Chapter 17: Under the Weight
The pressure chambers were located behind the main training fields, carved directly into the stone foundation of the sect's lower mountain.
From the outside, they looked unimpressive—just a long, reinforced hall with numbered iron doors lining both sides.
But every disciple knew what those doors represented.
Li Chen stopped a few steps away and looked up at the engraved stone slab above the entrance.
Levels 1–10
Simple.
But the meaning behind it was anything but.
Levels 1 to 5 were designated for outer sect disciples.
Levels 6 to 10 belonged to the inner sect.
The division wasn't arbitrary.
It was hierarchy made physical.
Most outer sect disciples struggled even at Level 3.
Level 4 was considered impressive.
Level 5?
Only the strongest outer disciples dared to enter—and even then, only briefly.
As for Level 6…
Li Chen's eyes lingered on the heavier doors further down the corridor.
Level 6 marked the true threshold.
It wasn't just "slightly harder."
It was a cliff.
The difference between outer and inner sect wasn't symbolic. It was structural. The pressure in a Level 6 chamber wasn't something an average outer disciple could "push through."
Their bones would crack.
Their meridians would rupture.
If their Qi flow destabilized under that weight, their cultivation could be crippled permanently.
That was the gap.
That was the mountain between them.
Even among inner sect disciples, not all could endure Level 6 safely.
Talent.
Foundation.
Bloodline.
Resources.
Everything showed itself inside these rooms.
Li Chen exhaled slowly.
"With my current body…"
He assessed himself honestly.
Post-breakthrough, his physique had changed. Denser. More responsive. His Qi circulated with more force.
He could likely endure Level 4.
Maybe even survive Level 5 for a short period.
But surviving wasn't the same as benefiting.
And showing too much too early?
That was stupidity.
He had already drawn enough invisible eyes.
"No need to wave a flag," he murmured.
He walked past Level 1.
Past Level 2.
And stopped at Level 3.
Safe.
Respectable.
Unremarkable.
He pushed the iron door open and stepped inside.
---
The door shut behind him with a dull metallic thud.
The chamber was circular, stone walls etched faintly with formation lines. The air felt still.
Then—
The pressure activated.
It didn't slam down immediately.
It descended.
Gradually.
Like invisible water filling a sealed container.
A pale blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[Foreign Pressure Detected]
[External gravitational force acting upon user's skeletal and muscular systems]
[Assist with Inner Qi Repulsion?]
[Yes] / [No]
Li Chen blinked.
"…You can do that?"
The system answered calmly.
"Temporary reinforcement available. Inner Qi can be circulated outward to counteract external compression".
That was…
That was absurdly useful.
His eyes narrowed.
"What's the cost?"
"Minimal"
He stared at the options.
If he selected yes, the pressure would be partially offset. His body wouldn't bear the full burden.
Training would become easier.
Safer.
Controlled.
But…
If he relied on it now—
Then what was the point of coming here?
He didn't need shortcuts.
Not for this.
"Decline."
The screen vanished instantly.
And the full weight of Level 3 descended.
It felt as if someone had draped a thick iron cloak over his shoulders.
His spine compressed slightly.
His usually straight posture faltered, shoulders dipping forward involuntarily.
Air felt heavier.
Even inhaling required intent.
For a brief, sharp second—
He regretted it.
His teeth clenched.
"You could have made this easier" the
system observed.
"Shut up."
He adjusted his stance.
No rushing.
No ego.
He slowly lowered himself to the ground and sat cross-legged.
The pressure didn't ease.
If anything, sitting made him more aware of it.
It pressed down on his thighs. His shoulders. His neck.
His heartbeat thudded louder in his ears.
Sweat beaded almost immediately along his spine.
Li Chen closed his eyes.
And extended his spiritual sense towards his meridians.
A cool darkness unfolded behind his closed eyelids as his perception turned inward, descending through layers of flesh and bone.
His meridians came into view.
Thin, luminous pathways threading through his body like glowing rivers.
The pressure from the chamber wasn't just external.
It transmitted through muscle into bone.
Through bone into marrow.
And the moment it touched his meridian network—
His Qi reacted.
Violently.
The flow accelerated.
Not smoothly.
Not elegantly.
It surged violently.
Like water forced through narrow channels.
His dantian pulsed.
The energy within it churned restlessly, as if irritated by the external force pressing inward.
The pressure didn't suppress his Qi.
It provoked it.
Qi shot through his limbs in uneven bursts, colliding against compressed muscles and dense bone structures.
He felt it then—
Not pain exactly.
More like involuntary reconstruction.
The pressure compressed his muscles microscopically.
His Qi responded by flooding those regions.
Micro-tears formed and closed almost immediately.
Qi filled them.
Reinforced them.
Fused them tighter than before.
His bones vibrated faintly.
Each pulse of pressure squeezed them inward, and each surge of Qi strengthened their internal lattice.
It was as if his entire body was being broken apart and reassembled—again and again—in rapid succession.
Sweat soaked his robes within minutes.
His breathing deepened.
Controlled.
Measured.
Level 3 wasn't unbearable.
Not yet.
But it was relentless.
The pressure didn't spike and retreat.
It persisted.
Constant.
Unforgiving.
His back began to ache.
His thighs trembled slightly under sustained compression.
Inside his Domain, the glowing meridian lines flickered brighter as Qi rushed faster to keep pace with the strain.
The dantian rotated steadily, though not peacefully.
There was friction there.
Instability.
His breakthrough had increased output—but his channels were still adapting.
Each cycle of pressure revealed minor weaknesses.
His Qi would surge too fast in one region.
Slow in another.
It wasn't balanced yet.
Good.
He focused on that imbalance.
Directed his breathing to regulate it.
Slow inhale.
Guide Qi downward.
Slow exhale.
Compress.
Stabilize.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
His robe clung to his skin.
Sweat dripped from his chin onto the stone floor.
Still—
He endured.
Not shouting.
Not complaining.
Just adapting.
The voice in his mind had gone silent.
Observing.
Even it seemed… interested.
Inside his bones, he felt density increasing.
Not dramatically.
Not explosively.
But subtly.
Like sediment settling under weight.
This was good training.
Brutal.
Honest.
He almost allowed himself a small sense of satisfaction.
Then—
The blue screen appeared again.
But this time—
It wasn't subtle.
It flickered violently.
[Anomaly Detected]
Li Chen's eyes snapped open.
"What—"
Before he could finish—
Another line appeared.
[Environmental Pressure Sync Achieved]
[Compatibility Threshold Exceeded]
[Initiating Transfer Protocol]
"There's no accept button," he muttered sharply.
There wasn't.
No choice.
No confirmation.
The floor beneath him didn't move.
The chamber didn't shake.
But his consciousness—
It tore.
Not physically.
But like something had hooked into the center of his mind and pulled.
Hard.
The pressure of the chamber vanished instantly.
So did the stone walls.
So did gravity.
His awareness was yanked backward through a tunnel of nothingness.