Jiang Chen sat in the courtyard, staring at his own hand. It looked like a normal hand. Long fingers, pale skin, slightly calloused from his previous life of counting money (and running away from angry investors). But beneath the skin, he could feel a terrifying current of power flowing like a dormant river.
"System," he whispered. "Status."
[Host: Jiang Chen]
[Identity: Sect Leader of the Fallen Star Sect]
[Cultivation Base: Ancient God Body (Initial Stage – 1%)]
[Abilities: None]
[Passive: 10x Disciple Feedback]
Jiang Chen frowned. "1%? I feel like I could wrestle a bull, and this is only 1%?"
[System Message: The Ancient God Body is the physique of the primordial giants who held up the sky. Even 1% is sufficient to crush a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a sneeze.]
Jiang Chen's eyes lit up. "Rich. I'm rich. I don't need to scam people anymore; I can just rob them... wait, no, I am a respectable Sect Leader now. I should establish a protection racket. I mean, a 'Guardian Alliance'."
Boom!
A loud explosion interrupted his thoughts. The wooden gate of the sect, which had already been barely hanging on by a rusty nail, was kicked completely off its hinges. It flew across the courtyard and shattered against a stone lantern.
Jiang Chen jumped, his heart hammering against his ribs. 'Enemy attack? Already? Is it the White Tiger Sect?'
Three men walked in. They weren't wearing the uniform of a cultivation sect. Instead, they wore sleeveless leather vests exposing greasy muscles, and they carried spiked clubs.
"Jiang Chen!" the leader bellowed. He had a scar running down his nose and yellow teeth. "Your master is dead, but his debt isn't! The Black Bear Gang has come to collect!"
Jiang Chen blinked. 'Oh. Local thugs. Debt collectors.'
He relaxed slightly. If it was the White Tiger Sect, he might be worried about flying swords. But thugs with clubs? He had the Ancient God Body.
"How much?" Jiang Chen asked calmly, dusting off his sleeves.
"Fifty Spirit Stones!" the Scar-Faced man spat. "Plus interest. A hundred total! If you don't have it, we're taking this land. It's a trash mountain, but it'll make a good pig farm."
Jiang Chen's face went cold. A hundred Spirit Stones? He had ten in his pocket, which he had just scammed from Ye Kai.
"And if I refuse?" Jiang Chen asked.
"Then we break your legs!" The thugs laughed, stepping forward.
"Master!"
A shout echoed from the forest path. A figure covered in dust and sweat shot out of the woods like a cannonball.
It was Ye Kai. He had finished his 10-kilometer run. He was panting, his clothes soaked, but his eyes were burning with a fanatical light.
"Who dares disturb the Master's meditation?!" Ye Kai roared, standing between Jiang Chen and the thugs.
The Scar-Faced man paused, then burst out laughing. "Oho? The Fallen Star Sect has a disciple? A cripple and a beggar. What a pair! Kid, get out of the way or I'll smash your skull."
Ye Kai gripped the hilt of his heavy sword, but then he remembered Jiang Chen's teaching.
'True power comes from the muscles. Weapons are for the weak.'
He let go of the sword. He clenched his fist.
"Master," Ye Kai said, his voice trembling with excitement. "Is this... a test?"
Jiang Chen looked at the thugs, then at Ye Kai. He sat back down on his moth-eaten chair and picked up his tea cup (which was empty).
"An astute observation," Jiang Chen said indifferently. "These ants are indeed here to test your results. Show me if you have slacked off during your run."
"Yes, Master!" Ye Kai turned to the thugs. He dropped into a stance. "One Hundred Push-ups Style... First Move!"
"Are you mocking me?!" The Scar-Faced thug roared. He raised his spiked club and swung it viciously at Ye Kai's head.
It was a killing blow. A mortal would have their head exploded like a watermelon.
Ye Kai didn't dodge. He recalled the sensation of the 'Push-up'—the power to push away the earth. He stepped forward and punched.
It was a simple, straight punch. No fancy spiritual energy. No sword intent. Just raw, kinetic force generated by a body that had broken its limiter.
"NORMAL PUNCH!"
CRACK!
The fist met the spiked club. The steel club shattered into shrapnel instantly.
Ye Kai's fist didn't stop. It continued forward, connecting with the Scar-Faced man's chest.
There was no scream. There was only the sound of the sound barrier breaking.
BOOM!
A shockwave visibly rippled through the courtyard, blowing the roof tiles off the main hall. The Scar-Faced man was launched backward like a ragdoll fired from a ballista. He flew out of the gate, over the trees, and vanished into the horizon as a twinkling star.
Silence.
The remaining two thugs stood frozen, their mouths wide open. They looked at the empty spot where their boss used to be, then at the hole in the clouds.
Ye Kai looked at his smoking fist. "Incredible... simply incredible! I didn't use a drop of Qi! This is the power of Physics!"
He turned to the two shaking thugs. "My Master is merciful. He allowed you to witness the Supreme Divine Scripture of Saitama. Now, start running."
"M-M-monster!"
"Ghost!"
The two thugs dropped their weapons and scrambled down the mountain, wetting their pants as they ran.
Jiang Chen put down his tea cup. His hand was shaking slightly, but he hid it inside his sleeve.
'Holy hell. He punched that guy into the next zip code.'
[System Notification]
[Disciple Ye Kai has defeated a mundane enemy using the 'Normal Punch'.]
[Belief in the 'Scripture of Saitama' has deepened.]
[Reward: 50 Sect Contribution Points.]
[Reward: The Reputation of the Fallen Star Sect has risen slightly in the criminal underworld.]
Ye Kai turned around and fell to his knees, his face full of worship.
"Master! I did it! I felt the friction! I felt the heat!"
Jiang Chen stood up, looking like a lonely expert at the peak of the world.
"Adequate," he said simply. "But your form was sloppy. You wasted 0.01% of your energy on shouting the technique name. True power is silent."
Ye Kai gasped, taking out a notebook and scribbling furiously. "True... power... is... silent."
"Go," Jiang Chen waved his hand. "Do another hundred squats. Tonight, we feast on roast duck."
"Yes, Master!"
As Ye Kai happily went to punish his glutes in the corner, Jiang Chen opened the System interface again.
[Mission Update: Recruit a Second Disciple.]
[Target Detected: 500 miles East. The Azure Dragon Empire.]
[Hint: She is currently fleeing an arranged marriage and has a severe persecution complex.]
Jiang Chen grilled a smile.
"A paranoid princess? Sounds like someone who needs... 'protection'."