowliest of Bronze ranked cultivators in one sense.

  His potential was now truly unlimited.