Cultivation System: Elder Edition

Chapter 91

Art of Survival (II)

I had a rough idea of all the choices to select, at least for the face-changing itself. I started with adding several different types of Energies, totaling 100 Creation Points. Wow. 10% gone just like that...

I also added some affinities, namely to Illusion and Sound, similarly to the cloaking art for Long Tao.

Specific attributes are where the secondary bulk of things are--I threw in a minor calming effect, basic alteration, and body healing (specifically body) and moved on to the heart of everything: Concepts.

The main law that I had to add was called 'Law of Altering', but I didn't actually want most of its conceptuality, as it was primarily used in directly altering existing creations--artifacts, arrays, even other martial arts—though only doing all that temporarily. So, I quickly added a specific restriction, another one of my previous discoveries, where I shaved practically 90% of the Law's functionality, at the same time shaving off almost 800 points from its original 1,300-point cost.

I also then had to go back and add a few extra things--there was even a specific attribute called 'Bone-Mending' that cost 200 points and allowed a person to alter their bones.

In total, I round it up to 735 points just for the face-changing and some minor calming effect. It was actually both surprising as well as disheartening.

Something that just didn't exist, apparently, cost a 'measly' 700 points to create. There had to be a catch, right? Well, yeah. While the current iteration of the art allowed for changing of the personal appearance, that was just about where it actually ended.

If somebody was familiar with me, for instance, and they used their Divine Sense on me, they'd be able to see right through the disguise--because that's precisely what it was, a disguise. A high-level one, for sure, but a disguise nonetheless. We would pass the basic checks, but if anyone ever scanned us deeply with Divine Sense and was familiar with our individual Qi imprints, we'd be seen through right then and there.

To fix that?

Yeah.

Not happening.

I'd have to push the Illusion three grades up in terms of effects, which would add approximately 30,000 Creation Points to the bulk.

Yup. I didn't add a few zeroes there accidentally.

In fairness, according to the brief snippet about that level, I'd be able to create illusions the size of a continent. You know that fancy idea of developing VR tech to the point where we could just go in and live out completely different lives? I'd be able to create that in a second, for millions of people... provided I had enough Qi, of course.

At the same time, though, it was a bit shocking how 'cheap' Long Tao's cloaking art was. I'm assuming that's because it only works 'up to a point,' as it were, but still.

Ultimately, I could only add one more thing to it, and I added the ability to resist illusions and entrapments. While I genuinely don't think any of my disciples would fall victim to them, as they're little prodigious monsters that will reign over the world eventually, this art is as much for them as it's for me.

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And me?

Yeah.

Though I never fell for a green card scam or anything like it, it's not like I was super resilient to lies and charms. And that's just for your average, no-magic-wielding-capabilities women.

The final total ended up being a staggering 910 points. I'd even have 10 leftover! Yay!

... haah.

Looking at the [CONFIRM] and [CANCEL] buttons, I... hesitated. Look, it's a lot of points to spend on just one thing, even if it's one thing we need. But also one thing that could be seen through if somebody just checked us out with a Divine Sense (if they were of high enough level, at the very least).

The saving grace is that, in this world, that was actually considered a grave taboo, and the only time people did it is if they already had nefarious intentions. I mean, it makes sense; it'd be sort of like a random stranger walking into your house, rifling through your drawers, and reading your diary, all entirely unprompted.

Gritting my teeth, I pressed [CONFIRM], once again realizing I'd forgotten to name the damn thing. Oh well.

[Congratulations, Host, on creating 'Art of Survival' Special Art]

Jesus. I thought I was bad with names. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

[...]

[Art of Survival]

[Type: Special Art]

[Rank: low-Mythological Tier]

[Host Comprehension: Minor]

[...]

[An art designed to allow its wielders to roam the world unimpeded. With its unprecedented properties of altering the physical appearance beyond mortal means and making it impossible to discern through the illusion, its creation marked a staggering point in the history of the Martial Arts. Only '???' can partially and potentially see through the changes, though even they would struggle. Due to the art's nature, only one new appearance can be used per comprehension level, starting with 1 for Minor Comprehension. The additional effects of illusionary resistance and calm are merely almost-accidental additions that hardly affect the art's overall ranking]

[...]

[Creation Points Value: 910/1000]

[Comprehension Difficulty: ???]

[...]

[Creation Bonus: due to the Host creating a type of art that otherwise does not exist within any of the 7 Layers of Heavens, special rewards have been triggered]

[...]

[Reward 1: 30% to Body Purification Progress, 22% -> 52%]

[Reward 2: Talent Evolution, Mortal(Ordinary) -> Earth(Low)]

[Reward 3: An additional use of 'Creator's Eyes', 5/5]

[Reward 4: Major Trait unlocked, 'Prospector' (Epic)]

[Reward 5: 60 more forms of 'Energy Types' added to the selection, headlined by 'Immortal Qi' (50,000,000,000 Points)]

[Reward 6: Item, 'Umbrella of Disillusionment,' added (Legendary, 1 use)]

[Reward 7: Access to more Flaws & Restrictions unlocked]

[Reward 8: Knowledge of things has been advanced by one level]

[Reward 9: Comprehension of one random art host has learned is advanced by one level... Heart-Stitching Art, Minor -> Intermediate]

[Reward 10: The Host's cultivation advanced by one minor realm, Early Spirit Manifestation -> Middle Spirit Manifestation]

[Reward 11: Minor Trait unlocked, 'Tinkerer' (Rare)]

[...]

[First-Time Creation Reward Triggered: due to the host's first time creating a Mythological-tier Art, a special reward is triggered]

[Bonus Reward: Comprehension advanced by one level, Minor -> Intermediate; allows for creating 2 disguises]

[...]

[Prospector (Epic) -- any time you create unique art that hasn't existed before, trigger a set of Special Rewards]

[Tinkerer (Rare) -- adds a slight % chance to trigger a special bonus upon creating an Art, adding a complimentary effect to it]

[Umbrella of Disillusionment (Legendary, 1 use) -- can permanently break someone out of any abnormal state, regardless of all else. Destroyed upon use]

[...]

[Intermediate understanding of the Heart-Stitching Art allows for active eroding of Heart-Demons through meditation. A very, very slight chance of triggering the 'State of Enlightenment']

[...]

Yo.

What the hell?!

No, seriously.

What the hell?!

I... hey, I can't breathe! I can't freakin' breathe! Breathe, Jake! Remember how it goes? Oxygen in, carbon dioxide out! Yes, yes, there we go. One by one. One by one.

... did the system hear me think it's cheap? Is it doing this just to spite me?

Hey, system, you're the cheapest thing since Hetty Green!

... nothing?

Wait, maybe it doesn't know who Hetty Green is? Okay, listen to this. One of the richest women of all time was so cheap they called her The Witch of Wall Street and...

I think I lost my mind a little bit there. At least, this time around, I have a rather good reason... because, and pardon my language, what in the ever-loving IKEA manual of nonsense...?