Chapter 13 : The Strength He Doesn't Show
The system chime rang softly in his mind, crisp and emotionless.
> Daily Training Complete
+50 XP
Li Chen exhaled through his nose and let his shoulders relax.
The familiar translucent screen lingered for a second before fading away, leaving him alone in his modest outer-sect quarters. Morning light filtered in through the paper window, pale and thin, cutting across the wooden floor like a blade dulled by time.
He didn't rush.
That, in itself, was new.
Over the past few days, he had learned something important—not from the system, but from watching people. Strength announced too early invited trouble. Weakness displayed too often invited contempt. There was a narrow path between the two, and for now, he intended to walk it carefully.
So he did what Li Chen had always done.
He sat out training.
At the outer training grounds, the morning session unfolded as usual. Rows of disciples went through their routines—stance training, breathing exercises, basic forms drilled into their bones by repetition. Sweat, complaints, strained breathing. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Li Chen sat at the edge, back straight but relaxed, hands resting loosely on his knees.
The sneers came quickly.
"Still warming the bench, huh?"
"Guess yesterday was just a dream."
"Tch. As expected."
He heard them all.
Fang Ji didn't disappoint either. The man glanced over mid-stretch, lips curling into a grin that held no warmth.
"Some people are born spectators," Fang Ji said lazily. "No shame in knowing your place."
A few chuckles followed.
Li Chen didn't react.
Not because the words didn't reach him—but because they no longer stuck.
Let them talk.
He had no intention of confirming or denying the rumors about Zhao Ming. Let uncertainty fester. Let doubt split opinions. The less predictable he was, the better.
By the time training ended, Li Chen rose quietly and left without a word.
No one stopped him.
No one cared.
Exactly as he wanted.
---
The forest lay beyond the outer paths, where the stone walkways gave way to dirt and roots and the faint scent of damp earth. It wasn't forbidden territory, but it was unwatched—a place where weaker disciples were often cornered, where disputes happened without witnesses, where strength decided outcomes more often than rules.
That was precisely why Li Chen chose it.
The canopy thickened as he walked deeper, sunlight breaking into fragments through layers of green. Birds scattered at his approach. Leaves crunched beneath his boots.
Here, he could finally stop pretending.
He reached a small clearing, quiet and untouched, and loosened his robe. Folding it neatly, he set it aside on a flat stone. He rolled his shoulders once, then twice, feeling the subtle tension coiled beneath his skin.
"This'll do," he muttered.
Closing his eyes, Li Chen drew a slow breath and began circulating his qi.
It moved more smoothly now—not powerful, not refined, but obedient. Pale blue light seeped beneath his skin, faint at first, then gathering in his palm as he focused.
He opened his eyes.
The tree in front of him was thick, old. Its bark was rough, scarred by time.
Li Chen stepped forward and struck.
Thud.
The impact echoed dully through the clearing. The tree shuddered, leaves trembling—but it didn't break.
He frowned slightly.
"…As expected."
No frustration. No anger. Just acknowledgment.
He stepped back, adjusted his stance, and struck again—this time driving qi through his arm more deliberately. The tree creaked, fibers groaning under the force.
A third strike followed, sharper, faster.
CRACK.
The trunk split unevenly, snapping with a sound that made birds take flight in a frenzy. The upper half tilted, then collapsed into the undergrowth.
Li Chen stared at the fallen tree for a moment, chest rising steadily.
Not bad.
He didn't linger.
Moving deeper into the clearing, he found a cluster of rocks half-buried in the soil. He positioned himself, feet light, and activated shadow step .
The world sharpened.
His body surged forward, palm glowing as he struck—again and again—qi and motion blending into a rhythm that felt almost natural. Each impact sent tremors through his arms, through his core, into the ground beneath him.
Stones chipped.
Cracks spread.
Dust filled the air.
Sweat soaked into his hairline, trickling down his neck, but his breathing stayed controlled. His movements didn't falter.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
When he finally stopped, Li Chen bent slightly, hands on his knees—not exhausted, but full. Too full.
Energy churned uncomfortably within him, pressing outward, restless and unresolved.
"…So that's how it feels," he murmured.
Without hesitation, he dropped to the ground and sat cross-legged. His palms rested on his knees as he closed his eyes and guided the qi inward.
This time, it didn't resist.
The energy flowed through his meridians, washing over them, scraping away lingering impurities. His dantian pulsed faintly, expanding, compressing, reshaping itself under the pressure.
Pain came—but it was distant, dulled by focus.
Then—
Something shifted.
A subtle barrier shattered silently, like thin glass breaking underwater.
Li Chen's breath hitched.
Qi surged.
Not violently—but continuously, like a river finding a wider path. His cultivation rose steadily, climbing past familiar territory until
—
Mid Mortal Realm.
His body reacted immediately. Muscles tightened, bones humming faintly as the energy settled into place. His senses sharpened, the world seeming just a little clearer when he opened his eyes.
But it didn't stop.
The qi kept flowing.
Kept pushing.
Li Chen clenched his jaw, forcing his breathing to stay even as the energy carried him further, up to a threshold that felt… unstable.
A bridge.
He could see it—not literally, but instinctively. One more step, one wrong push, and he'd force a breakthrough his body wasn't ready to stabilize.
He held.
The surge slowed, then settled, leaving him standing just shy of the peak.
Li Chen opened his eyes slowly.
"…That was close."
The translucent blue screen flickered into existence.
> Passive Objective Completed
+100 XP Gained
Another notification followed immediately.
> New Skill Unlocked: Crushing Palm
Type: Active – Strength-Based
Description:
Focuses condensed qi into the palm, delivering a heavy, penetrating strike. Damage increases with Strength and Endurance.
Li Chen stared at the screen, stunned.
"…A passive objective?" he muttered. "You didn't even tell me I had one."
The system voice responded coolly.
"You are not required to be informed of objectives you would complete regardless."
Li Chen snorted. "Figures."
Still, he couldn't deny the thrill curling in his chest.
Mid Mortal Realm.
A new skill.
And a body that finally felt like it could carry the power growing inside it.
He rose to his feet, flexing his hand slowly as the pale blue glow faded.
This… was progress.