The morning air carried a faint chill as Lin Wei clutched the Heavenly Primordial Sword. His muscles still ached from the previous day's training, but the pain now felt different—less a punishment, more a reminder of the strength he had yet to achieve.
He glanced toward the village. Signs of destruction from the black-robed cultivators remained: broken carts, scorched earth, and scattered debris. But no one dared leave their homes yet. They had seen what the sword could do, and fear was their only companion.
A sudden, cold laugh echoed from the nearby hilltop.
Lin Wei froze. The sound was sharp, mocking, and carrying an aura he hadn't encountered before. He looked up to see a figure standing with casual confidence: a young man in silver robes, his eyes gleaming with quiet arrogance.
"You're the one who wielded the Primordial Sword?" the silver-robed cultivator called. "Heh… pathetic. I've seen many mortals with swords, but none have survived a fraction of its feedback."
Lin Wei's heart pounded. This was the first true cultivator challenge he had faced alone. Every instinct screamed to flee, but the sword's faint pulse reminded him: You are stronger than you think… if you endure.
The silver-robed cultivator's aura expanded. Lin Wei realized instantly: this was no ordinary cultivator. Even his casual stance radiated a power far beyond mortal comprehension.
"I… I won't run," Lin Wei said, voice shaking. "I… I'll fight!"
The cultivator smirked. "Very well. Let's see how much you've learned in one day."
Without warning, the cultivator lifted his hand. A blade of pure silver energy shot toward Lin Wei, cutting through the air with a sound like shattering glass. Lin Wei barely had time to react. He raised the Primordial Sword, and Void Slash responded instinctively.
The air tore as the silver energy met the void. Reality seemed to bend—the cultivator's attack halted midair, then shattered into sparks that dissolved like mist.
Lin Wei staggered back, panting. His body trembled violently as the system warned:
[Reality Feedback: 65% – Warning: Overexertion Detected]
"Not bad for a mortal," the cultivator said, stepping forward. "But power without control is meaningless."
Lin Wei clenched the hilt. He could feel the sword adjusting to his intent, whispering guidance: "Focus, not force. Every cut must be precise. Your body is weak, but your mind can compensate."
He concentrated. The sword shifted, its dark starless core glowing brighter. He swung—not with brute strength, but with intent.
A blade of silver-black light tore through space. It struck the cultivator's aura, slicing not flesh, but his attack itself, disrupting his energy flow. The cultivator's eyes widened.
[System Reward: Sword Point +25]
[New Technique Unlocked: Karmic Cleaver – Layer 1, Tier 1]
Lin Wei's heart skipped. The system was reacting, rewarding his precision, not raw strength.
The cultivator recovered, now with a smile of genuine interest. "Hmm… perhaps you are more than a weakling."
Lin Wei's chest heaved. His body was screaming in pain from the feedback, but he couldn't stop now. Every strike taught him more about the blade, about how to endure the strain of cutting reality itself.
A sudden rustle from the village caught his attention. The girl from yesterday appeared again, watching from a safe distance. Her eyes were wide, a mixture of worry and admiration. Lin Wei's heart fluttered—he didn't understand why, but her presence gave him strength.
The cultivator noticed her too and sneered. "Hmph… a weakling, and yet someone comes to watch? How touching."
Lin Wei tightened his grip, not letting her worry distract him. He would survive—not just for himself, but for those who couldn't fight.
The next few moments became a blur of energy and light. Lin Wei focused entirely on intent, following the sword's guidance. Each movement cut not only at the cultivator's attacks but at the very laws shaping the battlefield. Sparks of silver-black light danced across the air.
Finally, Lin Wei executed Karmic Cleaver. A silent slash of fate struck the cultivator's stance. He staggered, as though invisible chains of cause and effect had been severed. For the first time, Lin Wei felt real power—not overwhelming, not divine—but enough to fight back.
The cultivator laughed, not with malice, but with respect. "You… may yet become something dangerous."
Lin Wei collapsed, his vision blurring. Feedback had pushed his body to its limits. But a small smile spread across his face. He had survived his first real cultivator fight. He had learned, and the system had rewarded him.
The girl approached cautiously. "You… you're incredible," she said softly. "But you need to be careful. That sword… it's dangerous, even to you."
Lin Wei nodded weakly, still gasping for breath. "I… I know. But I can't hide. I… I have to grow."
Above them, clouds swirled as though reacting to the Primordial Sword's awakening. The path from weak mortal to god had begun in earnest, and Lin Wei knew the road ahead would be filled with pain, trials, and new allies—and perhaps… someone to fight alongside him.