Chapter 185: The Future Can't Wait

There were multiple schemes and machinations behind Li Yang's back. It was as if the entire world pinned a dartboard on him and it was up for anyone's grabs to strike him. Whether it couldn't be helped or might have been prevented, both divine and human—Telhrian actually—schemes were focused on him and it was already in motion.

And yet the man didn't care about any of that.

If he was aware of such plots, then he would only sigh and make preparations for them. But for now, there were already a lot of things that Li Yang needed to focus on. While he was aware that he did not come any closer to the ice casket back in the mountains last night…

Li Yang did not feel good about seeing it at all. There were simply some situations that spelled out trouble and danger even without his intervention. And realizing how Mitsuko didn't mention Setsuko's transformation increased his wariness.

"Yang!" a young woman's voice cried out.

He turned back and met the gaze of Priestess Leila. 

Whether it was a little strange or not, somehow it was as if Leila recognized him by his footsteps. She ran up to him from out of her room, with the young woman only wearing sparse and flimsy night robes. 

It was as if she hadn't left her room since last night.

Priestess Leila even had an unruly expression on her face. "You're not going to be kicked out or punished, right, Yang?" She was direct to the point as always.

"No," Li Yang said. Did the Priestesses here really think that he would get expelled or something more torturous for leaving the temple on his own? Now it made sense why the others earlier cowered when he passed them.

Only a select few disregarded the social hierarchy and politics because of him.

Priestess Leila lowered her head and sighed in relief. "That's good, I was afraid that Elder Sister Rei's decision to give you the map would cause you to be chased out of the temple."

"I see… well you can see that I'm fine as I can be. If there's any punishment, it's staying in my room and keeping to myself," Li Yang said.

Not that was actually a punishment for him.

"O-oh, well…" Leila's gaze flickered up back to him. "If you'd like some company…"

Li Yang placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. "Thank you for the offer, but it's better that you focus on the responsibilities as a Priestess. You haven't attended your morning lessons at all, have you?"

"I… I didn't want to see Elder Sister Kei." There was a bothered expression on Leila's face. "She scares me, it's like… she'd probably be mean to me after last night."

Li Yang sighed inwardly, but nodded. "Well, that's your choice. I'll leave you now, excuse me." He moved past the blonde Priestess, entered the Inner Court Hallway of Mashiro Temple and then stepped back into his room.

Such things were placed behind him as he focused on his prime objectives. Perhaps he would have been a lot more sympathetic and grateful to Leila, except he was running on borrowed time. 

Thankfully, Li Yang only gave up a small portion of his Beast Cores for a token gift to the Mashiro Temple. It was true that they did accept him and Setsuko here, and Li Yang disliked having debts of gratitude.

Now it was time to finally begin.

[ Inventory ]

[ Beast Core Small x 43 ]

[ Beast Core Medium x26 ]

[ Beast Core Large x 13 ]

[ Beast Core Titan x 7 ]

He couldn't take a break and there was no time for any more mistakes. Li Yang no longer wished to be caught like a deer freezing from a car's headlights. If the Heavens—and the world he currently was in—all wanted a piece of him, then they were welcome to try.

The CEO also had his own plans.

Li Yang didn't regret his choice of accepting the Patch Updates where he was given the chance to take control back by a dubious person who had similar goals as him. He was away from the direct gaze of the Heavens and had also grown stronger.

The status screen in front of him was a good reminder of how far he had come.

[ Name: Li Yang ]

[ Gender: Male ]

[ Age: 28 ]

[ Cultivation: Qi Condensation Tenth Stage (10/9) ]

[ Constitution: None ]

[ Bloodline: None ]

[ Roots: Null Roots (Special) ]

[ Fame: Olympian Corp: ?#1! ]

[ Fame: Mashiro Temple: 460 ]

[ Fame: Kaeli Kingdom: 89 ] 

[ Sect: Mashiro Temple Sect (Temporary) ]

[ Cultivation Methods ]

[ Harem Cultivation (Mortal) ]

Power: Extremely Weak - Divine Grade

Comprehension: Intermediate (22/42)

Stage: Qi Condensation (10/9)

[ Would The Host Like To Move To Foundation Building? ]

And yet there was so much more to reach. While he avoided direct battles from individuals stronger than him, he was focused on building up better conduits for the energy of the world to flow in.

"No." He once again dismissed the prompt and focused on the Inventory. 

[ Absorb All Eighty Nine Various Beast Core Into Your Body? ]

[ If Unable To Absorb, It Will Be Calamitous To Your Soul ]

[ Warning: Host Is Only At Tenth Stage of Qi Condensation ]

The man took a seat and started absorbing the Ao Energy from all of the available Beast Core as he recounted the lessons that both Setsuko and even Mitsuko once discussed with him.

If someone else besides Li Yang were to attempt absorbing too much—no, just being in the mere presence of too many Beast Cores—it was enough to affect the aura of a Priestess and bring it to uncontrollable levels and damage them.

It was there that having Null Roots helped him a lot.

[ Congratulations! You Have Absorbed The Medium Ice Beast Core Into Your Body ]

[ Purity: 90% Blue Core Ice Golem ]

[ Condition: Critical Sub-Zero Rate of the Host's Body (Negated) ]

[ Individual's Roots Has Rejected The Negative Effect Of Absorbing High-Purity Stone ]

[ Condition: Sturdiness of Blue Ice Golem (Negated) ]

[ Individual's Roots Has Rejected The Positive Effect Of Absorbing High-Purity Stone ]

[ Congratulations! You Have Absorbed The Titan Ice Beast Core Into Your Body ]

[ Purity: 99% Ice Frost Wyvern ]

[ Condition: Mutation of the Ao Energy Core (Negated) ]

[ Individual's Roots Has Rejected The Negative Effect Of Absorbing High-Purity Stone ]

[ Condition: Ray of Frostbreath (Negated) ]

[ Individual's Roots Has Rejected The Positive Effect Of Absorbing High-Purity Stone ]

Countless other similar notifications then streamlined past him.