The Resource Hall's crowd had not yet settled. Shock and disbelief lingered in the air like a thick fog. Jiang Ming's reddened face told a story of both rage and humiliation. He hadn't expected this "cripple" to not only survive his third strike but also counter it with precision.
Jiang Chen ignored the murmurs. He had no time for celebration. Every second spent basking in others' shock was a second wasted.
He opened the small pouch he had taken from Jiang Ming. Inside were several low-tier spirit stones, a few common cultivation herbs, and a tiny vial containing Essence Pill Powder. It wasn't much, but it was more than what the family would have ever willingly allowed him.
*Step one: repair the meridians.*
He moved to a quiet corner of the hall, kneeling down and closing his eyes. The system panel hovered in front of him, glowing faintly.
**[Mission: Repair meridians. Time remaining: 2 days 18 hours.]**
**[Primordial Points available: 0]**
Jiang Chen clenched his teeth. He couldn't rely on points yet; all progress had to come from external resources.
He crushed the Essence Pill Powder with his fingers, mixing it with a small amount of water. Carefully, he poured it into his mouth. The bitter taste burned as it went down his throat. Almost immediately, a faint warmth began spreading through his chest.
"Not bad…" he murmured.
He focused, channeling his minimal latent qi into the blocked meridians. At first, nothing happened. Pain surged violently in his body, as if his meridians were being ripped apart. But Jiang Chen gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
*Click… crack…*
A faint sound echoed in his mind. The first meridian—the Lung Meridian—had started to open. A trickle of qi seeped through, and with it came a small, tangible feeling of strength.
He opened his eyes. Sweat dripped down his face, but his expression was calm.
*Progress.*
The system panel lit up:
**[Primordial Body Tempering activated. Effect: Stabilizes meridians, enhances qi absorption efficiency by 5%.]**
Jiang Chen's heart raced. Five percent. A small number—but to a body crippled for years, it was a breakthrough. He could already feel the potential for growth that had been suppressed in this body since birth.
The hall doors suddenly opened again, and Jiang Ming stomped back in, his pride wounded, his aura flaring.
"You think this makes you strong?" he spat. "Don't get cocky. You'll regret this!"
Jiang Chen didn't respond verbally. Instead, he stood, his body trembling slightly from the strain of opening his meridians, but his eyes burned like molten steel.
A faint whisper sounded in his mind, the system speaking for the first time in full clarity:
**[Warning: Host potential detected. Unlocking Primordial Body fully may trigger extreme growth. Caution advised.]**
Jiang Chen's lips curled into a small, confident smile.
"Extreme growth…" he whispered. "Good. Let's see who's laughing last."
He turned, walking past Jiang Ming without looking back. Each step felt lighter than before. Pain lingered, but determination surged stronger.
Tomorrow, he would push further. And the day after, he would break another limit.
This… was only the beginning of his rebirth.