Next Morning.
Lao Xie woke as dawn broke, the soft light spilling across the wooden floor of his hut. After a short meditation to settle his breath, he stood and stretched his body, joints loosening with faint cracks.
Without lingering, he stepped outside and made his way toward the forest edge, his pace unhurried. He wasn't planning to cultivate today. What he wanted was something simpler—to move his body, to loosen the stiffness that came from sitting still for too long.
The forest greeted him with the calls of birds and the rustling of leaves. He didn't wait long before the undergrowth shifted, and a steel-gray wolf padded into view. Its fangs gleamed faintly, sharp and dangerous. A 1st stage Steel-Fang Wolf, nothing more than a wild beast with a hint of spiritual strength.
Lao Xie unsheathed his sword, the blade humming lightly as it caught the morning light. He didn't bother to release any qi, only stepped forward as the wolf leapt at him. A clean arc flashed through the air. The beast landed, its body collapsing with a dull thud before it even realized it had been cut.
He wiped the blade with a flick of his wrist and stored the corpse inside his storage ring.
Not long after, the earth trembled faintly. A bulkier figure emerged from the trees, its scarlet eyes glaring with hostility. A 2nd stage Scarlet-Eyed Boar—larger, faster, and far more stubborn than the wolf. It lowered its tusked head and charged with a roar.
Lao Xie tilted his body aside, his movements smooth and almost lazy. The boar rushed past him, but its momentum was cut short when his sword sliced across its neck in one fluid motion. Blood sprayed across the grass, and the beast's body slumped heavily to the ground.
Another flick, another storage. The cores remained untouched.
"This is good enough," Lao Xie muttered, sheathing the sword once more.
Today, he had no match. By rights, there should have been one, but his opponent had met with some misfortune and was unable to fight. It meant that Lao Xie had advanced by default, and his next match would already be in the round of sixty-four. That was for tomorrow.
For now, the day was his to use.
He lingered outside, roaming between the quiet paths of the forest. The hours slipped by with little weight, his figure weaving between the trees, resting by the streams, occasionally scattering the lesser beasts that dared to come too close. He did not rush to return.
It was only when the sky had begun to dim into shades of orange and violet that he finally return
ed toward his hut.
….
By the time Lao Xie stepped back into his hut, the outside world had already sunk into the quiet of night. He placed his sword against the wall and lowered himself onto the mat, letting his body sink into the stillness. His breathing was steady, yet his eyes glinted faintly as he recalled the motions of the day.
His strikes had been clean, but not perfect. Each cut carried weight, but not yet the fluidity he envisioned. He knew he had not fought those beasts for the sake of trophies or cores. He had been searching for rhythm.
"System," he said calmly, his tone almost casual. "Show me today's gains."
A crisp chime rang in his mind, and the familiar panels unfurled before his eyes.
[TECHNIQUES]
Heavenly Echoing Sword Arts (0/7)
First Move – Sky's Whisperer: 18% mastery → 24% mastery
Mirage Walk (0/5)
First Stage – Fleeting Steps: 24% mastery → 29% mastery
"Not bad," Lao Xie murmured, eyes narrowing as he studied the numbers.
"Your masteries have risen steadily. You are one step closer, and closer still, to shaping true strength," the system's voice echoed faintly, its tone calm yet carrying a faint edge of approval.
Lao Xie leaned back slightly, his lips curving in thought. "Closer, huh… I wonder when I'll be able to completely master the first move. If just fragments of it can already cut down so many beasts, how much more devastating will it become when polished to its limit?"
"You will know," the system replied evenly. "If you continue on the path you walk now, the answer will reveal itself in due time."
Lao Xie let out a quiet breath, "Tch, being vague again.."
The system fell quiet at that, its presence retreating into silence. Lao Xie closed the panel, resting his eyes.
The night stretched on in calm silence, and soon the weight of drowsiness pulled at him. By the time the moon climbed high, his hut was still, with only the faint glow of the lantern casting shadows along the wooden walls.
The next morning, Lao Xie was already seated in his hut, the faint morning light spilling in from the window as he browsed through the system panel. A thin smile tugged at his lips.
"Convenient." That was the word that came to mind. This feature had saved him plenty of wasted steps. Instead of walking all the way to the Martial Hall to check the updated brackets, the results unfolded before his eyes with a single thought.
By now, the tournament had narrowed to sixty-four. Though a few names stood out, not everyone who survived to this stage was a true genius. Many were still average—disciples who had slipped by through luck or favorable matchups.
And that's who his next opponent turned out to be.
"Next Match be against Gu Xuo"
"Gu Xuo…" Lao Xie repeated softly, his tone flat.
A second panel immediately flickered into existence beside the bracket.
[Observe Activated]
Name: Gu Xuo
Race: Human
Cultivation Stage: Body Tempering, 7th Stage
Age: 16
Affiliation: Silver Crescent Sect, Azure Edge Peak
Spiritual Roots: Withered Essence Root
The system's voice followed, echoing each line as though reading the panel aloud.
Lao Xie glanced over the details once, his expression steady. Nothing about the boy caught his interest. His lips moved faintly.
"Another mediocre…"
Lao Xie gave one last glance at Gu Xuo's details before dismissing the panel. There was nothing to dwell on. His mind moved elsewhere, already thinking of how much further the tournament had yet to go.
The hours trickled by, and before long the sun had dipped toward the horizon. The Martial Hall would be lively again soon. Lao Xie rose from his seat, dusted his robes, and pushed open the door to step outside. With steady steps, he left his hut and made his way down the stone paths toward the Martial Hall.
…..
By nightfall, the matter was already decided.
Gu Xuo had fallen with barely a struggle. A few moves, no more, and the match was over. The Martial Hall had roared again, filling with voices that mixed awe, disbelief, and a growing trace of fear.
Some disciples had even begun whispering his name differently. The mockery of "Little Mortal" was fading, slipping into nothing but a memory. In its place, a heavier presence grew around him—a shadow that made people think twice before speaking his name too loudly.
He had become someone they could no longer afford to mock.
Even Ling Ruxin had been there, her gaze lingering on him as the dust of the fight settled.