The roar of the arena still echoed in Kai Ren's ears long after the duel had ended.
Students whispered his name like a storm passing through the academy halls. Some spoke with awe, others with venom, but no one ignored him anymore.
For a boy once labeled trash, that was victory enough.
Yet Kai knew better. The duel against Chen Mu was just the first spark. To survive in this academy, to rise above suspicion, and to uncover what the Infinite Upgrade System truly was… he needed more. Much more.
That night, sitting cross-legged on the floor of his dim dorm room, he summoned the system's interface.
> [System Update Available.]
[New Feature Unlocked – Upgrade Techniques.]
[Current Techniques: Basic Fist (Low Mortal), Basic Movement (Low Mortal).]
[Upgrade Points: 2.]
Kai's pulse quickened. Until now, he had only upgraded objects—trash to treasure, broken sticks to steel-edged rods. But now, the system hinted at something even greater.
His own techniques.
"Upgrade Basic Fist."
> [Confirm Upgrade? Cost: 1 Point.]
"Yes."
> [Basic Fist (Low Mortal) → Iron Breaker Fist (Mid Mortal).]
A strange sensation washed over him. His mind flooded with movements, stances, the memory of strikes he had never practiced but suddenly knew as if born with them. His fists felt heavier, harder, deadlier.
Kai exhaled slowly. His lips curved.
"One more."
> [Upgrade Basic Movement? Cost: 1 Point.]
"Yes."
> [Basic Movement (Low Mortal) → Shadow Step (Mid Mortal).]
The world shifted. His awareness stretched. Every corner of the room seemed closer, as though the floor itself bent beneath his will. His legs tingled with energy, his body eager to move.
Kai stood and tested it. One step—his body blurred, leaving a faint afterimage before reappearing near the wall. He grinned.
"With this… I'm no longer just pretending to be strong. I am strong."
---
The next morning, the academy's training ground was packed. Word of Kai's victory had spread like wildfire, and dozens of students gathered to see whether the so-called "upgraded trash" was truly more than a fluke.
Among them was Lin Yue, a sharp-eyed girl from the upper rankings, her reputation forged in fire and precision. She leaned casually against a pillar, but her gaze was sharp, curious.
Elder Huang presided over the drills, his arms folded. He glanced at Kai with a look that lingered between suspicion and interest.
"Today," Elder Huang declared, "we will test your martial techniques. Show me whether your duel was skill… or just luck."
Whispers rippled.
"He's dead."
"Chen Mu was nothing. This time he'll be exposed."
"Finally, we'll see if he's really hiding something."
Kai stepped forward calmly, his steel-edged rod strapped across his back.
Elder Huang pointed toward the stone dummies lined along the courtyard—training constructs carved from solid rock. "Demonstrate your fist technique. Strike."
Kai inhaled deeply. His heart thrummed.
He could use his old Basic Fist, appear mediocre… or he could show them just a glimpse of the Iron Breaker Fist.
A calculated risk.
"Begin," Elder Huang barked.
Kai's eyes hardened. He stepped forward, his body coiling like a spring. Then— BOOM!
His fist slammed into the stone dummy. Cracks exploded across its surface. A second punch followed, sharper, heavier, carrying power far beyond a mere Mortal beginner. The dummy shattered into rubble.
Gasps tore through the students.
"What—?!"
"He destroyed it in two hits!"
"That's… impossible!"
Elder Huang's brows furrowed. "Show me your movement technique. Dodge the arrows."
He signaled. From hidden slots, the courtyard walls whirred open. Rows of wooden bows snapped forward, releasing a hail of practice arrows.
Students usually struggled to dodge even three or four.
Kai's body blurred.
Swish! He vanished, reappearing a meter away. Another volley—he flowed between them like water slipping through cracks. His Shadow Step carried him faster, sharper, untouchable. The arrows struck nothing but dust.
The crowd stood stunned.
Elder Huang's eyes narrowed, studying Kai as if trying to tear him open. At last, he grunted. "Pass."
Whispers erupted again, louder than before.
"He's hiding something—he has to be!"
"No, that was cultivation skill! He's awakened!"
"Trash? He's stronger than half the mid-rankers now!"
Lin Yue pushed off the pillar, walking toward Kai. Her eyes locked onto his with the focus of a predator.
"You're not what they say you are," she murmured. "But I want to see for myself."
Kai raised a brow. "See what?"
"If your strength is real… then fight me."
The courtyard fell silent. Students stared, mouths open. Lin Yue was no ordinary student—she was ranked 28th in the academy.
Kai smirked faintly. "You want to fight trash?"
She smiled coldly. "You don't look like trash to me."
---
By dusk, the duel was arranged.
The arena filled once again, the air charged with anticipation. The elders watched from the stands, their eyes sharp, their thoughts unreadable.
Lin Yue stood opposite Kai, her twin daggers gleaming like silver fangs. Her aura radiated sharpness, her every movement precise.
Kai tightened his grip on the steel-edged rod. His system hummed faintly in the back of his mind.
The gong rang.
Lin Yue moved first, her figure flickering like lightning, daggers slicing through the air.
Kai's body blurred. Shadow Step. He slipped past the first strike, staff whipping out in a brutal arc. Lin Yue twisted, blocking with crossed daggers—CLANG! Sparks flew.
The clash shook the arena. Gasps erupted.
"He blocked Lin Yue?!"
"No way! She's top 30!"
Kai pressed forward, his Iron Breaker Fist surging when he switched grip, rod in one hand, punch exploding toward her midsection. Lin Yue flipped back, narrowly avoiding a bone-crushing blow.
Her eyes widened. For the first time, her cold precision cracked.
"You… you're not supposed to be this strong."
Kai smirked, eyes burning. "Trash can be upgraded."
He lunged again.
Lin Yue countered, daggers a blur. The fight raged—staff against daggers, upgraded technique against honed mastery. The arena shook with each exchange.
Finally, with a sharp crack, Kai's staff slammed into the ground before her throat, stopping just shy of impact.
The gong rang.
Victory.
The arena exploded in chaos.
Kai stepped back, lowering his staff. Lin Yue stood frozen, chest heaving. Then… she laughed softly.
"You're dangerous, Kai Ren. More dangerous than anyone here realizes."
Her eyes gleamed, not with hatred, but with intrigue.
Elder Huang's voice cut through the noise, sharp as a blade.
"This is no longer coincidence. Kai Ren, report to the Council chambers immediately."
Kai exhaled slowly, his grip tightening on the staff.
The elders weren't going to let him walk this path quietly.
But that was fine.
He wasn't planning to stay quiet anyway.
The system's voice whispered in his mind.
> [Congratulations. New Path Unlocked – Upgrade Cultivation Realms.]
Kai's heart thundered.
Upgrade… cultivation realms?
A storm was coming. And he would be the eye of it.