However, instead of a portal, the entire landscape changed right in front of them. The mountain peak was flattened and the trees started to grow right around them. The temperature continued to rise and snow melted to make way for the flowers and other flora in the area.
The very wooden cabin in which Ming and Jin had shared a couple of meals together was raised from the ground the same way Orochi moved around Genbu's shell. First ethereal in nature and it later materialised properly right in front of them. The sounds of spring were heard with birds chirping and the footsteps of other hoofed animals.
If anything, Genbu was similar to a dungeon dimension instance but instead of a store, the so-called instance was its shell. There was nothing Genbu could not create with his shell and it proved to the Astral Panda Cultivator that the old turtle was hiding way more tricks under his proverbial sleeve than expected.
"I thought you wanted to go all out against me?" Jin queried Genbu and there was a defying sneer.
"Like I said, I only wished to play a little since crushing you will be all too easy. Get to my age and ask me for the rematch again." Genbu grumbled as his turtle head soon returned back into his shell to recuperate. (As if Jin could reach that old!!)
"Do not fall to that old turtle's provocation, I will explain to you while you cultivate. Do not waste your time and start consolidating all that unblocked circuits or else they would get blocked again and that will be your undoing," Ming said as he picked his walking stick and smacked Jin's legs. Even if the Astral Panda Cultivator did not want to, his smack was right on point, causing him to kneel down and with a few additional pokes from Ming's stick, Jin began to close his eyes and concentrate cooling down from the aftermath of the major while he consolidated his Maqi.
With Genbu unlocking his circuits, Jin had a major influx of Maqi emerging from the blocked circuits which could potentially destroy him if he did not have the capability to adjust it on time. It was like pushing air into an already inflated balloon and subsequently continued to insert air to its maximum capacity.
While it might have looked like a request to self indulge himself, Genbu initiated the battle to aid Jin in removing all the excess Maqi in his body. As the sole objective of the old turtle disguised, Genbu honestly did not bother whether he would win or lose. But perhaps, Jin did ignite some form of fire in him later in the fight, and Genbu felt that making Jin lose was a lesson he could have taught. (In hindsight, that old turtle was glad he did not reveal his hand since he believed he probably could not bother to control himself if he were to went all out.)
Still, he had to admit that it was quite a neat trick by creating the Astral Alter. Since it was not part of the cultivation manual, Genbu agreed that Jin does have the potential to grow further if he could create his very own Maqi techniques.
In the meantime, as Jin was checking his chi and mana circuits, Ming grabbed a chair from the cabin and started to talk Jin about the trial he went through.
"Initially, we thought that the manual I painstakingly created would be sufficient for you. First, it would let you grow a little, and then teach you a few techniques and use them in battle. Subsequently, we will release the next volume of manual when you reach a higher grade which it's tucked nicely into the lockboxes that I entrusted to Grandma Yuan although I believed you have yet to open the last few." Ming began his explanation and Jin who was adjusting his circuits was finally able to reply with a few words when a major configuration was done.
"I see. Yea, I have not opened the latest boxes," he replied as he took another deep breath in.
"I figured. Because if you did, you would probably question me a long time ago when you had your major grade milestone. Thus, the whole thing is supposed to be very standard stuff and it should subsequently lead you on a straightforward road to success. This was because we wanted you to concentrate on your dungeon store and not worry about the cultivation. Also, did you know that the Astral Panda Manual had been curated by Genbu? Without him, I would not have been able to create a basic manual for you to follow." Ming tried to add Genbu into the picture but the turtle did not bother to reply.
"We figured that based on your past personality, and the attitude of the System, you would have purely focused on the dungeon supplier store alone. Of course, back then, we had no idea how the Dungeon Supplier Store would be since the System that I experienced was pretty much a combat oriented System. So when you unlocked your cultivation, it also gave us access to your memories and we realised that the route we set up for you was pretty much f.u.c.k.e.d." Ming continued his explanation and Jin had to interrupt.
"We. The 'We' you were talking about. Are they the Four Legend Cardinals and you?" Jin asked and Ming smiled quietly. If Jin had noticed his smile, he would have suspected something was off but for now, he was entirely occupied with the circuit consolidation.
"Well, yeah. I guess you could say that. But things changed when we noticed that you went to other worlds. Suddenly, it was major hard mode for you. Your exposure to the other worlds means that you need your cultivation to be higher as fast as possible… Or you will die." Ming hoped Jin took the last portion of his sentence seriously.
"I already deduced that one out." Jin's eyes stared at Ming for a moment before he closed them again.
"Guess he really does know that he will die." Byakko, who was lying at the side of the chair, could notice that Jin was not speaking for the fun of it. He truly knew that the consequences of having the System.
"Did the System tell you about it? Because the System did not tell me anything about it until much later. We thought that you might keep a low profile and death would be the last thing you would need to worry about." Ming questioned and Jin shook his head.
"That is why I tried my best to beat this trial. Because I know I need to pass this trial to further my cultivation. I am guessing when Genbu said that my trial had been completed because I had met the requirements for unlocking my circuits?" Jin asked and Ming nodded slowly.
"For so long, you wondered why the sludge was coming out of you. Your circuits were blocked by purpose so that you learn how to utilise all of them. In the past 2 weeks, your constant push to clear those circuits was the key to pass the trial. Orochi was there to spite you so you can open the very last few circuit nodes." Ming explained the rationale of the trial Jin passed.
"Upon doing so, Genbu released the 'curse' on you and therefore unblocked everything for you to use. By the time you wake up, you should have absolute control of your Maqi. Fast and efficient, not the slow charging kind of bullshit."
"Welcome to the real world. Jin. Things will continue to get tough." Ming remarked as Jin's circuits glowed a little as a sign of completion.
