Chapter 10: Restart the cultivation?
Inside Derek's room
"So that bastard managed to pass the assessment and became an outer disciple?" Derek snorted as he spoke with his gang.
"Yes, boss, though he passed barely as the stone glowed green," replied a red-haired lackey. He was obviously trying to ease his master's anger a bit.
Derek was angry from the moment he heard that Erik had passed the assessment and was now an outer disciple. He couldn't fathom how he managed to do so. Derek was so sure that he and his gang fathered every path available for Erik to become an outer disciple.
Derek made sure that his gang would beat him up and take the stones whenever Erik bought spirit stones. They even went out to make sure one could clearly point out that he was bullying Erik by taking stones from others a few times.
He himself saw the look on Erik's face the last time they looted Erik's spirit stones. He was sure that whatever happened from then, he couldn't have reached the third level. 'Is someone helping him from behind' he wondered.
He was fuming with anger, but his mood changed when he heard the red-haired lackey's words. He chuckled, "Hmm, good, very good."
His gang was baffled when they heard those words. They have no idea what their Boss is thinking about.
"Boss… Are you not angry because he is now an outer disciple?" asked the lackeys, a bit confused.
He smiled with an evil grin and spoke, "I'm angry that the bastard is now an outer disciple; we can't touch him anymore. I can't hurt him in the way I did before, but a new chance came with this, a better chance."
Looking at his gang, who had baffled faces, he said, "The outer disciple tournament will be my chance to make him pay. The sect announced great rewards this time. With the rewards being so generous, even a fool will participate in the tournament.
With the increase in rewards, there would be an increase in participants. From what I heard from the big Boss, there were few deaths and some lost limbs during the last tournament.
As long as the death isn't intentional, the Sect Elders won't interfere."
Hearing their Boss's idea, his lackeys praised him, "Boss, you are a genius. You can earn resources from the tournament and at the same time get rid of that wart."
Derek laughed out, thinking of his grandiose plan, but he had no idea what plans fate had for him.
---
While the hot discussion was happening, Erik was oblivious to what was happening when he reached his new quarters. When he looked inside, he was awed by its appearance. All his life, he had never lived in such a spacious house.
The house he lived in back in the village was a simple cottage made of wood. Even when he joined the sect, the quarters were not this spacious. He stayed in the room provided to him by the sect, but five shared it.
Now he has an entire house for himself. Though these houses provided to outer disciples can't be compared to those offered for Inner disciples and Core disciples, he was happy.
He didn't have any luggage with him except for bare essentials, disciple uniforms, and one set of civilian attire. He took them out of his bag and placed them in the closet.
"So, Aurora, how do you intend to use those herbs?"
[You need to throw them in hot water, and you have to get in. You'll stay inside the water until you absorb the medicine.]
"Is it that easy?"
[No host, it would be so painful.]
"How much pain would it be?"
[Imagine the most painful moment you experienced, it would be a hundred times more painful than that.]
"Wait, what?"
[Host, without pain, there would be no gain.]
"So I have to endure the pain or be weak and lose. I chose the former."
[Excellent, now draw hot water in the bathtub and add those herbs in a set of three, with a herb of each.]
"Okay."
Erik diligently did what Aurora instructed him to do. He first drew hot water into the bathtub and started to add the herbs. As he started to add, the color of the water began to change from colorless, finally settling at deep blue mixed with deep rose color.
[Host, the medicinal mix is now ready, and you can cultivate or comprehend the techniques while you sit in the tub. Endure the pain and absorb as much as you can.]
"Okay."
Erik slipped out of his dress and was about to enter the water when Aurora interrupted him.
[Host, it's almost night, I believe it's time for your decision.]
"Hmm, I know; though I believe that restarting my cultivation is a pain in the ass, what you said is valid. Even with the heaven-defying cultivation technique, I'm not sure to reach others' cultivation levels who are years ahead of me.
Moreover, I have no techniques to fight. Even with the movement techniques we got in the skills hall, I'm not confident that I can even win a match. So participating in the tournament is a sure waste of time.
The quest reward of the Alchemy book is useless to me as of now. I'm not even well off to buy the ingredients for low-grade pills. Anyhow, the system is rewarding me with something in the Alchemy category, so I should concentrate on other things.
If I want to be strong, my foundation needs to be strong. It is what every cultivator says. So I decided to restart my cultivation."
[Host, you have made the right decision. So before you enter the water, I suggest you make your cultivation level to zero.]
"Alright then."
He followed Aurora's instructions, step by step, so he wouldn't be injured when he restarted the cultivation. However, even with care destroying someone's cultivation has consequences. He vomited some blood and felt like he had lost something.
With that, his cultivation became zero.
Ding
--
Quest: - Cripple your cultivation.
Time Limit: 3 months
Reward: one high-grade bone reconstruction pill
Status: Completed and reward sent to inventory.
--
"Looks like I got completed one quest and got the reward."
[Good, now all you have to do is consume the low-grade spirit essence pill and the high-grade bone reconstruction pill before entering the bathtub and enduring the pain. Once you absorb as much essence as possible, your body will grow in strength.]
"Is it safe?"
[It is Host; otherwise, I wouldn't have suggested it to you. The only thing is that the pain increases.]
"Say what now?"
[Don't worry, Host, I have faith in you. You can do this.]
'It would have been nice if I had faith in me too,' he murmured internally.
Erik swallowed both the pills and felt the energy inside his body from the essence pill but also the pain from the bone reconstruction pill. He immediately entered the bath tub.
Ding
--
Quest: - Reach Mortal Realm.
Time Limit: 8 months
Reward: Eye of Horus
--
Inventory:
White-feathered Sky bird (1X2)
Black-feathered Sky bird (1X2)
--
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Spite
Spite Please encourage with power stones.
Check my new novel [I can alter levels of everything].
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone