Ascension of the Silent Guardian

In the meeting hall of the Misty Serenity Sect, the atmosphere was tense. All the elders had gathered, their faces reflecting anxiety and concern, each battling their own deepest fears.

“Sect Master, the Dark Sect is extremely active. We must counterattack before it’s too late!” one of the elders declared, urgency heavy in his voice as he gestured with trembling hands. Sweat dripped down the temples of many, intensifying the heavy air of unease.

Another elder, notably more agitated, quickly concurred, slamming his fist on the table, causing the teacups to clink. “He’s absolutely right, Master! Gather the strongest disciples, and let’s hit them head-on! We can’t wait for them to destroy us!” His voice filled the room with a mix of fear and determination.

Murmurs echoed throughout the hall, everyone agreeing. Restless hands and exchanged glances illustrated the rising nervousness. The tension was palpable. They knew the enemy would not hesitate to obliterate the Misty Serenity Sect if given the chance.

The sect master, who had been listening silently, leaned slightly forward. His calm eyes, although firm, concealed the whirlwind of thoughts that tormented him. Though his expression remained serene, he also felt the pressure. Nevertheless, his duty as a leader was to maintain control.

“We cannot attack them right now,” the sect master replied, his voice firm but laced with silent worry. “We have recently discovered many spies within our sect. If we act rashly, we could expose our weaknesses and leave the sect vulnerable to a counterattack.”

He paused, scrutinizing each elder around him. Deep down, he knew that the master of the Dark Sect was about to break into the Soul Refinement Realm. When that happened, there would be no one in the Misty Serenity Sect capable of facing him.

“Order all the disciples who are training outside to return to the sect immediately,” the master concluded, urgency hidden behind his calm exterior.

The elders nodded, but tension still lingered. They trusted their master, but they were aware that a storm was coming.

Meanwhile, in Tian Ling's cave, he felt power surging through his body as he received the rewards from the system for breaking into the True Soul Realm.

“All this fuss for a reward? This is the first time something like this has happened...” he murmured, an intrigued smile appearing on his face as a new screen appeared before his eyes.

[Congratulations on receiving the technique: Five Swords of Judgment (Immortal)]
[Congratulations on receiving a jar of True Soul Realm Pills]
[Congratulations on receiving the Jade Pendant]

His eyes widened at the sight of the rewards. Tian Ling's heart raced with excitement. He knew how rare and powerful these items were.

“This is unbelievable...” he thought, feeling his breath quicken.

He immediately wanted to know more details about each of the items. The system, not keeping him in suspense for long, projected more information screens.

[Five Swords of Judgment: The user can materialize five swords of Qi, each with a specific power. They do not disappear while the user has spiritual Qi. This is an immortal-level technique, requiring great effort to master.]
[Jar of True Soul Realm Pills: A jar containing twelve pills that help cultivators in the True Soul Realm to accumulate spiritual Qi and nourish the soul more rapidly.]
[Jade Pendant: A defensive treasure of celestial grade. It can defend against attacks from the Void Realm. It activates when infused with spiritual energy and can protect the entire body of the user.]

Tian Ling could hardly believe what he was seeing. A celestial treasure was unmatched in the mortal world. He knew that if used correctly, it could save his life in extreme situations.

“An item from the Immortal Realm... This is absurd!” he thought, feeling a mix of excitement and astonishment.

He stored all the rewards in his storage ring, resolved to make these treasures acknowledge him as their master later on. However, his curiosity about his new abilities was growing increasingly intense.

Sitting in a lotus position, Tian Ling mentally entered the simulation arena. His mind focused on testing his new strength, so he quickly selected the sect master as his opponent.

“Celestial Light Steps!” Tian Ling murmured, his body disappearing in a blur of speed as he charged toward the sect master.

“Sword of the Tempest Skies!” he shouted, channeling the devastating power of thunder. He struck with a precision he had not expected, instantly shattering the sect master's barrier, which had previously given him so much trouble, and his attack landed squarely. The sect master’s body was obliterated, and his soul was incinerated by the thunder energy.

The system announced promptly:
[Simulation ended: Victory. Time elapsed: twelve seconds.]

Tian Ling slowly opened his eyes, still bewildered by what had just happened. “This is insane... I’m much stronger than I imagined,” he murmured to himself, still feeling the power coursing through his body. His mind was buzzing with possibilities.

“Let’s see the new functions of the system,” he said, a curious smile on his face as he opened the system panel.

[Universal Monitoring function activated.]

“Universal Monitoring? What does that do?” Tian Ling wondered, knowing that the system didn’t always respond directly to his questions.

[All events involving those you are acquainted with will be shown here. Only those you have personally met will appear. In the lower-left tab, those who have feelings—positive or negative—toward you will be recorded. If they are neutral, only individuals you have previously encountered will be displayed.]

He felt confused for a moment but quickly clicked on the icon of the new function, eager to explore. A list of names appeared, detailing recent events.

[Your friend Zhao Xun was cornered by disciples of the Dark Sect. He escaped by luck but was seriously injured.]
[Your friend Jiang Zenhai was cornered by disciples of the Dark Sect. He escaped by luck but was seriously injured.]
[Your friend Yu Meilin had a breakthrough during her cultivation, and her progress increased immensely.]

Tian Ling's eyes narrowed as he read the names. His friends were in danger. He clicked on the first option, curious to see what had happened.

Suddenly, a larger screen appeared before him, different from all the others. A vivid scene unfolded in front of him.

“Brother, we’re surrounded! Where are the elite disciples?” Zhao Xun was in a panic, gripping his sword with trembling hands, his back to Jiang Zenhai. Both were surrounded by disciples of the Dark Sect, their breaths heavy with despair.

“I don’t know either, brother. But we need to find a way out of here fast!” Jiang Zenhai replied, his voice a mix of determination and fear.

“I’ll throw a smoke bomb on the ground. Run as soon as I give the signal,” Zhao Xun whispered, his gaze resolute. Jiang Zenhai nodded, ready for any chance of escape.

“Now!” Zhao Xun shouted, throwing the smoke bomb to the ground, creating a thick curtain.

The scene faded, and the screen returned to its original state, leaving Tian Ling astounded. “I... I can see everything happening with my friends? This is incredible!” he said, still amazed by the functionality of the new feature.

Curious, he decided to view Yu Meilin’s breakthrough, but the scene only showed her sitting in meditation for a time before the screen returned to normal.

After exploring the function a bit more, Tian Ling turned to one of his other tasks. He decided to make the Jade Pendant recognize him as its master. However, the process took longer than he expected, taking an entire month.

“Does this have to do with it being a celestial-grade item?” he murmured, donning the pendant, which had a jade the size of a coin hanging from the center.

“Now it’s time for the Five Swords of Judgment.”

With great anticipation, Tian Ling began to inherit the technique. Rapidly, his mind entered a state of epiphany, absorbing the complexities of the technique. He spent an entire day in deep meditation until he finally opened his eyes, his face still reflecting the impact of understanding.

“This technique... is simply incredible. How long will it take me to fully master it?” he murmured, an expression of admiration crossing his face. The Five Swords of Judgment technique was indeed much more powerful and complex than he had expected.

Without wasting any time, he sat back down in a lotus position and returned to the simulation arena. His determination to master the technique was absolute, and his excitement only grew as he felt the power flowing through his body.

“I need to master this technique as quickly as possible,” he said to himself, his eyes shining with excitement.