The soft rustle of dawn wind swept through the courtyard, carrying faint traces of dew and ironwood fragrance. Li Shen stood motionless beneath the pale horizon, his Iron Spirit Blade resting quietly by his side. His breathing was calm — each inhale steady, each exhale deliberate, as though his entire being resonated with the rhythm of heaven and earth.
He opened his eyes.
"System," he said softly, his tone clear and resolute.
"Use all my mental energy. Optimize Verdant Blade Form."
Ding:
-30 Mental Energy Used
Remaining Mental Energy: (0 / 100)
Verdant Blade Form (Tier I)
[Proficiency: 4%] [Efficiency: 4% → 11%]
As the notification faded, Li Shen could feel an invisible current stir within his mind — a flood of insights surging like a rising tide. The Verdant Blade Form, once hazy and incomplete, began to unravel in his consciousness. Movements that had once felt cumbersome now carried clarity; transitions that were awkward now flowed like water.
He slowly unsheathed his sword, and the faint metallic note echoed like a whisper of awakening steel.
His blade moved once, twice, thrice — each motion fluid and measured. The air around him stirred faintly, disturbed by the rhythm of his cuts. The world seemed to slow as his perception deepened. Every swing of his sword traced invisible arcs of qi, gentle yet sharp, quiet yet carrying intent.
In that still moment, Li Shen understood something subtle — efficiency was not speed, but harmony. When the breath, body, and qi aligned, the sword ceased to be a weapon — it became an extension of will.
For the past three days, Li Shen's life had fallen into perfect monotony — the kind of discipline only cultivators could endure.
He would wake to the soundless prompt of the system announcing his restored mental energy.
He would meditate, refining his qi through the Verdant Breathing Art, drawing the ambient essence of heaven and earth into his meridians.
Then, with silent focus, he would take to the training grounds and drill the Verdant Blade Form, repeating each stroke thousands of times until his arms trembled and his mind emptied of thought.
Afterward, he would head into the Ironwood Forest, chopping through trees dense with spirit essence — each swing of his axe an extension of his sword practice, each fall of a trunk an echo of his growing strength.
The days blurred together like beads on a string — simple, repetitive, but filled with purpose.
By the end of the third day, the quiet rhythm bore fruit.
He had gained 300 units of Mental Energy, which he relentlessly reinvested into refining the Verdant Blade Form.
Each optimization consumed energy like a greedy furnace, yet Li Shen did not hesitate.
"Strength demands sacrifice," he whispered, his gaze resolute.
Through trial and error, he discovered the delicate balance between efficiency and proficiency.
To raise efficiency was to refine understanding — to see the structure behind the form, the principle behind the motion.
To raise proficiency was to engrave that understanding into muscle, bone, and soul.
The system, mechanical yet profound, became both his guide and teacher.
He used 130 Mental Energy to optimize the form repeatedly, pushing its efficiency to the edge of mastery.
Then, he spent his remaining energy experimenting — discovering how to directly increase proficiency through pure mental exertion.
For the first time, he felt the true meaning of cultivation through comprehension.
By the morning of the fourth day, Li Shen's Qi Density had climbed to 47.8 Q Units, and his sect coins to 58 — 30 earned from tireless labor in the Ironwood Forest, 28 remaining from before.
His body, though still in the Early Phase of Body Tempering, carried subtle transformation. His skin glowed faintly beneath the light, his breath stable, his heartbeat strong and rhythmic.
That morning, a rare tranquility filled the air.
Even the Ironwood trees seemed to hum softly with vitality.
Li Shen stood within his courtyard, eyes closed, hands clasped before his chest. He could feel a faint barrier within his body — thin, fragile, yet solid. The sign of an impending minor breakthrough.
"System," he said softly.
"Show my panel."
[System Display]
Name: Li Shen
Cultivation: Body Tempering – Early
Cultivation Technique: Verdant Breathing Art (Tier I) [Mastered]
Sect Coins: 58
Qi Density: 47.8 Q Units
Mental Energy: 70 / 100
Cultivation Techniques:
Verdant Breathing Art (Tier I) [Mastered]Cutter's Vital Rhythm (Tier I) [Proficiency: 17%] [Efficiency: 100%]Verdant Blade Form (Tier I) [Proficiency: 15%] [Efficiency: 100%]
He exhaled. "It's time."
He sat cross-legged upon the meditation mat, the Iron Spirit Blade resting beside him, its blade faintly shimmering.
He gathered his thoughts, silencing the world beyond the courtyard. The hum of insects, the whisper of wind — all faded until only the sound of his heartbeat remained.
With each breath, he activated the Verdant Breathing Art. His qi circulated smoothly, like mist weaving through his meridians. His bones trembled faintly, muscles contracting and releasing with rhythmic precision.
Slowly, the gathered qi began to condense, swirling like a miniature cyclone.
The thin barrier within him began to ripple — trembling, cracking — until finally—
Ding:
Congratulations to the host for breaking through a minor realm!
Body Tempering: Middle Phase
Mental Energy Capacity increased → (120 Max)
The sound echoed in his consciousness like a temple bell. A gentle surge of warmth spread through his limbs as vitality filled every pore of his being. His body felt lighter, yet his presence denser — as though the air itself bent faintly around him.
When he opened his eyes, a faint glimmer of verdant light flickered within them — sharp, yet calm.
He clenched his fist. The strength within felt renewed, his qi flowing smoother, purer, faster.
He raised his sword and swung lightly — just once.
The air screamed.
The grass bent away from the edge.
A faint green arc shimmered in the distance, carving a clean mark across the training ground's stone wall.
He stared at it quietly.
"This… is the true foundation of the Verdant Blade."
It was no longer merely a technique.
It was a living rhythm — one that connected the body, qi, and will into a single, unified motion.
Li Shen lowered his sword and closed his eyes once more.
He smiled faintly.
"Every seed grows from silence… Today, mine has sprouted."