Dawn broke over the Su Clan estate in soft hues of gold.
Thin mist curled between the bamboo groves, carrying the faint scent of dew and spirit grass.
Birds with vibrant qi-filled feathers flapped above the tiled rooftops, singing melodies unique to this cultivation world.
Su Chen finished his morning meditation atop a stone platform, breath steady, eyes calm.
Qi Refining – Level 1.
A beginning.
But a beginning more stable and potent than any ordinary cultivator's.
He opened his eyes. A faint silver glimmer flickered in his pupils—his Object Truth Vision reacting to the world around him, whispering secrets about every object he focused on.
It was intoxicating.
But Su Chen kept his excitement grounded.
He had three days until the Sect Selection Trials.
Three days to transform himself from "trash" to someone capable of standing on the same stage as true geniuses.
He stood, stretching lightly.
"Let's begin."
The Training Field of Shadows
The Su Clan training grounds were divided by rank.
The top-ranked young masters trained in pristine fields with spirit-enhanced equipment.
The lowest-ranked?
They trained on the outskirts—where weeds grew freely, the ground was uneven, and the weapon racks held only worn, cracked blades.
Naturally, the original Su Chen had been assigned the worst area.
But today, Su Chen walked there without hesitation.
He reached for a rusty practice sword.
The moment his fingers brushed it—
FLASH!
Object: Rusted Training Sword
Material: Low-grade iron
Weak Points: 13
Balance Rating: Poor
Optimal Grip for User: Reverse-slope hold
Recommended Style: Sweeping arcs, low angle cuts
Durability Remaining: 23 swings
Hidden Danger: Blade fracture if exerted with more than 30% qi
Su Chen blinked.
"This… is too useful."
Before transmigration, he had never touched a sword.
But with this ability, he didn't need experience.
He gripped the sword exactly as recommended.
A sensation like "natural familiarity" washed through him.
He swung.
SWISH!
The blade carved a clean arc through the air.
Again.
SWISH! SWISH!
Each swing was smoother, sharper, more precise.
To anyone watching, it would seem like he'd practiced for years.
But Su Chen wasn't satisfied.
He touched a cracked wooden dummy nearby.
FLASH!
Structure Weakness: Lower-left joint
Optimal Strike Angle: 37 degrees
Force Required: 22% user's current strength.
Su Chen adjusted his stance.
Breathed in.
And struck.
CRACK!
The dummy split cleanly along the predicted line.
Just then—
THUD!
A boulder-sized fist of qi slammed near his feet, cracking the ground.
Su Chen stepped back.
What the—
A tall, muscular youth with thick eyebrows stomped toward him. Bare-chested, arms like tree trunks, sweat glistening under the sun.
"Su Chen! WHAT are you doing here?"
Ah.
This idiot.
Su Kui—the strongest brute among the main-line youths. Loud. Hot-headed. Famous for breaking things first, thinking later.
Su Chen dusted off his sleeve calmly.
"Training."
"This is MY training field today!" Su Kui roared. "You trash have your own!"
"And yet," Su Chen said, tone even, "I'm here."
Su Kui blinked.
Blinking was dangerous for someone with limited brain capacity.
"You picking a fight with me?"
Su Chen sighed internally.
On Earth, I had customer service calls that were less annoying than this.
But Su Kui wasn't done.
"You dare stand tall just because you broke through Qi Refining?" he barked. "Your aura changed! You think I can't sense it?"
Su Chen internally cursed.
But before Su Kui could say anything more—
A soft voice drifted across the training ground.
"Enough, both of you."
Both men froze.
Even the wind paused.
The Flower of Azure Frost
She walked gracefully toward them, her white-and-blue robe flowing like frost-kissed snow. Her long dark hair shimmered in the early sunlight, cascading behind her like silk.
Her aura was calm, cold, yet undeniably elegant.
Her appearance alone quieted the entire training field.
Su Kui's jaw dropped.
"L-Ling Xue…"
Ling Xue.
The first heroine.
A prodigy from the Azure Frost Sect, currently in the Su Clan as an envoy to oversee the upcoming trials.
She was known for two things:
Her brilliance in ice cultivation arts.
Her clear rejection of 99% of all suitors.
She approached them with steady steps, her expression unreadable.
"Su Kui," she said lightly, "are you trying to bully someone weaker than you?"
"N-no! I was just—"
But Ling Xue's gaze was already on Su Chen.
Her eyes narrowed.
"You're… different."
For a moment, the world seemed to still.
Su Chen met her gaze calmly.
"Is that so?"
"Yes," she said simply. "Your posture. Your aura. Your eyes. They're not the same as before."
Su Chen's heartbeat quickened.
Did she… suspect something?
But her gaze softened slightly—an expression so rare that Su Kui nearly fainted.
"Improvement," she continued. "Rapid improvement."
Su Kui's ears turned red.
"Wh-why are you praising him?! He's trash!"
Ling Xue didn't even look at him.
"Anyone who can change themselves deserves respect."
Then she turned to Su Chen again.
"What technique were you using?"
Su Chen hesitated.
He couldn't exactly say:
"Oh, I just touched things and instantly learned their secrets like a cheat code."
So he gave a half-truth.
"I'm… following the flow of objects.
Understanding their weaknesses."
Ling Xue blinked.
Then nodded.
"That's… surprisingly perceptive."
Su Kui, meanwhile, looked like he wanted to scream.
Ling Xue stepped closer to Su Chen.
"Show me another strike."
Su Chen raised his sword.
Touched the wooden training post behind him.
FLASH!
Weak point: upper-left joint
Strike angle: 48 degrees
Force: 19%
Outcome: Clean break
Su Chen adjusted his stance.
Ling Xue's eyes widened slightly.
He swung.
CRACK!
The post split perfectly.
Not a splinter off.
Not too weak.
Not too strong.
Perfect.
Su Kui nearly choked on his own spit.
Ling Xue studied Su Chen quietly for a long moment.
"Your talent…" she said softly, "is not what people think."
She took a step forward.
Then another.
Suddenly—
she reached out her hand.
Su Chen stiffened.
Her delicate fingers brushed his pulse.
Her eyes widened.
"…You stabilized Qi Refining in one night?"
Su Kui yelled, "WHAT?!"
But Ling Xue wasn't done.
Her voice lowered, almost a whisper.
"You hide deep, Su Chen."
Su Chen spoke calmly.
"I only started trying yesterday."
Ling Xue's lips curved slightly—not quite a smile, but close.
"You should prepare well. The Sect Trials won't be easy. Many geniuses will gather.
Some… far stronger than you."
Su Chen nodded. "I know."
She turned to walk away.
But halfway, she paused.
Without looking back, she said softly:
"Keep improving. I will be watching you."
Then she disappeared into the bamboo forest.
Su Kui Explodes
Silence.
Then—
"AAAAAAAAAARGH!" Su Kui grabbed his hair. "WHY DID SHE TALK TO YOU LIKE THAT?!"
Su Chen shrugged.
"I didn't ask her to."
"You—!"
Before Su Kui could finish, Su Chen had already turned away.
He had seen something.
Something important.
When Ling Xue touched him earlier, something flashed beneath her sleeve—a tiny piece of jade with frost symbols.
He recognized it instantly.
A high-grade cultivation treasure.
Perfect for his next breakthrough.
Su Chen smiled quietly.
"Ling Xue… we'll meet again soon."
He tightened his grip on the sword.
Two days left till the trials.
Two days to grow stronger.
He wasn't going to waste a single second.