Chapter 4: Reward in Hand
Before Zhao Xing could react, he unconsciously entered a dreamlike illusion.
“Master…”
A beauty in the bath approached him, making him forget everything. His eyes were filled only with this delicate and enchanting woman, a peerless beauty who could be taken and controlled at will, leaving only a wild, primal desire driving him.
It wasn’t until his energy was exhausted that he was helped to bed by the woman and fell into a deep sleep.
When Zhao Xing woke up again, the yellow talisman on his forehead had dried, the ink fading and falling to the side.
The Guiding Talisman on his abdomen was soaked with sweat.
“Mmm, what a pleasant dream…”
Zhao Xing rubbed his head as he sat up, staying still for a while before realizing what had happened.
“What? I failed?”
“!!”
However, the lingering sensation of the dream remained, and several records appeared on his interface:
【You have entered the secret realm of 'Great Dream Academy.'】
【You have entered the trial of 'Platform of Reflection.'】
【Test failed, no rewards gained from this challenge.】
Zhao Xing closed the panel, muttering to himself:
“It must be because this body is too young, brimming with energy. Or maybe the old version of the Platform of Reflection is too powerful… that’s why I entered a treasure mountain and returned empty-handed.”
“No matter, I’ll try again next time. I’m sure I can conquer it!”
After comforting himself, Zhao Xing noticed that dawn was approaching. He quickly dressed and left the house to begin his daily work and cultivation.
The Second Night.
Great Dream Academy.
“Mmm, such a pleasant dream… Hm? Failed again?”
The Third Night.
Great Dream Academy.
“The power is too overwhelming, making it impossible to resist. I’ll definitely pass next time!”
For half a month, Zhao Xing was stuck at the Platform of Reflection.
Even Chen Ziyu and Qian Dong were starting to get curious: “Why has our brother been looking so exhausted lately?”
“Could it be that he’s sneaking off to have fun without us?”
“Ziyu, how could you think that of our brother? He must be training day and night, which is why he looks tired.”
“… Stop talking, you two.”
Zhao Xing was feeling frustrated. The old version of the Platform of Reflection was too powerful, and coupled with the fact that his youthful body was full of desires, he found it difficult to pass the trial.
Determined, Zhao Xing decided to take a hard look at his inner self.
Great Dream Academy was a treasure of the Li Dynasty used to test elites. Without careful thought, passing the old Platform of Reflection would indeed be challenging.
He threw himself entirely into cultivation, clearing his mind of distractions. Other than eating and sleeping, he focused solely on practicing spells and gathering essence.
He trained with extreme discipline to strengthen his resolve, sometimes even going so far as to place a bowl of delicious food in front of himself when he was starving, only to force himself to wait until the designated time to eat.
He didn’t aim to eliminate his desires; instead, he wanted to train his body to achieve one goal: delaying gratification.
Finally, on one particular night…
Great Dream Academy, Platform of Reflection.
“Master…”
The woman by the bath turned toward him, her posture alluring as she nestled into Zhao Xing’s arms.
But this time, Zhao Xing remained still.
“Master~ Did you enjoy the herbal bath I prepared?” The beauty whispered softly in his ear.
Recalling his past failures, Zhao Xing calmly replied, “It was indeed pleasant.”
“Then why is Master unmoved? Did I not do well enough?” The woman raised her head, her eyes wide and pitiful.
“I still have desires.” Zhao Xing shrugged and then pushed the woman away. “But I have higher aspirations.”
“If I’m going to play, I want the best, and this trial of lust doesn’t even come close to that.”
The illusion shattered, leaving the woman with a stunned expression.
Next, Zhao Xing ascended ten steps in one go.
Various stunning women appeared before him, using every means of seduction.
Yet Zhao Xing easily resisted, having regained the feeling of being a top player in his past life, overcoming the trial without being swayed by his body in this life.
False illusions may be enjoyable for a brief taste, but how could one truly indulge in them?
“Zhao Xing, student of the Great Dream Academy, has successfully passed the trial of lust.”
“With a cultivation level of the early stage of Gathering Essence, you passed the first trial of the Platform of Reflection, demonstrating firm resolve. You are awarded the Dao Embryo Pill.”
A voice echoed in his ears, and Zhao Xing saw an ancient box floating out from the mist.
“A Dao Embryo Pill? They’re awarding such a treasure on the first trial?”
Zhao Xing’s calm expression broke the moment he heard the reward.
He didn’t even bother with the eleventh step, immediately waking up voluntarily.
He shot up, quickly checking his left hand.
There, he found himself holding the same ancient box, just as in the dream.
“A Dao Embryo Pill! This is the finest refinement pill, unmatched before the revival version! There’s no equal!”
Zhao Xing was ecstatic.
He had never even tasted one in his previous life. It was too expensive to make himself, and buying it from someone else was also out of reach—it was just too costly!
By the time he could afford it, he no longer needed it.
“Is this real?”
Zhao Xing could hardly believe it, thinking he might still be dreaming. He wiped his eyes and only confirmed the reality after checking the panel.
【You have entered the secret realm of 'Great Dream Academy.'】
【You have entered the trial of the 'Platform of Reflection.'】
【Trial succeeded. You have obtained the Dao Embryo Pill.】
【Dao Embryo Pill: A treasured relic of the royal family of the ancient Li Dynasty. It can help one undergo a complete transformation, rebuilding their foundation.】
“The Platform of Reflection is actually awarding such an extraordinary treasure?”
Zhao Xing quickly deduced the reason: “It must be because my cultivation level is so low, yet I managed to pass ten steps, which triggered a higher-tier reward!”
The trials in Great Dream Academy didn’t have fixed rewards but judged each person’s performance individually.
Zhao Xing’s achievement of passing ten steps while still at the Gathering Essence stage was incredibly rare. It had nothing to do with the time spent; even if someone took a hundred years to pass at the second stage of Gathering Essence, it was still impressive. That’s why the Platform of Reflection gave out such a substantial reward.
“I’m eating it!”
Zhao Xing eagerly opened the box and swallowed the pale red pill inside.
An intense heat swept through his body instantly, causing him to tremble slightly.
But the next second, the sensation vanished.
The sudden change came and went quickly.
The wonder of the Dao Embryo Pill lay in this—it didn’t cause any discomfort for the user, nor did it immediately raise one’s cultivation level. Instead, it gradually and subtly altered the foundation over time.
However, the change it brought to Zhao Xing was still significant, as shown on the panel.
【Name: Zhao Xing】
【Cultivation: Unranked】
【Fortune: Derivative Level Two】
【Spells: Basic Cultivation Technique (Max Level)】
【Flourishing Growth: Early Stage (201/9999)】
【Moving Clouds: Early Stage (352/9999)】
【Gathering Essence: Second Stage (142/1000)】
【Rebirth and Foundation Reconstruction: Special Status (In Progress), this status cannot be detected by anyone below Rank One.】
“A new special status! No wonder it’s called the strongest refinement treasure.”
“My Gathering Essence jumped from Stage One with 71 points to Stage Two with 142 points—doubled! Even though only a bit of its power was revealed at the beginning, it’s enough for a massive improvement at my current stage. Thankfully, such a boost doesn’t seem too obvious at low levels.”
“Wait, why has my fortune level also become Derivative Level Two? I’ve never heard of the Dao Embryo Pill increasing fortune levels.”
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