The next morning, the Jiang Family's inner courtyard was alive with activity. Disciples trained, meditated, and circulated qi in the crisp dawn air. But Jiang Chen didn't notice the bustle around him. His focus was entirely inward—on the first real spark of life coursing through his crippled body.
He knelt cross-legged on a small stone platform behind the Resource Hall, the pouch from Jiang Ming beside him. With the system hovering before his eyes, he began to carefully extract the essence from the herbs, grinding and combining them precisely according to the instructions appearing in his panel.
**[Mission Update: Repair 30% of meridians. Estimated completion: 1 day 16 hours.]**
Jiang Chen exhaled slowly. Every drop of qi that flowed into his body burned like fire, tearing through years of blockage. Pain lanced across his chest and limbs, but he welcomed it. Pain was proof of life… proof of growth.
"First layer of Lung Meridian stabilized," he murmured to himself. "Next… Liver Meridian."
He focused, slowly extending his awareness to the blocked pathways. His consciousness traveled like a silver thread through the twisted meridians. A surge of qi pushed back violently, and his body trembled under the pressure.
*Click… crack…*
A ripple of light shimmered along his arms. A faint, glowing thread of qi had successfully flowed into his Liver Meridian. Jiang Chen's eyes widened.
*Progress.*
The system panel chimed in:
**[Primordial Body Tempering Level Up. Qi absorption efficiency increased by 7%.]**
Even a small improvement felt immense to his fragile body. With the meridians slowly reopening, he could already sense his control and strength beginning to return.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. Jiang Ming's angry voice rang out.
"You're at it again, trash? Stop embarrassing yourself before you collapse!"
Jiang Chen opened his eyes. The air around Jiang Ming seemed thicker, the pressure of his aura rising as he approached.
"I won't collapse," Jiang Chen said evenly. His voice was calm, but carried an edge that made even nearby disciples pause.
"You? Don't make me laugh." Jiang Ming's eyes narrowed. "If you're so strong, then show me!"
Jiang Chen's fingers twitched slightly. He could feel his Lung and Liver Meridians flowing, a faint warmth radiating from his core.
"I'll show you," he said softly. "But not yet. I need more strength. And soon, you'll see the difference between pretending and reality."
Jiang Ming's laughter turned into a grim scowl as he realized that the boy he had humiliated yesterday was no longer weak.
The system chimed again in Jiang Chen's mind:
**[Warning: Host potential rising rapidly. Unlocking Primordial Body Stage 1 recommended.]**
**[Risk of severe strain: Medium.]**
A dangerous smile crossed Jiang Chen's lips. His first breakthrough wasn't just physical—it was a promise.
He would rise.
He would break limits.
And he would make the heavens themselves kneel.
This was his **first step toward true power**.