A goddess dwells in my heart.

Chapter 3 The Fallen Genius

【Narrow Path Sword Showdown】: Unable to cast any ranged spells, in exchange for a 50% increase in Strength, Agility, and Defense, a 50% increase in damage dealt by sword attacks, and an additional 60% armor penetration effect.

Narrow Road Sword is obviously copied from the Hextech Sword game, with the concept of sacrificing long range in exchange for simple and brutal high stats.

A 50% increase in Strength, Agility, and Defense alone is already equivalent to the strength of a normal Colored Blessing. There's also the rare damage boost, a valuable independent multiplier that becomes increasingly apparent in the late game. Combined with Armor Penetration, this is practically another Colored Blessing.

Approaching the level of two Colored Blessings comes at the cost of being unable to use any ranged spells. This means he has completely abandoned the mage path and become a primitive man who can only fight in close combat. At least sword cultivators have ranged abilities, which effectively locks him onto the path of physical cultivation.

The restricted routes have both advantages and disadvantages.

In his draft plan, he mentioned that the subsequent gacha pools for drawing blessings would favor the protagonist's chosen cultivation path. Body cultivation is a branch of martial arts cultivation, so the more specialized the cultivation path, the more suitable the gacha pool will be, making it easier to build a powerful system where one foot is always on top of the other.

He turned to the goddess and said, "As you can see, each time I receive a blessing from you, a chain is unlocked. Once they are all unlocked, you will regain your freedom. Blessings can only be bestowed with your consent, and my ability to use them means that you had given your prior consent. This shows that before you lost your memory, you recognized that we were bound by fate."

"After being extracted, I sensed that the entire Bronze Sparrow Terrace was built to extract my power. Is that why you imprisoned me back then?" The goddess spoke softly, her voice still cold, but whether it was his imagination or not, Lu Zheji caught a faint trace of resentment.

Why is she so concerned about the reason for her imprisonment? She's an adult; how could she not understand the cruelty of the cultivation world? Isn't it normal for the strong to prey on the weak and for conflicts of interest to occur in this world?

However, the goddess's subtly resentful tone made Lu Zheji feel inexplicably guilty.

He mumbled, "Who knows? Maybe there are unavoidable difficulties. Perhaps we're just a pair of star-crossed lovers?"

These words made the goddess gaze at him silently for a few seconds. Her exquisite face appeared serene and indifferent in the dim light, revealing little emotion.

Faced with the enemy who had imprisoned him, the goddess's attitude was much calmer than Lu Zheji had expected. He wanted to try to probe her, but just then, he sensed a knock on the door of the quiet room.

Lu Zheji dared not delay and immediately withdrew his consciousness from the Bronze Sparrow Terrace and returned it to his body.

"Knock knock knock".

A soft knock sounded on the door, neither hurried nor slow.

"Young Master Lu, are you inside?" A gentle male voice came from outside the door.

Lu Zheji straightened his robes, got up and opened the door.

Standing outside the door was an elderly man in his fifties or sixties, dressed in a blue scholar's robe. He had a short beard and a warm smile on his lips, which made him instantly likable.

This person was the Director of Studies at the Chang'an Academy, surnamed Huang. The Director of Studies was equivalent to the Vice Principal. The head of the academy was the Chancellor, but it was said that this was just a nominal title and no one had ever seen him.

Therefore, this Director Huang was the de facto manager of the academy.

"Huang Siye," Lu Zheji bowed respectfully.

"Young Master Lu, there's no need for such formalities." Huang Siye smiled and offered a gesture of support, his gaze lingering on Lu Zheji's face for a moment before his smile deepened. "Just now, when Elder Yin left, he mentioned that Young Master Lu's spirit is full and his intelligence has returned to normal. I've come to offer my congratulations and also to confirm this."

Lu Zheji continued, "Thank you for your concern, Instructor. I was fortunate enough to break through to the second realm, which allowed my soul to grow stronger and my mind to return to normal."

"This is a joyous occasion, a cause for celebration," said Huang Siye, stroking his beard with a smile, his attitude very friendly.

Lu Zheji's heart stirred, and he tentatively asked, "This junior is taking liberty, but I would like to ask the Director of Studies for advice regarding the results announcement ceremony in ten days. Are there any details that I should pay attention to? I know that my studies are rudimentary and my cultivation is shallow, and I am afraid that I will not be able to meet the sect's standards. I am truly uneasy."

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He thought that perhaps he could find out some of the sect's selection preferences or inside information from this actual administrator of the academy.

Upon hearing this, Huang Siye laughed and waved his hand, "Young Master Lu, there's no need to worry about this. The announcement ceremony is just a formality for you."

"What?"

"To be honest, young master, ever since you entered the Chang'an Academy nine years ago, a great figure has been planning to take you under his wing. That person places great importance on the character development of his disciples, and has placed you here to observe you in secret."

He paused, then continued, "Young Master, you are classmates with a group of sons of officials, yet you remain pure and upright, never tainted by the slightest vice of a spoiled brat. Your academic performance may seem average, but for someone with intellectual disabilities to keep up with the pace of learning is an unimaginable hardship for ordinary people. The fact that you have persevered to this point demonstrates your pure and resolute character, which has already earned the appreciation of that lord."

Lu Zheji breathed a sigh of relief. He never expected that the biggest problem that had been troubling him would be solved so easily.

Suppressing his excitement, he asked curiously, "May I ask, Sir, what is it about me that has caught the eye of that senior?"

Huang Siye's smile widened, and he lowered his voice: "Young Master Lu, are you aware that you were born with an innate Dao embryo within you?"

"Innate Dao Embryo?" Lu Zheji's heart skipped a beat.

"Indeed!" Huang Siye nodded, his eyes filled with envy. "That was the legendary embryonic form of a sacred body, with boundless potential, a once-in-a-millennium occurrence! However, that great one said, 'Jade must be carved to become a vessel,' meaning one must first temper one's character to be worthy of great responsibility. She ordered the academy's physicians to secretly nourish your Dao embryo with five elemental spiritual objects while treating your soul ailment. Now that the sacred body is complete, it has helped you break through to the second realm, restoring your soul and awakening your intelligence!"

He patted Lu Zheji on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Young Master Lu, that lady has been incredibly kind to you. You must diligently cultivate in the future and not let her down."

This incredible stroke of luck made Lu Zheji's heart race uncontrollably.

He suppressed his overwhelming joy and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, this junior will certainly work hard and live up to the expectations of my seniors and supervisor!"

Huang Siye nodded in satisfaction and added, "By the way, this Primordial Innate Dao Body not only has a spiritual energy reserve that is several times greater than that of other cultivators at the same level, but it can also greatly enhance the power of the spells it casts. It can be said to be a sacred body that every cultivator in the magic path dreams of."

He looked at Lu Zheji with great interest. "I've only heard about it; I've never witnessed the power of the Holy Body firsthand. Young Master Lu, now that you've achieved the Holy Body, why not demonstrate it for me and broaden my horizons?"

"Hmm? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Lu Zheji: "..."