[Last Emperor] Chapter 13 - 10,000 Repetitions (Patreon)

Everything was better now. Tao Zi was faster, stronger, quicker, and even the speed he processed information during a fight seemed to have improved. Though he couldn’t quite test the last one without a real life and death encounter. One he was not about to have now. 

Then there was the Qi that filled his core. The difference was marginal in the grand scheme of things, but for someone as low leveled as he was, it was a gigantic gap he had covered. His Qi responded faster than he ever felt it move. There was more of it. Every iota of Qi had greater potency in it as well. Burning with a certain heat he had not expected either. 

All aspects of who he was in combat had gotten extremely better from his point of view. 

He had not expected this type of difference. What the hell did a Qi Gathering Expert cultivator look like? That was the stage above Journeyman in the Qi Gathering realm. What about a master? What power would someone in a major realm higher have in their arsenal?

Tao Zi could not imagine the sheer power and strength his patriarch had considering he was a Foundation Establishment Expert Stage 5. Right at the edge of a breakthrough to the next level and becoming a master. He had never seen the old man fight before. Only pick on him to cultivate, train, study, and eventually the last face he saw as they threw him into this rift. Preventing him from returning back to their plane before the rift portal closed. 

Shaking his head did not help his now sullen mood. 

Not that it changed his perspective, it just affected him a bit. He wasn’t sure what to define what he felt. Was it anger? Disappointment? Sorrow? Grief? It felt like a mix of all of them with anger the most pronounced. Then again, he would never have had this system had they not abandoned him. 

Silver linings, Tao Zi. Silver linings in all bad situations. 

He shook his head and focused on what he had been doing. Swinging his sword. Taking Bruce Lee’s advice seriously. Practicing the same movement ten thousand times, with perfection in mind. In hopes of both receiving rewards and Exp of both varieties, but to unlock something far more important. Something he doubted would ever happen. 

Unlocking a Dao from the system. Hopefully something as cool as the Dao of the Azure Blade. Or Blade Aura. Or anything other than what he had been receiving so far from the system. Utter trash that could have been amazing in another world entirely. 

Tao Zi paused for a moment to bring out the cultivation manual he received at some point during his sleep. Immediately appearing in his ring without any prompting from him. On the surface, it looked extremely useful and provided him with a verifiable upgrade to the basic rookie, initiate cultivation techniques he had. 

Said manual was a body cultivation manual made to enhance his strength almost 1.5x what it was now. On a growing scale that would exponentially grow as he also grew more powerful day by day. It seemed perfect with a quick glance. 

Except, like all gifts he received from the system with the exception of the pills, there was a catch. 

Mainly that it sapped his intelligence. 

Quote, ‘makes its users dumber, as intelligent as an orc and just as physically dominant as one’. It was an apt description for a manual that was called an Oxens Stone Mountain Manual. It did not suit him. Not when his greatest strength was his ability to think and plan. There was no way he would be able to out power a giant that was nearly a foot and a half taller and out weighed him by nearly three hundred pounds of pure muscle. 

He doubted Zarfu had anything over three percent body fat. 

Yet, this gave him hope. Significant amounts of it too for his future. The stronger he became, the more difficult the tasks were and the better the rewards would be. It was only a matter of time before he was awarded a manual that was at least acceptable to him. Without significant weaknesses and disadvantages. 

This also hinted at the potential of other types of power he would be capable of unlocking. Mainly the Dao. A vague word he had no idea what it really meant, but seemed to be the end all be all of everything in a cultivation world. 

Of course, there were a few other things he could gain. A domain or spirit seemed pretty important, but he didn’t quite understand why that would entail for either one of them. Mainly because even the Sect Patriarch had neither. Tao Zi doubted he could unlock one if the singular most powerful person he had ever met had never gained access to either one. 

Better he used his mental abilities and energy on things that were possible and realistic. 

Not fairytales. 

He sent the manual back into the spacial ring. Returning his focus on the hard work of swinging his sword for ten thousand times. Tao Zi was counting every single one. 2701 was his current tally. He only needed roughly 7300 more swings of his sword without messing his form. 

Tao Zi refused to count anything that he deemed to be imperfect or detrimental to his development as a warrior. Everything had to be better than excellent for him to be satisfied. Knowing that harder tasks of the same variety brought better rewards only helped his determination in getting stronger and better. 

Allowing another Zarfu incident would be a death sentence. He needed to be ready in case something found him in the forest again. Being a shut-in hermit, stuck in this cave forever, was not an option, no matter how much he loved the idea. 

Whether it was food, sunlight, and even just getting a fresh breath of air outside. 

It felt impossible to stay stuck inside the cave for too long without going stir crazy. Tao Zi had no clue how cultivators could mentally last in seclusion for years if not decades. It was insane to him. He would be complaining right now about loneliness and not having anyone to talk to had he not found Tiger in the boulder maze. 

Yes, the little rascal almost took Tao Zi’s head off during their first encounter. But the cat was growing on him. Horrible personality and everything else that came with him. Including the awfully painful kneading and purring session right before sleep. Sharp claws were not conducive to good bread making. 

More so when the owner of said claws refused to get them cut. Fighting for its life when he approached. 

As though it knew. 

Tao Zi was unable to catch him even with his boosts. 

He shook his head. Reprimanding himself for losing focus again. There was no space for errors right now. Only growth. Fast, cheat system type of leveling up. One he hoped to maximize to its fullest potential in efficiency. 

After he finished with the sword, he would move on to the mundane, but sturdy spear. 10000 stabs. A very basic attack, but he was intent on perfection. Plus it affords him the ability to do sweeps 10000 times. Providing him with more rewards on top of all the others he was getting from working out like a maniac for a few hours of the day. 

Then there was playing and cuddling Tiger. 

After the tenth, snuggling with a cat notification, which did not give him anything good, he was intent on doing it anyway. It was something he would have executed anyway. Might as well have some purpose behind it too, right?

Tiger certainly loved the flood of attention, play, snuggling, and treats he received on the odd occasion. The rascal had a voracious appetite for anything Tao Zi gave him. Including roots and vegetables. Though it did perfect the cat food over anything else if given a choice between two options. 

He had tested it multiple times. Cat food won 100% of the time when placed next to something else. 

Tao Zi shook his head. 

Focus! Tao Zi, Focus! We don’t have the time to be daydreaming. We only have a few hours every day for training!