The torrent of divine energy had subsided, leaving Jin's body feeling as if it had been forged in a celestial furnace. Every bone, every sinew, every meridian felt new and impossibly strong. The crystalline spiritual Qi that now filled his dantian hummed with a quiet, potent power. He felt a clarity he had never experienced before, a connection to the very spiritual flow of the world around him. He felt like he could lift a mountain with his bare hands, not through sheer physical strength, but by simply bending the spiritual energy to his will.1
He stepped out from behind the curtain of the waterfall, a new man in the same old, grime-stained robes. He was still worried about the 'Soul Manifestation' reward. What did that even mean? He was a simple cultivator. He didn't have a soul to manifest. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was in over his head, a fraud who had stumbled into a power he didn't understand.2
As he emerged, he saw a group of figures at the base of the Misty Peaks. It was Elder Han, the Pill Master, and beside him were Elder Zhu, the master of formations, and Elder Li, the head of the Inner Sect disciples. Their faces were etched with a mix of awe and terror, their gazes fixed on the sky above the mountain peak where the clouds still swirled with a faint, residual divine light. They hadn't noticed him yet.
"That power... it was a Divine Tribulation! Who on earth is cultivating in our mountains?" Elder Zhu stammered, his formation compass spinning uselessly in his hand.
"A Divine Tribulation for a Golden Core breakthrough? This is unprecedented! It must be a hidden expert from a Great Sect!" Elder Li added, his eyes wide.
Jin, still oblivious to the spectacle he had created, tried to walk past them, his head bowed. He just wanted to get back to his sweeping. But Elder Han, who had been muttering to himself, looked up and his eyes fell on Jin. The color drained from his face.3
"Esteemed Grandmaster! You have returned!" Elder Han cried out, dropping to one knee. The other elders, startled, followed his lead, their eyes following Elder Han's terrified gaze to Jin.
Jin stopped dead in his tracks. "Elder Han, please get up. It's just me, Jin."
Elder Li shook his head violently. "Humble! He's so humble! He created a celestial phenomenon that shook the heavens and still refuses to acknowledge his own strength! We, the unworthy disciples of the Golden Willow Sect, are honored by your presence!"
The system's voice filled Jin's mind, its tone dripping with a combination of amusement and pride.
[Objective: Enter the upcoming disciple tournament and achieve a victory against a designated opponent without using your full, overwhelming power.]
Jin nearly choked. "A tournament? Me? I'll be exposed as a fraud!"
That's the fun of it, darling. You have a chance to show them your 'humble' power, while I pull a few strings behind the scenes, the system's voice was a whisper of pure mischief. And besides, it's about time we showed that arrogant Young Master Lin the true meaning of a "trash" disciple.
As if on cue, a new voice rang out from the path below. "Elder Han, Elder Li, what is the meaning of this? Why are you kneeling for this... sweeper?"
A tall, handsome young man with a hawk-like nose and a cruel glint in his eyes strode toward them. His robes were adorned with golden embroidery, and a faint, silver aura of Qi swirled around him, a sure sign of his peak Foundation Establishment realm cultivation. This was Lin Ming, Young Master Lin's older brother and the undisputed genius of the Inner Sect.4
Lin Ming looked at Jin with utter disdain. "Get out of the way, boy. A lowly sweeper should know his place and not sully the path of his betters." He tried to wave a hand, but a private message from the system flashed in Jin's mind, a warning he didn't understand.
A sudden, overwhelming pressure, so powerful it felt like a collapsing star, erupted from Jin's body, causing Lin Ming to stagger back, his face a ghostly white. The Elders behind Jin paled, their knees buckling under the sheer, unbridled force.
Jin, however, felt nothing. He hadn't meant to do that. He was just trying to move away. He looked at Lin Ming with genuine apology. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
But to everyone else, Jin's apology was a show of supreme arrogance. He hadn't even looked at Lin Ming, yet he had effortlessly crushed him with a single, imperceptible wave of energy.
Lin Ming's face contorted in a mix of fury and fear. He had met many masters, but never one so utterly terrifying. A single thought flashed in his mind: This... this is the hidden monster of the Golden Willow Sect.
The system's voice was a soft, victorious murmur in Jin's mind. Told you it would be more fun this way. Now, let's see what he does when he can't fight back. The chapter ended with Jin, completely bewildered, staring at the trembling Lin Ming, the terrifying, cosmic misunderstanding now firmly in place.