Within a small courtyard at the outer disciples' quarters, Li Shen sat cross-legged in meditation. His eyes were closed, his breath steady. The faint hum of circulating qi filled the air as his dantian pulsed with gentle rhythm.
He exhaled slowly, then whispered:
"System, show my panel."
[System Display]
Name: Li Shen
Cultivation: Body Tempering – Mid
Cultivation Technique: Verdant Breathing Art (Tier I) [Mastered]
Sect Coins: 58
Qi Density: 51 Q Units
Mental Energy: 70 / 120
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%]
Li Shen opened his eyes. A faint glimmer flashed within them — both pride and calculation.
"Initially," he murmured, "I would have reached this realm in another month, perhaps two. But with the system's awakening, I've crossed that threshold in less than a week…"
He clenched his fist. The veins on his forearm pulsed faintly, qi vibrating beneath the skin like a coiled spring.
Still, something in his heart remained unsatisfied. He had efficiency. He had understanding. But proficiency—the true embodiment of mastery—was what separated a swordsman who knew the form from one who became the form.
"System," he commanded. "Optimize the proficiency of Verdant Blade Form (Tier I)."
Ding:
System will now start optimizing.
Li Shen barely had a moment to prepare before his consciousness was consumed by an overwhelming flood of information.
Blades. Countless blades.
Forms, arcs, cuts, parries — every motion of the Verdant Blade Form surged through his mind like a thousand raging rivers converging at once.
The structure of each swing, the harmony between muscle and qi, the subtle transitions hidden between movements — all of it was forced into his neural pathways, engraved directly into his soul.
And then, pain.
"Urghhh!"
Li Shen's body trembled violently. His mind burned as though molten iron was being poured into his skull.
His breath quickened. His bones screamed. His muscles spasmed as invisible tendons tore and reformed. Every fiber of his being strained to contain the overwhelming influx of knowledge.
The Verdant Blade Form was not just a technique — it was an art born from generations of cultivation. To master it fully in a single moment was like asking a fledgling bird to carry the sky.
Ding:
Warning: Mental Energy insufficient. Required: 100 Units.
System overload. System will be unavailable until tomorrow.
Li Shen collapsed to the ground, his breath ragged. Sweat drenched his robes, his skin pale as though he had been drained of blood. His vision flickered, the system's interface shimmering faintly before stabilizing.
[System Display]
Name: Li Shen
Cultivation: Body Tempering – Mid
Sect Coins: 58
Qi Density: 51 Q Units
Mental Energy: 0 / 120
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% → 100%] [Efficiency: 100%] [Mastered]
When he saw it, he froze.
"...It succeeded?"
The words left his lips in disbelief.
The Verdant Blade Form had reached perfection.
But at what cost?
A sharp ache spread across his limbs, the kind of pain that crawled deep into the marrow. His tendons felt stretched, his bones heavy. It was as if his entire body had been forcibly restructured to accommodate the knowledge he had stolen from time itself.
He could sense it — his muscles contained the memory of ten thousand drills, his posture carried the balance of countless hours of practice. But they had been imprinted, not earned. The difference was subtle yet profound.
"So this is the backlash," Li Shen whispered weakly. "The system can grant mastery… but not without consequence."
He remembered the countless cultivators in the sect who spoke of the balance between comprehension and foundation. One could not rush the tempering of steel — it would only lead to fracture.
Li Shen realized the truth of that wisdom in the cruelest way.
His body trembled as he forced himself to stand. Each motion drew pain from the depths of his muscles, yet he gritted his teeth and bore it.
"Next time," he muttered, "I'll ask the system how much energy is required before giving a command. A cultivator must never act without understanding. Even if I have this gift… I am still the one who wields it."
He glanced at his Iron Spirit Blade lying by his bed, its edge faintly reflecting the morning light.
"The system is but a tool," he murmured, recalling a lesson from his previous world. "But a tool does not control the craftsman. A sword does not decide its swing — the wielder does."
He pressed his hand against his chest, steadying his breath. Every inhale brought pain; every exhale, clarity.
His thoughts turned inward. He could sense the microfractures in his bones, the strained fibers in his muscles. His body had been refined beyond its natural pace — and now it screamed for rest.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Li Shen decided to skip his daily labor at the Ironwood Forest.
The sect's labor office wouldn't question his absence — he had earned enough contribution points to cover a day's leave. But to him, the rest was not idleness; it was cultivation.
He drew a long, controlled breath, circulating the Verdant Breathing Art slowly. Qi flowed through his meridians like cool streams across cracked earth, soothing the damage within.
Bit by bit, his breathing stabilized, the pain dulling into a steady throb.
Night descended, and the courtyard was bathed in silver moonlight. Li Shen sat once again, cross-legged, the Iron Spirit Blade resting across his knees.
He did not move. He did not speak. He merely listened — to the quiet hum of his qi, to the faint echo of his heartbeat, to the whisper of the sword that now seemed to breathe in rhythm with him.
He could feel it — the Verdant Blade Form was alive within him.
Each movement, each pattern of qi circulation, existed in perfect unity with his body.
Yet it was incomplete.
Not in form, but in soul.
"Mastery," Li Shen whispered, "is not granted. It is lived."
He closed his eyes once more, letting the silence cradle him. The night deepened, and the stars above shimmered faintly — distant witnesses to a cultivator's quiet resolve.
Tomorrow, the system would recover.
His body would mend.
And Li Shen would rise again — stronger, wiser, and more cautious than before.
Because in the pursuit of strength, even one step too far could become a wound carved into eternity.