Chapter 1:
The First Flaw and the Broken Meridian
The air inside the forgotten pavilion of the Starfall Academy smelled of rotting wood and old, yellowed paper. Arian sat cross-legged on the rough floorboards. His knees popped with a dry, sharp sound as he shifted his weight. He was eighteen, but his eyes looked tired, like an old man waiting endlessly for a train.
He held a torn manual in his hands. It was the Basic Flowing Cloud Fist. Outside the high window, the loud shouts of inner disciples practicing their sword forms echoed in the wind. They were moving forward in life. He was stuck here, punished for the crime of having shattered meridians.
"These elders are just sitting on my head," Arian muttered quietly, using the old phrase his grandfather used to say. He wiped the sticky sweat from his forehead with the back of his dirty sleeve. He took a deep breath and tried to push a thin stream of Qi toward his chest.
Pain exploded inside him. It was not a grand, heroic pain. It was a sharp, ugly sting that made him bite his tongue hard. The metallic taste of blood quickly filled his mouth. He bent over and coughed violently, his shoulders shaking.
A drop of dark red blood fell from his lips. It landed on a strange, blank black book he was using to keep his water cup balanced. He didn't even notice the blood sinking into the thick black cover. He was too busy rubbing his chest and suddenly wondering if he had left his damp clothes outside on the washing line.
Suddenly, a blinding golden light shot outward from the black book. Arian flinched hard, throwing his hands up to shield his face. The golden light did not spread; it condensed into a single beam and hit his forehead directly.
A sharp ache pierced his skull. Right at that very intense, life-changing moment, his stomach gave a loud, embarrassing rumble. He had skipped breakfast to clean the upper shelves of the archive, and his body decided to remind him now.
[Host's bloodline verified. Binding The Celestial Archive System.] A mechanical, emotionless voice rang inside his head. [Binding complete.]
Arian froze completely. He blinked rapidly, his eyes watering slightly from the bright flash of light. "A system?" he whispered to the empty room. His throat felt dry, like he had swallowed a handful of dry sand, and he had to swallow his saliva twice to speak.
[Detected a low-tier mortal cultivation technique: Basic Flowing Cloud Fist.] The voice continued in his mind. [Analysis complete. The Celestial Archive has identified 17 fatal flaws in this manual.]
Seventeen flaws? Arian stared at the empty air in pure disbelief. This was the foundational technique of the academy. The first principal wrote it himself. How could it possibly have so many mistakes?
A massive golden book hologram popped up right in front of his face. He instinctively leaned back, his elbow hitting the hard stone wall behind him. "Ouch," he grunted, rubbing his arm.
He looked at the floating text. Flaw No. 1: Breathing in through the nose disrupts the Qi flow by 12 percent. Correction: Breathe entirely through the abdomen, keeping the mouth closed.
Flaw No. 2: Bending knees at a 45-degree angle puts immense pressure on shattered meridians. Correction: Shift weight to the right leg. Angle knees at exactly 32 degrees.
Arian read through the remaining fifteen flaws. His heart pounded against his ribs so hard he could hear the blood rushing in his own ears. If this was true, the whole academy was doing it wrong. "Okay, let's test this," he said. His voice cracked slightly from nervousness.
He stood up. He wiped his sweaty palms on his dirty trousers again. He closed his mouth and breathed deep into his stomach. He shifted his weight to his right leg and bent his knees slightly, trying to find the exact angle.
He threw a simple punch. The Qi, usually blocked by his broken heart meridian, suddenly rushed like a fast, angry river. It bypassed the damaged area completely, carving a new path.
A loud boom echoed in the dusty room. The air literally snapped around his fist. Arian stumbled forward from the sudden force, almost tripping over his own feet like a clumsy beginner.
He looked at his hands. He felt a warm, comfortable energy spreading through his veins. He had just broken through to the First Stage of Qi Condensation. It took him one single breath. Three years of daily failure, gone in a second.
A wild, uneven smile broke on his face. With this Celestial Archive, he could fix anything. He could find the flaws in weapons, medicinal pills, and even his enemies.
Bang! The heavy wooden door of the pavilion crashed open. Dust rained down heavily from the doorframe. Arian sneezed loudly, completely ruining the serious and triumphant moment.
Lakshay stood in the doorway. He was the inner court disciple who always made Arian clean his muddy boots. Two large followers stood behind him, smirking like fools.
"Playing master in the dark, Arian?" Lakshay sneered. He stepped into the room, his expensive silk robes looking completely out of place in the dirt and rot.
Arian didn't step back. He looked straight at Lakshay. Instantly, the golden book in his mind flipped its pages rapidly.
[Target: Lakshay. Cultivation: Third Stage Qi Condensation. Technique: Blazing Sun Sword.] The system text appeared floating over Lakshay head.
[Flaws Detected: 24. Fatal weakness located in his left ankle. One precise strike will cripple his cultivation permanently.]
Arian relaxed his tense shoulders. His smile grew wider. He cracked his knuckles slowly. "You came at the exact right time, Lakshay," Arian said quietly. What will Arian do next? Will he test his newly perfected fist on an arrogant inner disciple?