A soft knock sounded at the door. It wasn't the heavy, rhythmic thud of a guard. It was light and precise. Li Yunxiao smoothed out his white robes and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Come in," he said.
The door slid open with a quiet creak. Yue stepped into the room. She was carrying a wooden tray. A bowl of steaming white rice sat next to a plate of stir-fried greens and some sliced braised pork. The smell hit Li Yunxiao like a physical force. His mouth watered instantly.
Yue took two steps into the room and then stopped. Her eyes widened. She looked at him, then at the faint, lingering glow in the room. Her gaze moved to the black, oily residue on his forearms.
"Young Master?" she whispered. Her voice was full of disbelief. "You... your aura. It's different."
Li Yunxiao wiped a bit of the black grime off his arm with a cloth. He didn't want to look too excited. He needed to keep up the act of a mysterious leader.
"I told you, Yue. I've been training," he said.
She set the tray down on the low table. Her hands were shaking slightly. She reached out as if to touch his shoulder but pulled back.
"But you were at the very start of the first stage this morning," she said. "Now you're at the Early Peak. I can feel the Qi vibrating in your chest. People spend months, sometimes a year, trying to make that jump."
'Months? lucky me,' he thought.
"I found a new rhythm," he said simply. He sat down at the table and picked up the chopsticks. The pork was tender. The saltiness of the soy sauce was the best thing he had tasted in two lifetimes.
Yue stood by the door, watching him eat. She looked like she had seen a ghost. After a few minutes of silence, Li Yunxiao looked up at her.
"Tell me about our neighbors, Yue. And the sect's money. I want the truth."
Yue sighed. She leaned against the doorframe. The tight fabric of her uniform shifted, but her expression was grim.
"The truth is bad, Young Master. The Silver Leaf Sect is broke. We have enough spirit stones to keep the lights on for maybe another month. Your sisters took most of the remaining funds for their mission. They hoped to find a trade route, but we haven't heard from them in weeks."
Li Yunxiao chewed slowly. "And our neighbors?"
"The Iron Fang Sect," she said. The name tasted bitter. "They've been encroaching on our southern border. Their leader, Sect Leader Zhao, heard that you were... well, that you weren't progressing. They're planning to challenge our claim to this mountain by the next full moon. They think you're too weak to stop them. They want our land for their new disciples."
Li Yunxiao put his chopsticks down. The Iron Fang Sect. He didn't know them, but he already hated them. They were like the corporate vultures he used to deal with back at the office.
'They think I'm a pushover. Good. Let them think that for a little longer,' he thought.
"I need to see what we have left," Li Yunxiao said. He stood up and wiped his mouth. "Take me to the sect library. And the treasure room."
Yue looked hesitant. "The treasure room is almost empty, Young Master. And the library... most of the high-level scrolls were lost during the Great Fire ten years ago."
"I don't care," he said. "Take me there."
Yue bowed her head. "As you wish."
They left his quarters. The hallway was long and lined with dark wood. The lanterns were dim. It gave the whole place a feeling of fading glory. As they walked, Li Yunxiao noticed the peeling paint on the pillars. The Silver Leaf Sect was definitely on its last legs.
They passed a few disciples in the hallway. When they saw Li Yunxiao, they bowed. But he could see the looks in their eyes. It wasn't respect. It was pity. Some of them even smirked when his back was turned.
'Enjoy the jokes while you can,' he thought.
They reached a large, heavy set of double doors at the end of the east wing. Yue pulled a heavy iron key from her belt and unlocked them. The doors groaned as they opened.
The library was massive. Rows upon rows of tall wooden shelves stretched into the shadows. The air was thick with the scent of old paper, dried ink, and a layer of dust that had been settling for years. Most of the shelves were empty. A few scattered scrolls and leather-bound books were all that remained.
"This is all that's left?" Li Yunxiao asked. His voice echoed in the cavernous room.
"Yes," Yue said. "The Iron Fang Sect stole many of our techniques during the last border skirmish. These are mostly basic arts. Fundamentals."
Li Yunxiao walked to the first shelf. He didn't need high-level arts. He had a system that could evolve anything. He picked up a dusty scroll.
[Target: Iron Skin Breathing Method detected. Do you wish to copy?]
He put it back. Not yet. He walked deeper into the library. He wanted something for movement.
He found a small, tattered book tucked away in a corner. The cover was missing. He flipped through the pages.
[Target: Swift Mist Steps detected. Do you wish to copy?]
'Yes,' he thought. 'Confirm.'
The familiar heat bloomed in his mind. It wasn't as painful as the first time. It felt like his brain was expanding to make room for new maps. He saw footprints. He felt the way his weight should shift from heel to toe.
"Is there anything else?" he asked Yue.
She pointed toward a small pedestal at the back. A single, jade-colored box sat there.
"That is the sect's last heirloom," she said. "The Silver Leaf Internal Art. It's the foundation of our sect. But it's incredibly difficult to learn. Even your sisters haven't mastered the third layer."
Li Yunxiao walked toward the jade box. He could feel a faint hum of energy coming from it. This was what he needed. A core cultivation method to fuel his 10x growth.
"Open it," he commanded.
Yue reached out and lifted the lid. Inside was a scroll made of shimmering silk. It glowed with a soft, pale light.
[Target: Silver Leaf Internal Art (High Grade) detected. Do you wish to copy?]
Li Yunxiao felt a surge of excitement. This was his ticket to the next realm.
"Yue," he said, his voice steady. "I'm going to stay here for a while. Bring more food in four hours. And tell the disciples that the Sect Leader is not to be disturbed."
Yue looked at him. She saw the intensity in his yellow eyes. She didn't argue. She just bowed.
"Yes, Sect Leader."
She backed out of the room, leaving him alone in the sea of dust and forgotten knowledge. Li Yunxiao looked at the two skills he now held in his mind.
'System,' he thought. 'Let's see what these can become.'
He sat down on the floor, surrounded by the silence of the library. He was ready to turn this dying sect into something the world wouldn't forget.