The next morning, Lin Wei, now a genuine Sixth Level Qi Condensation expert hidden beneath the veneer of a weak novice, began his "training."
Elder Sun, hungover and grumpy, led him to a practice field and handed him a battered, leather-bound manual.
"This is the Mountain Crushing Fist," Elder Sun slurred. "A low-level, mediocre technique. Focus on the first move, the Iron Block, and don't bother with the rest. Your roots are trash anyway. Just practice until you can break a stone slab with your shoulder."
Elder Sun then dismissed himself to go gamble and drink, leaving Lin Wei alone.
Lin Wei sat down and opened the manual. The technique was indeed clumsy and inefficient, but as he read the descriptions, the Void Eye Edict did something unexpected. It didn't just passively absorb energy; it began to analyze the technique itself.
"Faulty. Inefficient. Wastes 72% of Qi upon execution," the resonant voice of the Void Eye echoed in his mind. "The technique uses the Earth Element as its basis, yet fails to channel the Qi through the proper three meridians."
A series of ethereal, dark green lines overlaid the diagrams in the manual. They showed an alternate path—a revised, brutally efficient way to execute the fist.
"Successor, the Edict will grant you the Void Command over low-level techniques. Focus your Qi. Execute the revised method."
Lin Wei followed the mental instructions. He channeled his Sixth Level Qi through the new path—a route that was difficult, precise, and utterly flawless.
He stood before a practice slab of granite. Instead of a clumsy shoulder bash, he delivered a sharp, focused punch based on the revised technique.
CRACK-BOOM!
The granite slab didn't just break; it vaporized in a cloud of dust and pulverized rock. The entire training field shuddered. Lin Wei stared at his fist, barely believing the immense, terrifying power. The technique was still called Mountain Crushing Fist, but the power behind it was now something far beyond its original intent.
He quickly suppressed the Qi, wiping the sweat from his brow and resuming a relaxed stance just as a group of Outer Disciples, drawn by the sound, approached.
Leading them was Jian Lei. He saw the destroyed slab, looked at Lin Wei's slightly panting, innocent face, and scoffed. "You think you can cheat, Lin Wei? Only Sixth Level Disciples can do that. You just got lucky with a weak slab."
Jian Lei walked up to a nearby, untouched slab, a sturdy, inscription-reinforced granite block. "Let me show you a real block." He channeled his Third Level Qi, roared, and smashed his shoulder into the block. The slab cracked, but remained mostly intact.
"See?" Jian Lei boasted, nursing his shoulder. "That's real strength."
Lin Wei looked at the cracked slab, then back at his own devastating impact crater. He realized the Outcast Path to Immortality was defined by one law: Hide everything. Devour everything.
He smiled weakly, bowed, and picked up a broom. "You are right, Disciple Jian. I apologize. I must have been very lucky."
The outcast had taken his first, shattering step onto the path, leaving behind a pulverized slab of rock as his secret testament.