The Undying Immortal System

The elderly man at the affinity testing orb looked at me. "What is your name?"

"Su Fang."

"Place your hand on the orb and channel your qi into it."

Having done this so many times by now, the process was second nature to me. Qi flowed out of my dantian and into the orb. A dull red flame appeared in its center.

"Fire affinity. Mid nine-stars."

His inflection was slightly different from the past. Did that mean something?

"What can you tell us about the blessing you have received?"

Now for the real gambit. Would he believe me? Even if he didn't believe me now, I would be able to build an undeniable façade of an alchemic blessing over time.

My voice quavered as I spoke. "I believe I have been blessed in alchemy. I feel that I will be able to learn it more smoothly than most people."

The old man looked at me and paused. He had never done that before. Looks like I truly hit an edge case this time.

"Give him the Guided Flame Mantra and return him."

Like every time before, I picked up the scroll and returned to my tiny house. I was slightly disappointed, but the difference in his reaction showed that I had made progress. Next go round, I might break into a brand-new path forward.

The Guided Flame Mantra was not wholly dissimilar to the Earth Heart Mantra. The flow of qi through the body was entirely different, but the basic idea was the same, and the whirlpools used to pull in qi were identical. The biggest difference was the qi filter, but that made sense as it was designed for a different element.

I didn't bother with any subtlety. I ignored the filter completely and just pulled in energy as fast as possible. I had no desire to try and puzzle out how to break through the challenge encounter at the end of the month. I would simply race to Martial Disciple 5 and grab whatever credits were available.

Originally, I thought cultivation with a new affinity might introduce some unexpected complications, but everything fell into place simply and easily. Cycling qi through my body and moving it from place to place felt a bit different, but that didn't affect my cultivation speed at all.

By the end of the month, I had once again reached Martial Disciple 5.

It was time to do my duty for the clan!

I stood on the challenge grounds with a stoic expression on my face. I was here for the clan. I knew what would be asked of me. It wasn't what I wanted, but I was prepared.

"Does anyone wish to challenge?"

After the elder spoke, no one made a move.

Our instructor looked at me. I nodded. He squinted his eyes.

The elder looked at our instructor. "Deacon Xu?"

"Sir, I believe there is one disciple that should be given an opportunity to fight. It would be a good lesson for everyone here."

"Oh? Who is that?"

"Su Fang." He looked right at me. "Please come forward and give us all a demonstration."

"Of course, Deacon Xu." I gave him a solemn bow. "I will challenge the eighth-ranked disciple."

It was time to pay for what the clan had given me.

I didn't know about the others, but this expert was a Martial Disciple 2 powerhouse. He would help me teach my fellow disciples a fine lesson.

I charged forward, careful to veer towards his left side, showing that such a man could not be taken by surprise.

It seemed like I was only within arm's reach of him for a split second, but the elite was still able to display his prowess.

With one swift punch, the match was over.

You have died. Calculating…

You died as a Martial Disciple 5 – 50 credits awarded.

Total Credits: 50

The walk from the awakening ceremony to my house this time felt like it took forever, but it passed in the blink of an eye. My mind was in chaos. What had happened? Why was I so different?

The answer was clear. Only two things were different, my affinity and my cultivation technique.

"Guided Flame indeed…"

I sighed.

"So, what do I do about it?"

The System didn't seem to want to help me with these mental effects, but I had to try again.

"System, can I buy a technique without these mental side effects?"

The cost of that information is not possible to calculate at this time.

"System, can you reduce the power of the mental effects?"

The cost to do so is not possible to calculate at this time.

What could I do? It seemed like, for now, the answer was nothing. However, the mental side effects seemed to get wiped out after each death, which should mean I didn't need to worry about any permanent damage from them.

I should at least try to confirm that suspicion, but…

"System, do any of the mental effects from these cultivation techniques persist after I die and reset?"

The cost of that information is not possible to calculate at this time.

I considered my options.

A mid nine-star affinity wasn't enough to catch anyone's eye. My first step had to be raising it higher. These people might be complete bastards, but if the Su Clan were the complete rulers of an entire region, there would be a lot to gain from becoming an important member of the clan. I just needed to raise my perceived value high enough that they wouldn't use these kinds of techniques on me.

Actually, this situation might be beneficial…

They were mind-controlling me. They had to know that the scroll they gave me would make me an obedient pawn. After I started using it, I didn't even have a desire to oppose anyone, and they would know that. This would almost certainly cause them to lower their guard around me, and that might put me in a position to learn secret information or powerful techniques. Even if I didn't have the impulse to betray them in that life, after I was reset, I would retain the knowledge and be free of the mental chains keeping me from using it.

I just needed to be seen as worthy enough… On that note...

"System, I want to permanently improve my fire qi affinity to high nine-star."

Permanent High 9-star Fire Affinity. Cost 50 credits.

