The cold wind howled through the stone corridors of Azure Peak Sect, carrying with it the stench of spirit beast manure and sweat. Deep beneath the lofty halls where inner disciples meditated and elders pondered the Dao, the servant quarters lay half-buried in shadow.
A boy—no, a man in a boy's body—opened his eyes in the darkness.
His name was Jiang Chen. Or at least… it was now.
"This… isn't Earth."
He lay on a straw mat in a damp servant's chamber, wrapped in thin linen soaked through by condensation. Calloused hands trembled as memories not his own pulsed through his skull. The last thing he remembered from Earth was stepping into a crosswalk and seeing blinding lights.
Now he had a new name, a new body… and a strange, glowing screen burned into his vision.
[Proficiency Panel Detected]
Martial Techniques:
⊡ *Empty Fist Form – Entry (3%)
Skills and Attributes will improve with practice.
Mastery will grant qualitative breakthroughs.
Current Status: Mortal Realm – Body Tempering Stage 1
Jiang Chen's breath caught.
"A panel? Like a video game interface?"
Memories of the former Jiang Chen emerged—a fifteen-year-old servant in Azure Peak Sect, beaten regularly by outer disciples, sent to clean latrines and stables. A father who died mining spirit stones. A mother who sold her last jade bracelet to beg for his admittance to the sect. He'd had no talent. No spiritual root.
No future.
But now? Now he had awakened in this body.
And he had something else.
'A system. A panel.
And a second chance.'
...
Later That Morning
BAM!
Jiang Chen's body slammed into the training post, his bare fist splitting open on the rough bark. Pain flared. He grit his teeth. Again.
BAM!
Again.
BAM!
[Empty Fist Form – Entry (15%)]
(…20%)
Sweat dripped from his brow. Other servants avoided him, casting wary glances. They whispered.
"That fool's gone mad."
"Why is he punching the post like that? He's not a martial artist."
But Jiang Chen didn't care. He could feel it: with each strike, his muscles remembered better. His form refined. The punches grew crisper, heavier.
The pain… was proof.
[Empty Fist Form – Entry (34%)]
"This panel… it's real. If I can raise it to 100%…"
He grinned, despite the torn knuckles.
"I'll master a martial art. Even as a servant."
...
Three Days Later
[Empty Fist Form – Proficient (100%)]
Breakthrough Achieved. Power Enhanced.
Jiang Chen stood alone behind the servant barracks, breathing deeply.
He felt it.
His punches now shattered wood. His steps were faster, lighter. His senses, sharper. The Proficient stage didn't just improve his skill—it elevated his entire body.
"So this is what it means to master something through practice."
He didn't need a spiritual root. Didn't need a fancy bloodline. He just needed time… and pain.
...
That Night – Azure Peak Training Grounds
He snuck into the outer disciple training area.
A discarded scroll caught his eye, covered in dust.
Iron Body Tempering Manual – Sect Forbidden Copy
He touched it. His panel flickered.
[New Technique Detected]
Iron Body Tempering – Entry (0%)
He snuck the scroll away.
But someone saw.
...
The Next Day
The bell of Azure Peak tolled once.
Then twice.
The third toll meant only one thing:
A Death Duel Had Been Declared.
Jiang Chen stood frozen as disciples gathered. Pointing. Whispering.
The outer disciple Lu Yan, a favored student of an elder, stormed toward him, face twisted in fury.
"Thief! You dared sneak into the disciple grounds and steal our sect's forbidden technique?! You'll pay with your life!"
Jiang Chen's hands curled into fists.
He felt it then.
That burning will. The fire of martial intent. The memory of fists thrown ten thousand times.
[Empty Fist Form – Proficient]
He stepped forward, ignoring the murmurs.