His status flickered:
Physique: Enhanced (Basic Tempered → Tempered +)
System Points: 15
Astra nodded once to himself.
Even humiliation can become fuel.
Back in his small room, he closed the door and sat cross-legged on the creaky bed.
The air here was still, faintly carrying the smell of old wood and washed cloth. It wasn't much, but it was his space.
[Ding! Sign-In Opportunity Detected: "Lonely Outer Disciple Room"]
Description: A place of quiet resolve and repeated failure, now turned toward a new path.
First-Time Sign-In Reward: Comprehension Small Boost + Cultivation Efficiency Bonus]
"Sign in," Astra thought calmly.
[Ding! Sign-In successful.]
**Reward:]
– Comprehension +
– Cultivation Speed + Small Passive Bonus (Permanent)
The world seemed to… slow down just a little.
Details he'd previously ignored felt more noticeable.
He could sense the way spirit energy drifted more precisely now, like seeing currents under the surface of a river that once looked still.
So this is what real comprehension feels like.
He started the Heavenly Pulse Breathing Art, guiding spirit power into his newly opened dantian.
Energy flowed smoother. Errors he'd made yesterday became obvious.
[Heavenly Pulse Breathing Art – Lv.1 (12/100 → 41/100)]
After several cycles, he stopped and flexed his fingers.
Time to test his body.
Behind the dorms stood a line of wooden training posts and a single old stone pillar used by outer disciples to gauge basic strength.
Most avoided it.
No one wanted to see how weak they were.
Astra walked up to it.
Some nearby disciples glanced over, brows rising.
"What's he doing?"
"He's going to embarrass himself again?"
He stood before the worn stone, took a breath, and adjusted his stance.
Feet shoulder-width apart.
Knees slightly bent.
Core tight.
He circulated spirit power through the Heavenly Pulse pattern, letting it condense into his right arm.
Stone-Breaking Fist.
Even if he was far from mastering the name, the idea matched.
He exhaled—
And punched.
BOOM.
Dust shook loose.
The old measuring inscription faintly glowed:
[Rank: Spirit Realm – Grade 1 – Solid Foundation]
The whispers cut off abruptly.
"Eh?"
"Wait, he's… Spirit Realm?"
"Since when?"
Astra lowered his fist, flexing his fingers. The stone stung, but his bones held steady.
Good. The reconstruction is real. The system didn't make me brittle.
He turned to walk away, not interested in posturing.
That was when Lin Wu stepped out from behind one of the other pillars, a familiar sneer on his face—one that faltered slightly when he met Astra's gaze.
"You've… improved," Lin Wu said, trying to keep his tone dismissive. "Barely."
Astra met his eyes calmly.
"That's how growth works," he replied. "One step at a time."
Lin Wu clicked his tongue.
"Don't get arrogant. A single punch won't change your status. You're still trash with no backing, no elder, no clan. One freakish punch doesn't change that."
Astra tilted his head.
"Then why do you look nervous?"
Lin Wu stiffened, then scoffed, stepping closer like he wanted to regain control of the scene.
"You think you can talk back because you reached Spirit Realm Rank 1? If I hit you seriously—"
He raised his hand.
Astra's aura didn't explode.
He didn't release wild pressure.
He just… let a fragment of his bloodline resonance leak out.
The air around his eyes seemed to ripple briefly, something primordial stirring behind them.
For Lin Wu, it was like staring into the eyes of a predator he hadn't known was in the cage with him.
His raised hand slowed.
His breath hitched.
He couldn't understand it.
Astra's voice stayed mild.
"If you attack again," he said softly, "I won't hold back as much as I did before."
Lin Wu's mind flashed back to the earlier kick and punch he'd thrown. To how Astra had taken them without much resistance.
Logically, he should be able to dominate.
But something in his instincts screamed:
Danger.
He withdrew his hand with a snort.
"Don't think this is over," he tried to say coolly. "Spirit Realm Rank 1 isn't enough to stand tall here."
Astra stepped past him, expression faint.
"I agree," he said. "That's why I'll keep going."
He left Lin Wu standing there, unsure why his mouth felt dry.
A few watching disciples exchanged glances.
"…Did you feel that?"
"A bit… weird."
"Like something staring from behind him…"