"Purchase!"

Purchase confirmed. 0 credits remaining.

"Let's try again."

"Fire affinity. High nine-stars." The elderly man's voice sounded surprised for once.

"What can you tell us about the blessing you have received?"

I decided to retain the same quavering voice I had used last time. "I believe I have been blessed in alchemy. I feel that I will be able to learn it more smoothly than most people."

The old man looked at me and paused.

"Are you sure?"

I was caught a bit off guard by the question. I hadn't expected any questions.

"Uh, not really. I just… I just have a feeling. Like that is what I am meant to be doing."

The elder pondered for a brief moment before coming to his decision.

"Give him the Guided Flame Mantra and send him to be Alchemist RuDi's apprentice."

I had done it. After I picked up my scroll, the servant did not take me back to that same, tiny, rickety house. I was going somewhere new.

I was brought to a new courtyard that was a bit similar to the one I had just been tested in. It contained only a single building the size of a small two-story home. Instead of the ground being completely covered in the gray brick paving stones, there was a small strip of greenery hugging the wall as it wrapped around the entire courtyard.

The servant I was following approached the building, but he did not enter. He bowed towards the door and spoke in a clear, but not too loud voice.

"Master Alchemist, I beg leave to enter."

An airy and aloof voice sounded out from inside the building. "Come in."

The servant gently opened the door and guided me inside.

We were greeted by a rather young-looking man. It seemed as if he was trying to give off a commanding aura, but his appearance had a tinge of hedonism to it. He was dressed in a vibrant light blue robe that was elaborately embroidered with gold thread.

"What can I do for you today, servant?"

The servant gave a deep bow. "Master Alchemist, I have been directed by the elders to bring this child to you. They wish for him to be tested for potential to become an alchemist. If possible, they would like for him to learn what it is possible for him to learn."

"I see." The alchemist looked at me. "What is your affinity?"

"High nine-star fire affinity, sir."

The moment I finished speaking, the servant slapped me in the face.

"You will show proper respect and address the master as 'Master Alchemist.' Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. Sorry, Master Alchemist. Sorry."

After waiting a beat, the alchemist waved a hand to brush the matter away. "It's not important. Very well, servant, I shall do what I can, but tell the elders that rotten wood cannot be carved. I accept no fault if he cannot learn."

"Of course, Master Alchemist. I will make sure they understand."

"Leave us."

The servant gave another deep bow and backed his way out of the building, not turning around until after the door was closed.

The alchemist barely glanced at me before turning away.

"That will be your room."

He pointed to a small room in the corner of the building. It was barely a storage cabinet. It was smaller than the house I had been living in. I wouldn't even be able to lie down inside it.

"Your food will be delivered to you. Don't come out until you reach Martial Disciple 4. Do so as quickly as possible. Don't worry about qi purity or any of that nonsense. Alchemists can easily fix such difficulties later on."

I bowed. "Yes, Master Alchemist."

"Stop." His voice was light and airy. "I did not give you permission to speak. You will not do so again."

"Y–" I quickly caught myself, gave another deep bow, and then hurried to my new room. I didn't think to back away like the guard had done, but I wasn't called out for it, so it must not have been a problem.

After entering my tiny room and closing the door, I finally breathed out a sigh of relief. This life was going to be tough. Keeping myself from slapping that guy was one of the hardest things I had ever done.

I would persevere. I could get through this.

At first, I was surprised by the alchemist's demand that I cultivate as fast as possible. It was the direct opposite of everything Deacon Xu had been literally beating into us. I didn't believe that either man had my best interests as their top priority, so it was more a question of what their motive was.

Actually, the alchemist's motive wasn't too hard to figure out. Knowing what I did, there were two extremely compelling reasons for him to want me to cultivate quickly.

First, it would mean that I was permanently crippling myself. Even if he completely disdained me, he might see it as better to kill off even the smallest possibility of a threat in the cradle. By crippling myself with a low-purity cultivation, I would never pose a threat to him.

I didn't know how important a strong cultivation base would be for alchemy, but I could guess that a weak foundation wouldn't do me any favors. I didn't believe for a second that he would 'fix such difficulties later.'

Second, cultivating as fast as I could meant making quick progress in the Guided Flame Mantra, and I had already learned of the insidious effect it had on one's mind. If I rapidly cultivated it to Disciple 4, I would become little more than his willing slave.

Knowing this, did I refuse? No. I did exactly what he said and advanced my cultivation as rapidly as I could. In less than three weeks I reached Martial Disciple 4 once more.

His plan may have been nearly perfect, but in the end, it would be entirely ineffective. He would be able to control me in this life, but how long could that last? I had been struggling to survive even a single month. I just needed to learn his alchemy knowledge then die. After that, I would be free of him while retaining all of his teachings.

Did plotting against him weigh on my conscience at all? Not one bit. The winner is king, and the loser is just a thief!