The sun hung high in the inner courtyard, casting long shadows over the training grounds. Jiang Chen sat cross-legged on the edge of a small pond, the translucent system panel hovering before him. His body no longer trembled from the previous day's strain. Instead, a faint warmth radiated from his chest, a small but unmistakable sign of progress.
**[Mission Update: Meridians 60% repaired. Estimated completion: 1 day.]**
**[New Ability Unlocked: Primordial Body Stage 1 — Increases body resilience and qi efficiency by 15%.]**
Jiang Chen took a slow breath and closed his eyes. He focused on the flow of qi through his repaired meridians. The warmth grew, spreading from his core to the tips of his fingers and toes. It wasn't yet full cultivation strength, but his body felt… alive in a way it hadn't for years.
A light hum resonated in his mind—the system responding.
**[Primordial Body Stage 1 activated. Warning: Qi flow is unstable. Strain risk: Medium.]**
He opened his eyes, staring at his hands. Even this small stage amplified his physical senses. He could feel every ripple in the pond water, hear the faintest shifts of wind, sense the subtle movements of the grass around him.
A shadow fell over him.
"Still meditating, trash?" Jiang Ming's sneering voice cut through the air. The young man had gathered a small group of disciples, all eager to witness Jiang Chen's failure.
Jiang Chen's eyes opened fully. Calm. Sharp. Cold.
"You mocked me yesterday," Jiang Chen said softly, his voice carrying a quiet authority. "Today, you'll see why I survived."
Jiang Ming stepped forward, aura flaring. He had trained since birth, already at the third layer of Body Tempering. But Jiang Chen… even with this crippled body, he could feel something different now—a faint pressure radiating from his core, subtle yet undeniable.
"Enough talk!" Jiang Ming roared and charged, fist aimed like a hammer.
Jiang Chen inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a split second to center his qi. When he opened them, the flow inside him was stable, strengthened by the system's enhancement.
He moved.
Not fast, not flashy, just precise. Jiang Ming's fist struck… air. Again. And again. Each strike that should have crushed him was sidestepped with minimal movement. The crowd gasped, whispers turning into shocked murmurs.
"Impossible…" Jiang Ming muttered, sweat forming on his brow.
Then Jiang Chen countered. His fist moved with perfect alignment, striking Jiang Ming's chest lightly, but the force was enough to push him back several steps. Jiang Ming stumbled, his eyes wide in disbelief.
The system chimed in his mind:
**[First Rival Defeated — Minor Victory. Experience Points +50. Primordial Points +20.]**
Jiang Chen breathed slowly, letting the moment sink in. He hadn't yet reached true power, but the first stage of his reborn body had already begun to tip the scales.
A faint, dangerous smile appeared on his lips.
"Stage One… unlocked," he whispered. "And this is only the beginning."