The night was quiet.
Too quiet.
Luo Feng sat cross-legged in the cold, candle-lit corner of his hut, trying to steady his breathing. His body felt like a cracked teapot trying to hold boiling water—leaking energy at every seam. Still, it was better than earlier. His meridians didn't feel like broken glass anymore, and his back wasn't screaming with every shift.
The Phantom God Movement Technique was no joke. He could feel it humming in his bones, coiled like a tiger waiting to leap. If this was the reward for teaching a basic technique, he wondered what lay ahead.
He glanced at the system interface glowing faintly in his mind:
(Disciples:
A-Yan
Latent Power: Voidwalker Constitution (Sealed)
Loyalty: 65%
Status: Hopeful, Curious, Hungry
System Notice:Teaching her advanced techniques will accelerate constitution awakening.Note: Disciples' growth directly affects host's rewards.)
Luo Feng leaned back against the wall and let out a long breath. "So, the stronger they get, the more I grow too."
It was simple. Brutally so. Like sharpening a blade, and being sharpened with it.
But it wasn't just about power. He saw the way A-Yan had clutched the scroll, her eyes wide like someone had handed her the key to another world.
He remembered that look.
He'd seen it back on Earth, on the faces of kids who'd been bullied, abandoned, or overlooked. The ones who walked into his dojo thinking they were nothing—and left walking taller.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Let's see what you become."
Dawn crept in like a shy child, brushing gold across the mountain peaks.
Luo Feng stepped outside into the chilly morning air. His robes were patched and plain, but he held himself with quiet dignity. The old training ground behind the hut was overgrown, but still usable.
A-Yan was already there.
She stood at the center of the clearing, scroll in hand, lips moving silently as she practiced the footwork.
It was rough.
Too stiff. Too slow. No flow.
But she kept going.
She tripped twice, caught herself, and started over again. Her arms were scraped from an earlier fall, but she didn't complain.
He watched her for a long moment, then stepped forward.
"Stop."
She froze immediately.
"You're not a tree. Don't plant your feet like one. You need to move like water, not rock."
She nodded, biting her lip.
He moved beside her and demonstrated—one smooth step, then another, the technique flowing from his body like a breeze brushing through leaves.
A-Yan stared, mouth slightly open.
"I know this one's hard," Luo Feng said gently. "That's the point. If it was easy, you wouldn't grow. You think I got this far because things were easy?"
She shook her head quickly.
He smiled. "Good. Now, again. And this time, breathe with the movement."
She tried again. Slower. Smoother.
Not perfect, but better.
(Ding! Your disciple is attempting to master 'Flickering Shadow Step.'Progress: 12%Encouragement detected: Feedback initiated. You gain +5% comprehension bonus.)
Luo Feng raised an eyebrow. "So even guiding her gives returns…"
The system wasn't just about giving. It was about teaching. Investing.
"Again."
And she did.
Over and over.
By midday, her legs were trembling. Sweat soaked through her robe. Her breathing was ragged.
But her eyes never lost focus.
Finally, Luo Feng raised his hand. "That's enough for today."
She nearly collapsed in relief, dropping to her knees and wiping her face.
Luo Feng walked over and handed her a small pouch. Inside was a dried fruit and a pill—low-grade nourishment, the only things he had left.
"This is yours. You earned it."
A-Yan's eyes widened. "But this is—"
"Food," he interrupted. "And if I catch you skipping meals again, I'll make you run laps up the peak."
Her lips twitched. Was that… a smile?
She bowed deeply. "Thank you, Master."
(Ding! You gifted your disciple a low-grade recovery pill.
Reward multiplied: You receive a mid-grade Body Tempering Elixir!
Ding! Bond strengthened. Loyalty increased to 75%.)
Luo Feng tucked the reward into his sleeve. Not bad. He could feel his limbs growing stronger already.
He looked down at the girl, now hungrily munching on the dried fruit with a grin on her face.
She didn't know what she had in her blood. Not yet.
But he did.
And one day, the world would tremble when it found out too.