The dojo was quiet.
Too quiet.
The dust floating in the sunbeams looked like suspended ash after a war. The floor was still marked with scuffs and cracks from the intense battle between Li Wei and Zhang Kai just days ago. Even now, the memory echoed — Zhang's blows, the roaring of blood in Li's ears, the final clash that tipped everything.
But Li didn't stand victorious out of ego. He stood because he refused to fall again.
"Status," he whispered.
The system's familiar blue interface blinked into his vision.
Li Wei — Host of the 999-Level Martial Arts System
Level: 12
Strength: 98
Stamina: 76
Dexterity: 62
Charisma: 19
Luck: 3
Known Skills:
Beginner's Muscle Memory (Passive)
Rapid Recovery (Passive)
Focused Strike (Active)
Tiger Claw Strike (Active)
Basic Kick (Passive)
Titles: Loser No More (Active Buff: +10% damage when underestimated)
Li smirked at the last one. The system was many things — brutal, sarcastic, unfair — but sometimes, it had a sense of humor.
As he tucked the screen away, he caught Sensei watching him silently from the shadows.
"You're growing," Sensei muttered. "Too fast."
Li raised a brow. "That's a bad thing?"
"It is when power outpaces discipline," the old man replied, stepping forward. "The stronger you get, the more enemies you invite. You've already felt it."
He had. Ever since Zhang's defeat, whispers buzzed in the city's martial community like angry bees. He'd caught his name on social media threads, online forums, even overheard it in tea shops:
"Did you hear about the guy with the glowing eyes?"
"Some loser beat Zhang Kai in a duel."
"He's using a cheat… something unnatural."
"He might be chosen — like the old legends."
That afternoon, Mei Ling met him outside the dojo.
She looked different. Not weaker — sharper, like someone who'd seen something she couldn't forget.
"I heard rumors," she said, leaning against the gate. "Someone from the East Temple has been asking about you."
Li frowned. "The East Temple?"
"It's an elite martial sect. They don't care about rumors. Only threats."
Li rubbed his temples. "Great. I beat one guy and suddenly I'm on a hit list."
Mei Ling smiled faintly. "That's how this world works."
Later that night, the system pulsed to life again.
New Questline Unlocked: Road to Tournament of Nine Trials
Quest 1: Enter the Underground Arena and win your first match.
Reward: Legendary Gear Shard (1/9) +100 EXP
Bonus Objective: Win with under 50% health.
Reward: Mystery Passive Skill
Li stared at it for a long moment.
It wasn't a joke anymore.
The system was preparing him for war.
The Arena
The entrance was hidden beneath a ramen shop.
A metal staircase led into a vast underground arena pulsing with LED lights and deafening music. Martial artists from all walks of life filled the stands — shirtless muscle heads, tattooed assassins, silent monks, and rogue freelancers.
Li was escorted to the locker room by a bored-looking staff member chewing gum.
"You new?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Good luck," she said. "You'll need it. First-timers usually get broken ribs or broken pride."
"Awesome," Li muttered.
Inside the ring, Li stood across from a giant bald man with scars crisscrossing his chest and a metal arm.
The announcer boomed overhead.
"AND IN THIS CORNER — THE MYSTERY CHALLENGER, CLAIMING TO BE A SYSTEM HOLDER — LI! WEI!"
Cheers. Booing. Laughter.
"BEGIN!"
The metal-armed fighter charged like a truck.
Li activated Focused Strike, barely ducked under a hook, and delivered a Tiger Claw to the gut.
Metal Arm grunted, but didn't fall. Instead, he picked Li up by the waist and slammed him into the floor.
Health -32
Pain flashed, but so did instinct.
Li rolled, kicked off the wall, and landed a rapid combo — Basic Kick, jab, elbow.
Health -17
The system whispered:
Bonus Objective Available. Health Below 50%.
He grit his teeth. Time to gamble.
As Metal Arm raised his weaponized fist, Li lunged beneath it and struck the pressure point near the armpit — the system auto-targeted with Beginner's Muscle Memory.
CRACK.
The man dropped.
DING! Quest Complete!
+1 Legendary Gear Shard
+100 EXP
Bonus Objective Complete:
New Passive Skill Unlocked: Counter Instinct
Chance to auto-dodge first blow in combat: 25%
Li gasped for breath.
Above him, the crowd was silent.
Then they roared.
Backstage, the gum-chewing staff girl looked at him differently.
"What's your deal, kid?"
Li smirked. "Just a loser. With potential."
The Fire He Ignited
The footage of the fight spread online that night — grainy clips uploaded to underground forums, reposted on martial arts gossip pages.
The comments exploded:
"He's for real. That wasn't normal."
"Who taught him that claw technique?!"
"He's a system holder — confirmed."
"Someone get the East Temple involved."
At the top floor of a skyscraper overlooking the city, a woman in black robes stared at the clip.
Her red nails tapped the screen thoughtfully.
"So the rumors were true."
Behind her, a pale-haired girl — eyes like frost — narrowed her gaze.
"I want to meet him."
Back at the Dojo
Li sat in the dojo's courtyard, shirt soaked, body bruised, heart pounding.
Sensei walked over, hands behind his back.
"You won."
Li nodded, too tired to smile.
"Then tomorrow," Sensei said, "we begin real training."
The wind blew, and in the stillness, Li felt it:
He was no longer invisible.
He was becoming dangerous.
System Notification:
You are now Ranked #3989 in the National Martial Power Index.
(Warning: Crossing Rank 3000 will attract faction attention.)
New Skill Tree Unlocked: "Legendary Path of Heaven-Crushing Body."
Next Milestone: Rank 3000 — Harem Empire Path Awakened.
Li blinked. "Wait, what path?"
But the system went quiet.