The return to the academy was silent and careful.
Lin Wei moved through the pre-dawn mist like a shadow drifting against the flow of the world, each step measured, each breath controlled. The outer forest lay behind him now, swallowed once more by fog and distance, as if it had never tested him at all. His cloak was drawn tight, fabric darkened in places where blood had soaked through before drying. Beneath it, shallow cuts still lingered along his shoulder and thigh—no longer bleeding, but far from healed.
Purified qi flowed steadily through his meridians, soothing damaged flesh, knitting muscle and skin together at a pace that would have been impossible only days ago. Even so, recovery demanded time. He did not rush it. Rushing had no place at thresholds.
The outer barrier array loomed ahead, its faint spiritual lines half-hidden in the mist. Lin Wei adjusted his breathing, lowered his presence, and passed through without disturbance. No ripple. No alert. The formation accepted him as if he had never left.
By the time he reached his quarters, the sky was only just beginning to pale.
He closed the door behind him and exhaled for the first time since leaving the forest.
Without hesitation, he removed his cloak, folded it neatly despite the stains, and sat cross-legged on the thin mat at the center of the room. The familiar posture grounded him. The familiar silence followed.
Yet beneath that stillness, something thrummed.
The breakthrough had not faded with the night.
It lived within him—steady, deep, undeniable.
Qi Refining Middle stage.
Stable. Clean. Rooted far more firmly than his entry into Early stage had ever been. His meridians felt wider, more resilient, capable of sustaining a greater flow without strain. His dantian no longer felt like a fragile container, but a slowly turning core, silver light circulating with quiet confidence.
The sealed King Artifact sword rested across his knees.
Even restrained by ancient layers, it radiated presence. In the dim light filtering through the paper window, its edge gleamed faintly, as if reflecting something unseen. The Flowing Heaven Sword Art had proven itself in the forest—not merely effective, but adaptable. It had bent to his will without resistance, moving as his body moved, responding to intent rather than brute force.
Tonight had not simply tested his technique.
It had tested his restraint.
And it had marked a threshold he could no longer ignore.
Lin Wei closed his eyes and turned his awareness inward.
The world receded.
Within his dantian, the silver light pulsed once—stronger than before, clearer, its rhythm calm and unwavering. Compared to the restless circulation of Early stage, this felt… complete. Not finished, but established.
Then it happened.
A soft, resonant chime echoed in his mind.
Not loud.
Not intrusive.
But impossible to deny.
[Heavenly Purification System – Realm Threshold Reached (Second Evolution Triggered)]
[Qi Refining Middle Stage Achieved]
[System Evolution: Stage 2 – Enhanced Partial Unlock]
[Storage Capacity Increased: 15 → 20 slots]
[New Technique Unlocked: Life Essence Extraction]
[Technique Status: Available – No Restrictions]
[Warning: First use carries elevated risk. All extracted essence must be purified before absorption to prevent deviation, meridian corrosion, or backlash.]
[Host may now draw vitality/energy from living beings.]
[Targets:
– Beasts (low risk)
– Plants (negligible risk)
– Humans (extreme risk/resistance – not recommended without significant cultivation advantage)**]
[Current Bond (Celestial Frost Fox Egg): Stability +4% (Cumulative)]
[Previous Evolution Benefits Retained:
– Enhanced Qi Sensitivity
– Faster Impurity Removal**]
[No new missions assigned. Further evolution pending Foundation Establishment Realm.]
[Continue progress with caution.]
The words lingered for several breaths before fading, one by one, leaving only the faint hum of the system settling into its new form.
Silence returned.
Lin Wei opened his eyes.
He felt… no different on the surface.
No surge of heat. No intoxicating rush of power. No sudden hunger clawing at his thoughts. The system had not imposed anything upon him. It had not rewritten his instincts or pushed him toward action.
It had simply placed another blade within reach.
Life Essence Extraction.
The name carried weight.
He could feel its presence now—not as an urge, but as awareness. Like discovering an unfamiliar path branching off from a familiar road. He did not need to walk it. He merely needed to acknowledge that it existed.
A double-edged blade.
Essence drawn from living beings was not like ambient qi. It carried history. Emotion. Residual will. Without care, it could poison rather than empower. The system's warning echoed clearly in his mind—not as fear, but as fact.
Without purification, such power would rot him from the inside.
But with purification…
It would become another source of flawless energy, refined to its purest state.
Lin Wei did not reach for it.
Not yet.
He rose from the mat and crossed the room to the small stone basin in the corner. Cold water pooled within it. He cupped his hands, letting the chill wash over his skin, and carefully cleaned the dried blood from his shoulder and thigh. The cuts had already begun to scab over. The pain was dull now, distant.
Middle stage recovery.
The difference was undeniable.
When he finished, he wrapped the wounds loosely and returned to the center of the room.
Outside, the academy remained asleep, but not for long. Soon the first bell would ring, announcing the day. The rankings would spread. Conversations would begin.
He still had time.
Lin Wei sat once more and extended a thin thread of qi toward the sealed King Artifact sword.
The response was immediate.
Not violent. Not demanding.
Eager.
The blade accepted his qi readily, the silver light flowing over its surface like water over stone. He allowed only a controlled amount to pass through—testing, observing.
The sword hummed softly.
Within its depths, something shifted.
Layers peeled back, not all at once, but gradually, like seals loosening after centuries of dormancy. The edge sharpened further, the balance aligning more naturally with his grip, his stance, his current realm.
Not fully unsealed.
King Artifacts were not so easily awakened.
But progress had been made.
[Artifact Progress: King Artifact (Partial Unlock) – 12%]
[Further purification and combat usage required for full awakening.]
Lin Wei withdrew his qi and sheathed the sword.
Enough for now.
The academy would wake soon.
Students would gather in courtyards and halls, voices low but excited. They would stare openly at the rankings, whisper names, speculate motives. Seventh place would be discussed more than first or last.
The quiet boy who had climbed without spectacle.
Some would approach him today, curiosity thinly veiled as courtesy.
Others would keep their distance, choosing observation over engagement.
And somewhere beyond the outer grounds, in halls where decisions were made quietly and consequences echoed loudly, the Zhao family would be recalculating.
Lin Wei stood at the window and looked out over the mist-covered academy grounds.
The forest had given him a breakthrough.
The system had given him a new path.
But the true trial lay ahead—not in wild terrain or beast-filled darkness, but here.
Among people.
Where danger wore polite smiles.
Where intentions were hidden behind measured words.
And where every glance, every pause, every choice could cut deeper than any blade.
For now, he remained still.
Waiting.
Because the storm had not yet arrived.
It was only beginning to take shape.