– Beneath the System, the Blade Sharpens
The sky above the academy was steel-gray, thick clouds gathering like silent watchers. Rain hadn't fallen, but the air was heavy—as if fate itself was preparing something.
Li Xuan stood at the edge of a shattered arena—his cloak torn, chest heaving, and blood dripping from his shoulder.
The fight with Shen Bao, the top outer disciple from the Lightning Ridge Pavilion, had lasted far longer than anticipated. Shen Bao's strange thunder body had nearly crushed his internal organs with a single strike. If not for Phantom Step, Li Xuan would have died. For the first time since his awakening, he hadn't been in control.
He'd won, yes.
But just barely.
And that fact crawled beneath his skin like poison.
—
That night, while others whispered in awe and fear, Li Xuan sat alone beneath the silent stars. His saber lay across his lap, still humming with residual power. But his eyes were not on it.
They were turned inward.
The system chimed softly.
System Notification:
Battle Analysis Complete.
Opponent Threat Level: High.
Victory Probability: 41% (Pre-fight)
System Interventions Contributed: 62%
Conclusion: Host Overreliance Detected.
Recommendation: Begin independent refinement of strength.
Li Xuan's fists clenched.
He'd known it.
The saber didn't save him. The system didn't dodge for him. His instincts had failed. If the system disappeared tomorrow, would he still survive?
"No," he muttered. "Not like this."
He stood, walked into the mountain training valley, and drew a circle on the stone with his saber. A place of isolation. A boundary.
From this moment forward… he would forge himself.
—
[Training Phase: Initiated]
Current Stats:
Name: Li Xuan
Realm: Late Qi Condensation (98%)
Strength: 314
Agility: 278
Perception: 402
Body Fortification: 32% (Unrefined)
Kill Count: 89
EXP: [792 / 1000]
Weapon: Heaven-Shearing Executioner
Bound Skills: Phantom Step, Qi Compression, Close Combat (Self-Taught), Kill Instinct (Passive)
Passive: Bloodthirst Blade Bond
System Points: 299 / 500
New Training Goals:
Manual Refinement of Muscular Strength
Body Conditioning Through Beast Combat
Independent Perception Sharpening
Combat Strategy: Adaptation Without Prompts
He discarded his upper robes and tied sand weights to his arms and legs. From the beast pens, he bought three enraged Flamefang Panthers—each a walking furnace—and locked himself in with them.
—
[Training Day 1]
He fought barehanded.
No saber.
Only fists, dodges, positioning.
The first pounce broke two ribs. The second carved open his thigh. But by the time the first panther lay dead, he was laughing—bloodied, breathless, and mad.
+EXP: 39
Total EXP: [831 / 1000]
—
[Day 4]
He was sprinting through the mountain forest with a 300 jin boulder strapped to his back, chased by Windclaw Wolves. Each leap tore his legs open, but his footwork evolved. His reflexes sharpened.
+EXP: 41
[872 / 1000]
—
[Day 6]
He blindfolded himself. And fought.
Beasts. Cultivators. Even illusions conjured by forbidden formations.
His perception began to transcend vision. The flow of killing intent, the direction of wind, even the twitch of muscles around him became cues. He stopped seeing and started feeling.
—
[Day 10]
At last, he stood beneath the waterfall of Azure Bones Cliff, letting the water crash into his body like hammer strikes. His body vibrated from the impact, bones groaning.
He was no longer the same Li Xuan.
His body was scarred. His aura, deeper. He hadn't drawn his saber once in ten days.
But his fists had become weapons.
EXP: [1000 / 1000] – Cultivation Breakthrough Triggered
—Advancing to: Foundation Establishment Realm (Early Stage)—
Stats Updated:
Strength: 364
Agility: 299
Perception: 448
Body Fortification: 67% (Refining Progress Detected)
Kill Count: 113
System Points: 321 / 500
He rose from the water like a demon reborn.
—
Back at the academy, he returned to the outer sect training ground where new disciples were sparring.
Some recognized him.
"He's back…"
"He's different."
"His eyes… they weren't like that before."
He didn't speak. Only watched.
A scrawny disciple was being beaten senseless by a senior disciple.
Li Xuan walked over and raised a hand. "That's enough."
The senior disciple scoffed. "And who the hell are y—"
The next moment, he was face-down in the dirt, jaw shattered.
Li Xuan helped the bleeding boy up.
"If you want to follow me," he said quietly, "then you'll never kneel again. Not to anyone."
—
Later that evening, another system prompt appeared:
[New Legion Member Candidate: Wu Jin]
Potential: Low
Loyalty: 83%
Determination: 91%
Recommendation: Accept
Status: Awaiting Host Confirmation
Li Xuan didn't confirm. Not yet. But he didn't reject either.
Wu Jin would prove himself.