Li Tian opened his eyes. The dim light of his hut seemed sharper. The texture of the straw mat under his hand felt more real.
He slowly clenched his fist. Power coiled in his arm. It was not just strength. It was a feeling of solid weight. A density that had not been there before.
[Wooooo! Layer Three! You did it, Master! You're a genius! The best genius! I knew it!]
A rush of exhilaration went through him. For the first time in decades, he felt true progress. He felt control.
This is incredible. The speed... it's faster than anything I ever imagined.
He needed to continue. He needed to keep this momentum.
"System. I want to buy more Qi Sensing Pills. How many points do I have left?"
[Wait, Master. Stop. That's a bad idea.]
The System's cheerful tone was gone. It sounded firm. Serious.
A bad idea? But it worked perfectly.
"Why?" Li Tian asked. "It's the fastest way to get stronger."
[Your foundation is new. Think of it like building a tower. If you stack bricks too fast before the mortar dries, the whole thing will collapse.]
The system paused for a moment.
[Your body needs time to settle into its new strength. Rushing now will only hurt you later.]
Li Tian listened. The logic was sound.
"So, what should I do now?" Li Tian asked.
[A high cultivation level is great! But it's useless if you don't know how to use it. You need combat skills! Let's make you a real fighter, not just a power-up machine!]
The translucent shop screen appeared before his eyes again.
[First, you need a weapon! This Basic Iron Sword is only 5 points. It's not fancy, but it's strong and reliable!]
An image of a simple sword glowed on the screen. It had no ornamentation. Just a plain crossguard and a worn leather grip.
[And you need a technique! This is the first manual for the Three Rivers Sword Style. It can be considered a Gold-tier art in this world. It only costs 15 points!]
A thin scroll appeared next to the sword's image.
Li Tian stared at the description. His breath caught.
Gold-tier? For 15 points? Back at the sect, a manual like this was a treasure. Only core disciples were even allowed to study them. And the system is just... giving it to me?
He felt a sense of awe that he quickly suppressed. This system was more powerful than he had imagined.
"System…."
[Yes, host?!] The system asked with an expectant voice.
"Nothing…."
Li Tian could not admit the greatness of the system, at least not yet.
"Fine," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "I'll buy them. The sword and the manual."
[Purchase confirmed! You will become the best, Master!]
The system chimed.
A plain iron sword and a thin scroll materialized in the air. They landed softly on the mat in front of him.
Two weeks passed.
Li Tian woke before sunrise each day. He found a secluded clearing deep in the woods away from the village. He practiced the first stance of the Three Rivers Sword Style.
The manual described the first stance, 'Flowing Current,' not as an attack, but as a state of being. 'The sword is not a tool,' it read. 'It is the riverbank. Your arm is the water. When the water flows, the bank guides it without effort.' Mastery was achieved when a single, fluid strike could pass through a dense target as if it were air, leaving behind a cut as smooth as polished glass.
It did not come naturally. His feet were clumsy. His shoulders were too stiff. The iron sword felt heavy and awkward in his grip.
The Azure Vein Qi Scripture felt like breathing. This feels like forcing a stone to move.
His muscles ached constantly. Blisters formed on his hands and then broke open. He ended every day in a state of pure exhaustion.
[You're not getting frustrated, Master. I'm impressed! Most people would have given up by now.]
"Thank you, system. With you supporting me, how can I lose?"
Frustration is a luxury. I've wasted decades. A few weeks of sore muscles is nothing.
Li Tian kept on progressing, practicing diligently every day. He could feel that he was getting closer.
Finally, the day arrived. The sun was high. Li Tian stood in the center of the clearing calm and focused. In front of him were twenty thick bamboo stalks. He had stacked them one behind the other. They formed a single dense target.
He took his position. His feet were planted firmly on the ground. His grip on the iron sword was light but steady. His breathing was slow and even. He was no longer fighting the sword. He was one with it.
He did not move with force. He moved like a river.
The blade became an extension of his arm. It followed his movement seamlessly. At the last moment, he channeled his Qi. The energy from the Third Layer of the Body Tempering Realm flowed into the blade. The iron sword hummed faintly.
A single clean sound cut through the air.
For a moment nothing happened. The bamboo stalks stood perfectly still.
Then the top sections of all twenty stalks slid off at once. The cuts were perfectly smooth and level. They fell to the ground with a soft rustle.
Li Tian stood over his work. He had perfected the first stance.
[Waaa, Master. You have perfected the first stance in just two weeks. I knew you were a genius!]
"Thank you, System," Li Tian said, his voice quiet. "I couldn't have done it without your guidance."
[Of course, Master! But perfecting a stance in a clearing is one thing. Using it in a real fight is another!]
[New Mission Triggered: Real World Combat Practice!]
[Objective: Hunt and kill five wild beasts at the Third Layer of the Body Tempering Realm or higher in the Blackwood Forest.]
[Reward: 25 System Points and a surprise gift!]
Seeing the new mission, Li Tian fell into a deep thought.
Real combat. It's one thing to fight desperate bandits. It's another to hunt beasts in the forest. But the system is right. I need this.
His expression became firm. He picked up his iron sword and secured it to his back.
"Alright," he said to himself. "Time to hunt."