Dawn painted the Azure Cloud Sect in hues of gold and jade, the main peak's pagodas piercing the sky like fingers grasping at the heavens. Lin Feng stood before the Promotion Hall, his body aching from yesterday's trial but his spirit alight. The lotuses had secured his ascent—inner disciple robes awaited, woven with qi-conducting silk that amplified cultivation by tenfold.
The hall buzzed with promoted youths, their chatter a mix of triumph and scheming. Lin Feng's promotion was the talk: surviving alone, hauling superior blooms. Whispers followed him—"The cripple bloomed?"—but he ignored them, focusing on the system's overnight gains.
[Essence Pool: 95/200 (Post-Breakthrough Expansion). Daily Quest: Meditate under the Azure Waterfall. Reward: Qi Purity +15%.]
A elder, stern-faced with a beard like frost, inscribed his name on a jade tablet. "Lin Feng, Inner Disciple. Assigned to Jade Peak Pavilion. Heed the sect's laws: harmony above all."
Harmony? Lin Feng nearly scoffed. The sect was a viper's nest, where "harmony" meant devouring rivals subtly.
Clad in azure, he ascended to Jade Peak, a terraced haven of bamboo groves and spirit springs. His new quarters: a modest chamber with a cultivation mat and qi-gathering array. Luxurious compared to barracks filth.
Settling in, he scanned his status:
Name: Lin Feng
Cultivation: Qi Condensation Layer 1 (45%)
Stats: Str 11, Agi 10, Vit 15, Int 9, Spi 12
Skills: Boar Charge (Basic), Shadow Step (Novice), Lotus Petal Dodge (Basic), Scale Harden (Passive), Lizard Tail Whip (Basic), Essence Scan (Active)
Inventory: Iron Sword, Rusty Spear, 3x Crimson Lotus Petals
Essence Scan pulsed outward, mapping the pavilion: fellow disciples meditating, their qi flows like rivers—some turbulent, others serene.
His first encounter came at the communal spring. A lithe girl, Elder Sister Huo Yan, dipped her toes in the steaming water. At Qi Condensation Layer 3, she was a beauty with flame-red hair, her aura flickering like embers. Legends said she hailed from a phoenix bloodline, destined for core status.
"You must be the trial's dark horse," she said, voice like crackling silk. "Lin Feng, right? I saw Zhao Kun glaring daggers yesterday. Made an enemy already?"
Lin Feng met her gaze, unflinching. Protagonists in tales were bold; he emulated that. "Enemies forge strength, Senior Sister. What brings the Phoenix to a backwater like me?"
She laughed, a sound like wind chimes in fire. "Curiosity. And perhaps alliance. The inner sect's trials aren't lotuses—they're bloodbaths disguised as tournaments. Zhao's clan pushes for his core promotion; he'll crush obstacles like you."
Their talk flowed—Huo Yan shared tips on qi circulation, her dialogues laced with wry humor: "Cultivation's not just punching rocks; it's harmonizing with the Dao. Or faking it till you breakthrough."
Grateful, Lin Feng accepted her subtle offer of pointers. But trust was a luxury; he scanned her essence—pure, untainted. Ally for now.
Midday brought the sect's lecture: Grand Elder Tian Long expounding on the Five Elements Qi Refinement. Lin Feng absorbed it ravenously, cross-referencing with system insights. [Synergy Detected: +10% Comprehension.]
Post-lecture, trouble brewed. Zhao Kun cornered him in a bamboo maze, flanked by two inner thugs—Wang Lei, a hulking brute with earth qi, and sly-eyed Chen Yu, poison specialist.
"You slithered up, worm," Zhao growled, his wound scarred over with hasty pills. His eyes held a haunted glint—flashbacks to his orphanage days, where weakness meant beatings. Antagonists weren't cartoonish; Zhao's drive stemmed from that scar, making him a mirror to Lin Feng's own grit.
"Promotion doesn't make you inner material," Wang Lei rumbled, earth qi rumbling the ground.
Lin Feng's hand rested on his spear, hidden in robes. "Nor does bullying outer trash. Step aside, or the elders hear of harassment."
Chen Yu chuckled, flicking a needle. "Elders favor strength. Like this—Venom Whisper!"
The needle flew, shadow-cloaked. Lin Feng's Shadow Step activated, evading by inches. [Dodged. Poison Resistance Activated.]
Chaos erupted. Wang Lei charged, fists like boulders. Lin Feng countered with Boar Charge, slamming into the brute's gut. Air whooshed out; Wang staggered.
Zhao unleashed Azure Tempest, palms whirling gales. Lin Feng wove Lotus Petal Dodge, qi shields blooming to deflect winds. He retaliated with Lizard Tail Whip—spear extending like a tail, lashing Zhao's arm.
Blood sprayed. "How?!" Zhao snarled, pain twisting his features. His complexity shone: not mindless evil, but a man whose ambition devoured empathy.
Chen Yu struck from behind, poison dagger grazing. Lin Feng spun, spear impaling the assassin's hand. Chen screamed, retreating.
Outnumbered but empowered, Lin Feng pressed. Scale Harden turned Wang's punch into a dull thud. A final Boar Charge felled the brute, unconscious.
Zhao, breathing hard, lowered his fists. "You're... different. What devilry?" For a moment, doubt cracked his facade—the fear of the unknown rivaling his own rise.
"Call it fate," Lin Feng replied coolly, thoughts racing: He's probing, not killing. Wants to gauge me.
Zhao spat, "This peak isn't big enough for both. Next tournament, I'll bury you." He dragged his cronies away, leaving Lin Feng victorious but wary.
Huo Yan appeared then, applauding. "Bold moves, Junior Brother. But Zhao's no fool—he'll scheme."
Evening fell; Lin Feng completed his quest at the waterfall, qi purifying under cascading essence. [Reward Claimed. New Quest: Infiltrate the Black Market for a Qi Boosting Pill.]
The inner sect unveiled layers: alliances forming, rivalries simmering. Lin Feng's progression was deliberate—each fight honing skills, each devour expanding horizons. But whispers reached him: a demonic incursion brewing at the sect's borders, beasts mutated by forbidden arts.
As stars wheeled, Lin Feng meditated, qi coiling tighter. The Devourer stirred, hungry for more.
In Zhao's quarters, the antagonist brooded, bandaging wounds. "That system's no myth. I need it—or him dead." His path darkened, foil to Lin Feng's ascent.