The first thing Lin Xuan felt was heat.
Not outside.
Inside.
His meridians burned as if someone had poured boiling water into them.
He opened his eyes sharply and saw blue sky above him, ancient stone beneath him, and three gray-robed disciples staring down with mocking expressions.
Memory rushed in.
Azure Flame Sect.
Outer disciple.
Body Tempering Sixth Layer.
In this world, cultivation began with Body Tempering, strengthening the physical body layer by layer. There were nine layers. Each layer refined a part of the body — skin, muscle, bones, blood — until the body could withstand Spirit Qi.
After Body Tempering came Qi Gathering.
After Qi Gathering came Foundation Establishment.
And that was only the beginning.
But Lin Xuan?
He had been stuck at Sixth Layer for three months.
"Still pretending?" Chen Wei sneered. "Show us the first form of Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art again."
The sword art was a Mortal High-Tier technique of the sect. It had twelve forms, each one harder than the last. Even talented disciples needed years to master it.
The original Lin Xuan had barely reached Entry Level.
He slowly picked up the wooden practice sword.
The moment his fingers touched it—
The world froze.
Wind stopped.
Sound disappeared.
A translucent interface unfolded before him.
[Simplification Panel Activated]
[User: Lin Xuan][Realm: Body Tempering — Sixth Layer][Gold: 27]
[Detected Skill: Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art]
[Skill: Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art (Entry Level 3/100)]
[Simplify?][Cost: 10 Gold]
[Confirm] [Cancel]
Lin Xuan's breathing steadied.
He understood instantly.
The skill name did not change.
Only the training method would.
He selected Confirm.
[Simplifying...]
[Removing complex visualization requirements...][Reducing meridian routing steps...][Optimizing ignition condition...]
[Simplification Complete]
[Training Condition Updated]
Original Requirement:Circulate Qi through 9 meridians + Flame Visualization + Stance Perfection
New Simplified Requirement:Grip Sword → Circulate Qi → Swing
The world resumed.
Chen Wei smirked. "Go on. Perform it."
Lin Xuan inhaled.
He gripped the sword.
Circulated Qi in the simplest way possible.
Swung.
A thin streak of flame flickered along the wooden blade.
Chen Wei's smirk faltered slightly.
Inside his mind—
[Skill: Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art (Entry Level 5/100)][+2 EXP]
Lin Xuan froze for half a second.
Just gripping and swinging gave EXP?
He swung again.
This time the flame was steadier.
[Skill: Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art (Entry Level 9/100)][+4 EXP]
Chen Wei's expression changed.
"Again!"
Lin Xuan did not need encouragement.
He kept swinging.
Each swing was simple.
Direct.
No complicated footwork.
No layered breathing.
Just Qi → Sword → Release.
[Skill: Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art (Entry Level 18/100)][Skill: Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art (Entry Level 31/100)][Skill: Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art (Entry Level 52/100)]
At 60/100—
Something changed.
A warm current surged into his mind.
Understanding.
Proper angle of the wrist.
Timing of ignition.
Optimal Qi compression.
The knowledge felt natural.
[Skill Advanced]
[Crimson Flame Twelve-Form Tyrant Sword Art (Minor Completion 0/300)]
The flame on his sword thickened.
Chen Wei's face turned pale.
"That's impossible."
Lin Xuan stepped forward and executed a clean horizontal slash.
Boom—
Chen Wei was thrown backward into a stone pillar.
The courtyard fell silent.
And Lin Xuan finally understood the system's logic.
It did not give power.
It simplified requirements.
If a technique originally required years of refinement—
Now it required repetition of a basic action.
Simple action.
Repeated enough times.
Produced mastery.
Footsteps echoed from the courtyard entrance.
Su Yueqing arrived.
Body Tempering Ninth Layer.
Her aura was steady and sharp.
She looked at the scorch mark on the ground.
"You improved."
Lin Xuan did not answer immediately.
Inside his mind, another notification appeared.
[Detected Skill: Basic Qi Circulation Method]
[Skill: Basic Qi Circulation Method (Entry Level 12/100)]
[Simplify?][Cost: 5 Gold]
He selected Confirm.
[Simplifying...]
[Removing breathing rhythm restrictions...][Removing posture dependency...]
[Simplification Complete]
New Training Condition:Breathe.
Lin Xuan blinked.
Just… breathe?
He inhaled.
Spirit Qi flowed into his body.
[Skill: Basic Qi Circulation Method (Entry Level 25/100)][+13 EXP]
He inhaled again.
[Skill: Basic Qi Circulation Method (Entry Level 47/100)]
His meridians vibrated.
Qi flowed more smoothly.
By the fifth breath—
[Skill Advanced]
[Basic Qi Circulation Method (Minor Completion 0/300)]
The surge of Spirit Qi nearly made him stagger.
His blood heated.
His bones vibrated.
The barrier of Body Tempering Sixth Layer cracked.
In this realm, each layer strengthened physical structure through Qi refinement. Breaking through meant the body had adapted to stronger Spirit Qi density.
With a low vibration—
He stepped into Body Tempering Seventh Layer.
Su Yueqing's eyes widened slightly.
"You broke through… just now?"
Lin Xuan exhaled slowly.
Inside his mind—
Two skill bars glowed faintly.
Sword Art.
Breathing Method.
Both progressing rapidly.
He looked at the sword in his hand.
If archery could be simplified to touching the bow…
If palm technique could become rubbing hands…
If defense technique could become bathing…
Then cultivation itself—
Could become repetition of simple truths.
In this world, people believed complexity meant depth.
He would prove otherwise.
Sometimes—
Mastery was just doing the simplest thing enough times.