Chapter 32: Hypothesis
Li Chen stirred slowly on his simple wooden bed, eyelids heavy as if weighted down by lead. A dull grogginess wrapped around his mind like morning mist over the mountains. Exhaustion still clung to every muscle, mixed with a sharp sting of annoyance that refused to fade.
*No rewards...* The thought bubbled up immediately. After everything he had gone through in that hellish penalty zone , the blank-faced killers, the blood, the desperate struggle , the system had given him nothing.
Before he could sink deeper into that frustration, the familiar snarky voice cut through his thoughts .
"Well , How does it feel? Ignoring this system's quests and suffering the penalty firsthand. Enlightening, I presume?"
Li Chen shuddered involuntarily, the memory of those emotionless warriors flashing before his eyes. The pain, the blood, the constant fear of death... He quickly shook his head, pushing the images away.
"I'd rather loot a hundred items than go back to that place," he muttered under his breath, voice hoarse. "Never again."
The soreness in his body hit him next , a deep, throbbing ache in his shoulders, ribs, and legs. His head pounded with a searing pain that felt like someone was hammering nails into his skull. Every small movement sent fresh reminders of the brutal beating he had taken. Yet strangely, when he checked under his robes, there were no open wounds, no scars from the slashes or stabs. Only this lingering soreness remained, as if his body had healed the worst of it overnight but refused to let him forget.
A blue system panel floated into view without warning.
[Penalty Zone Mission: Successfully Completed]
[Status: Survived]
[Additional Rewards: None]
Li Chen stared at the sparse words for a long moment, annoyance flaring hotter. "That's it? Nothing more?" He waved his hand dismissively, making the panel vanish. "Useless..."
He sat up slowly, wincing as his muscles protested. Sunlight streamed through the small window of his modest disciple quarters, painting the wooden floor in warm golden tones. It was clearly morning now. Quite a bit of time must have passed since he had been yanked into that penalty zone. The sect outside sounded alive , distant shouts from the training grounds, the clang of practice weapons, the occasional burst of qi from sparring disciples.
Li Chen rubbed his temples, letting out a small sigh.
"No way I'm showing up at the training grounds today," he muttered to himself.
Everyone there already treated him like the outer sect's biggest trash , which he was .... technically . The weakling who somehow never quite died no matter how many times he got beaten. If he went now, he knew exactly how it would go: he'd just sit on the sidelines the whole time, watching everyone else train while they threw him pitying or mocking looks.
Besides, he'd rather keep a tight lid on his newfound strength for now. No point letting anyone catch even a glimpse of what he could really do. Let them keep underestimating him. It was easier that way.
But then another thought hit him, pulling a soft groan from his lips. "Lin Qingxue... I still have to meet her later today. Possibly to spar."
The idea made his stomach twist a little. He let out a soft groan. Lin Qingxue again... She had taken an odd inquisitive interest in him lately, always challenging him to friendly matches. It made him uncomfortable at times, the way she watched him so closely.
Li Chen swung his legs off the bed and stood up carefully, testing his balance. The bodily wounds from the battlefield hadn't carried over into the real world , only this annoying soreness. That was a small mercy, at least. It allowed to think about an idea he had been turning over in his mind for days now.
He had noticed something important since receiving the system. Ordinary cultivators in the Azure Cloud Sect could usually only practice one main martial art their entire life. They poured all their effort into mastering a single cultivation technique or combat style, slowly leveling it up through hard work, meditation, and precious resources if they were lucky enough to afford them. Progress was steady but limited.
But Li Chen... he could use multiple skills. Shadow Step , Crushing Palm, and now the stronger Seven Star Phantom Strike. It felt like his abilities weren't locked to just one path.
Could the system really let him practice several martial arts at once?
Excitement began to bubble up despite the headache. To test his theory, he needed proper manuals , better ones than the basic Cloud Flow Art he had been stuck with so far. That technique felt trashy and incomplete to him now, like trying to fight with a dull wooden sword.
He cleared his throat and spoke toward the empty air. "Hey, is it really possible for me to learn and use multiple martial arts without conflict?"
The voice answered immediately, dripping with its usual superior tone.
"Of course it is possible. It is no great surprise that you are only figuring this out now, considering your rather... limited mental capacity. You simply need to comprehend the underlying principles of each art. And yes, it is high time you found something better than that pathetic Cloud Flow Art. Truly, calling it 'trashy' would be an insult to actual trash."
Li Chen's face heated up with embarrassment, ears turning red. "Hey! It wasn't that bad when I started..." he protested weakly, even though deep down he knew the system was right. The Cloud Flow Art had felt clunky and weak ever since his skills began improving.
Still, the confirmation made genuine excitement spark in his chest. A giddy feeling spread through him, pushing aside some of the soreness and annoyance. If he could combine different arts and movement techniques, his potential would be far greater than any ordinary disciple's.
"I have to test this right away," he muttered, a small smile tugging at his lips despite everything.
He quickly washed his face with cold water from the basin, changed into fresh outer sect robes, and stepped out of his small room. The morning air in the Azure Cloud Sect was crisp and carried the faint scent of pine from the surrounding mountains. Disciples hurried along stone paths, some going about their outer sect duties, others carrying practice swords toward the training fields.
Li Chen kept his head slightly lowered, walking at a steady but unhurried pace to avoid drawing attention. His destination was clear: the Azure Cloud Scripture Pavilion.
The pavilion stood at the eastern side of the outer sect grounds, a multi-tiered building with elegant curved roofs and walls carved with flowing cloud motifs. Tall stone pillars flanked the entrance, and a faint protective array hummed softly in the air, preventing unauthorized entry. Inner sect disciples had better access to the higher floors, but even outer disciples like him could browse the lower levels for basic and mid-grade manuals , as long as they had access tokens.
As he approached the wide steps leading up to the entrance, Li Chen felt his heart beat a little faster with anticipation. Today he wasn't just looking for any random technique. He wanted something that could complement his Shadow Step and palm strikes. Something agile yet powerful. Maybe a footwork art, or a fist manual that focused on explosive bursts.
He paused at the bottom of the steps, taking a deep breath. The soreness in his body was still there, a constant dull reminder of last night's hell, but the excitement won out.
"Alright," he whispered to himself. "Time to see what this system can really do."