The sky above the training hall was clear.
Too clear.
Li Wei stood near the edge of the arena floor, fingers tightening slightly inside worn hand wraps. Around him, students gathered earlier than usual. Word had already spread.
Rank 3.
Lin Yuxi.
She had requested to spar him.
Not for ranking.
Not officially.
Just evaluation.
That made it worse.
Whispers drifted like smoke.
"Why him?"
"She's going to test him."
"Yesterday was luck. Today he'll be exposed."
Li Wei didn't respond.
Inside, his ribs still ached faintly from yesterday's calculated defeat. The bruises had darkened overnight.
Good.
Pain meant growth.
But this would be different.
Lin Yuxi wasn't Rank 201.
She was Rank 3.
Precision.
Control.
Genius-level fundamentals.
This wouldn't be chaotic.
It would be surgical.
Instructor Zhao stood off to the side, arms folded. He didn't object. If Rank 3 wanted to test Rank 201, it was allowed.
Lin Yuxi stepped onto the platform.
No dramatic entrance.
No arrogance.
Just quiet composure.
She looked at him directly.
"Ready?" she asked.
Her tone was calm, but her eyes were sharp.
He bowed slightly.
"Yes."
The bell rang.
No immediate rush.
She circled first.
Light steps. Minimal wasted movement.
Li Wei mirrored her.
He activated nothing consciously.
But the darkness stirred.
[.Martial Abyss System.]
[High-Rank Opponent Detected]
[Growth Multiplier Active: x1.2 — 49 Hours Remaining]
Lin Yuxi moved first.
Not fast.
Clean.
A probing jab.
He blocked.
The impact vibrated through his forearm.
Different.
Her structure was flawless.
No unnecessary force.
No overextension.
Second strike.
Palm aimed at his shoulder joint.
He barely deflected.
Pain flared.
[.Martial Abyss System.]
[Pain Absorbed: 22 Units]
[Strength +0.08]
[Endurance +0.2]
She tilted her head slightly.
"You're reinforcing your guard," she observed quietly.
He didn't answer.
She stepped in.
Faster now.
A three-hit sequence.
High.
Mid.
Low sweep.
He blocked two.
The sweep caught his ankle.
He fell hard.
Gasps echoed faintly.
She didn't press immediately.
Instead, she watched how he rose.
Testing.
Always testing.
He wiped blood from the corner of his lip.
Stood again.
She attacked.
This time without restraint.
Her movements blurred.
Every strike landed exactly where it hurt most.
Ribs.
Solar plexus.
Shoulder.
Thigh.
Precise pain.
[.Martial Abyss System.]
[Pain Absorbed: 47 Units]
[Strength +0.15]
[Endurance +0.4]
[Mental Resistance +0.6]
He staggered but didn't fall.
She narrowed her eyes.
"You're adapting."
It wasn't accusation.
It was observation.
He saw it now.
Her breathing pattern.
Four-count inhale.
Two-count strike release.
Minimal wasted motion.
[.Martial Abyss System.]
[Analyzing Technique…]
[Flowing Crane Palm — 12%]
Another strike.
[Flowing Crane Palm — 39%]
Her palm slammed into his chest.
Air left his lungs violently.
[Pain Absorbed: 63 Units]
[Strength +0.21]
[Endurance +0.5]
He coughed.
But his eyes remained steady.
She stepped closer.
Lowered her voice so only he could hear.
"Why are you letting them land?"
The question cut deeper than the strikes.
He met her gaze.
Because pain is progress.
Because every hit makes me stronger.
Because I can't afford to waste anything.
But he only said:
"I'm not fast enough yet."
Her eyes searched his face.
For arrogance.
For panic.
For something.
She found none.
Only stubborn resolve.
She moved again.
Faster than before.
No holding back now.
The hall grew silent.
Rank 3 was serious.
Li Wei blocked, shifted, endured.
But eventually—
Her elbow slipped through his defense.
Direct hit to his ribs.
The same ribs cracked two days ago.
White-hot agony exploded.
He dropped to one knee.
[.Martial Abyss System.]
[Pain Absorbed: 108 Units]
[Strength +0.4]
[Endurance +0.9]
[Mental Resistance +1.2]
[Flowing Crane Palm — 100%]
[Technique Permanently Learned]
He felt it click.
The rhythm.
The softness within force.
The redirection principle.
He stood again.
Lin Yuxi's eyes widened—just slightly.
He moved.
Not perfectly.
Not beautifully.
But recognizably.
Her own footwork.
Her own palm angle.
He executed Flowing Crane Palm back at her.
The contact wasn't overwhelming.
But it was correct.
Gasps filled the hall.
"How—"
"She just used that—"
Lin Yuxi blocked cleanly.
Stepped back.
Silence between them.
"You learned it," she said quietly.
Not accusing.
Not angry.
Almost… impressed.
He stayed silent.
The bell rang.
Instructor Zhao stepped forward.
"Enough."
Officially—
No winner.
Unofficially—
Everyone knew.
Rank 3 had dominated.
But Rank 201 had survived.
And adapted.
That was more disturbing.
As students dispersed, whispers intensified.
"He copied her."
"That's impossible."
"She must've gone easy."
Lin Yuxi stepped closer one last time.
"You're hiding something," she said softly.
His heart skipped once.
But his face remained calm.
"Just hard work."
She studied him for a long second.
Then nodded slightly.
"Then don't stop."
And walked away.
He exhaled slowly.
That had been dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Inside—
[.Martial Abyss System.]
[Strength: 8.9]
[Agility: 7.1]
[Endurance: 11.2]
[Mental Resistance: 15.0]
[Techniques:]
— Basic Tiger Fist (Perfected)
— Flowing Crane Palm (Perfected)
[Abilities:]
— Burst Acceleration (Passive)
[Growth Multiplier: x1.2 — 42 Hours Remaining]
He was growing too fast.
He needed balance.
That night, in his small apartment, he opened the old wooden drawer beside his bed.
Inside—
A faded photograph.
His parents smiling.
A little girl beside him holding his hand.
He was nine.
Before the accident.
Before the fire.
Before being chased into the street while his uncle shouted that he didn't belong there anymore.
His fingers tightened around the photo.
They said it was a car accident.
But he remembered something else.
A phone call.
An argument.
His father shouting:
"You think I don't know what you're doing?"
Then—
Brakes.
Glass.
Flames.
His little sister's hand slipping from his.
He never saw her body.
They told him she died.
But no one showed proof.
What really happened that night?
And why did his uncle freeze every account the next morning?
Why was he thrown out like trash?
The darkness stirred.
[.Martial Abyss System.]
[Hidden Mission Triggered]
[Investigate the Truth Behind the Accident]
[Reward: ???]
[Failure: Unknown]
Li Wei's breathing slowed.
So even the system knew.
There was more.
He placed the photograph back gently.
Closed the drawer.
Rank 201 wasn't enough.
Top 100 wasn't enough.
Top 10 wasn't enough.
He would climb.
He would uncover the truth.
He would take everything back.
And when the time came—
He would destroy the man who stole his family.
Not in rage.
Not recklessly.
Calmly.
Completely.
Tell me—
If you discovered your family's death wasn't an accident… would you seek revenge or truth first?
And do you think Lin Yuxi suspects more than she's showing?
If this chapter pulled you deeper into Li Wei's world, drop your comments and let me know your thoughts. Add it to your collection so you don't miss what's coming next. Your powerstones and reviews push this journey forward.
Chapter 4 will change everything.