Infinite leveling in cultivation world

🐾 A Knock at the Door

Tian Jue had only just returned to his residence within the Shenxian Sect when a knock echoed through the small wooden house. He furrowed his brows instinctively, his body tensing from habit—but then he remembered: This is the sect. It should be safe here.

He opened the door cautiously. Standing before him was a petite beastfolk girl with soft tiger ears and a fluffy striped tail. She held a lacquered food container in both hands, clearly hesitant. Her qi fluctuations revealed her level—eighth-layer Qi Refinement, not weak for her age.

The girl blinked when she noticed the emblem on Tian Jue's sect robe. Silence stretched between them for a long moment, the air still and awkward, until Tian Jue finally broke it.

"Can I help you, miss?"

The tigress startled, as though awoken from a trance. She quickly bowed, nearly dropping the container.

"I-I'm Huan Tao! I live just next door. I saw a new neighbor move in, so I… I thought I should bring you a welcome gift—these are spirit peaches!"

Tian Jue sighed gently, eyes softening a little, but suspicion lingered in his tone.

"Why offer me spirit fruit? You know what I am, don't you?"

His voice wasn't hostile, but neither was it warm. As a Siberian Tiger, a rare and fearsome beast subspecies known for their ferocious and combat strength, she was used to being treated with caution, not kindness.

Huan Tao's smile faltered. Her ears drooped as she clutched the container closer to her chest.

"M-My grandma said… that doing good deeds will bring good karma," she mumbled, her voice trembling. "I just thought…"

Her large eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Tian Jue felt something twist in his chest. Almost without thinking, his hand moved up and gently patted her head between her ears.

"Alright. I'm Tian Jue. I'll be living here for a few years. I hope we can get along."

Huan Tao's eyes widened, her face flushed pink. She stammered:

"I-I hope we can relationship—uh, have a good relationship!"

Realizing what she had just blurted, she panicked. "I-I forgot I left my food cooking too long! G-Goodnight!" With that, she turned on her heel and bolted down the pathway, nearly tripping over her own tail.

Tian Jue stood at the doorway, watching her disappear into the dim corridor. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

He closed the door and leaned against it briefly, thoughtful. He recalled something from an old bestiary he read in the Qingyuan Town library—Siberian tigers were long extinct in this realm. Judging by Huan Tao's features, she was likely a Bengal or Malayan tiger—a tribe known famed by the their mental state that can fight for days without sustained and it already century before any news of their appearance to the public and they famed by their secluded , even from other beastfolk.

Still, that wasn't important right now.

Night Cultivation

He returned to his room and sat cross-legged on the woven mat. The peach fruit was fragrant and surprisingly rich in essence. After eating one, he uncapped a small flask from his storage ring and took a sip of spirit-nourishing milk, which he had stored earlier.

Warmth flooded his mind. A subtle pulse awakened in his dantian—spiritual power, something cultivators typically unlocked only after reaching Core Formation, or at the very earliest, Foundation Establishment. Most would gain spiritual sense first, then temper their energy across stages, only material and manifesting true spiritual power during Nirvana Ascension.

But Tian Jue wasn't most cultivators.

He was advancing faster—again.

With practiced breath, he began circulating his qi using the scripture he had chosen. Threads of spiritual energy wove through his limbs like silken threads pulled tight by a divine loom. His breath slowed. His bones hummed.

By the time dawn's light bled through the paper window, Tian Jue had reached the 5th layer of Qi Refinement.

And just then—

DING!

A chime echoed in his mind, crisp and clear.

A translucent panel flickered open before his eyes.

📊 System Panel – Updated

Tian Jue – LV 22

• Constitution: 40

• Strength: 19

• Dexterity: 21

• Intelligence: 20

• Wisdom: 25

He exhaled slowly, a faint smirk crossing his lips.

Before this, with just his physique alone, his level had climbed steadily to LV 17. That alone had made him a monstrous opponent among mortals. But these recent gains—this spike to LV 22—were clearly tied to the cultivation techniques he had begun to truly master.

Power wasn't just flowing through him now; it was being refined, given direction.

He stood and stretched, feeling the improved stability in his foundation.

He strapped his storage pouch to his waist, adjusted his robe, and stepped out into the waking world of Shenxian Sect.

Today, he would head to the sect's exchange center—to plan his earnings, expenditures, and next step forward.

To be continued...