The library foyer was silent, save for the faint crackle of the torches on the walls. Xiao Kui's [Crashing Wave] was more than just a punch; it was a technique that used the momentum of a 3-Star Dou Zhe to turn the human arm into a battering ram. To the observers—the two lackeys and a few younger disciples peeking from behind bookshelves—Xiao Chen looked like a rabbit about to be crushed by a wolf.
But inside Chen's mind, the world was a still lake.
[Neural Processing: Multiplier Active]
[Target Movement: 50% perceived speed]
[Optimal Counter-Point: Radial Nerve / Medial Epicondyle]
As the blue, watery Qi from Xiao Kui's fist neared his face, Chen didn't flinch. His heart beat slowly—exactly forty beats per minute. He felt the Doubled Talent working in his blood, making his reflexes not just fast, but anticipatory.
He didn't pull back. Instead, he took a half-step forward, sliding into the narrow "dead zone" between Kui's shoulder and his fist. This was the most dangerous place to be—unless you had the strength to end the fight instantly.
Chen's right hand shot out. It wasn't a punch; it was a precision strike. His fingers were rigid, reinforced by the dense, orange-emerald Qi of his [Green Wood Flame Heart].
CRACK.
The sound was nauseating. It was the sharp, splintering sound of a thick oak branch being snapped by a storm.
Xiao Kui's elbow didn't just bend; the bone was driven through the skin of his tricep. The force of Chen's strike was so concentrated that it didn't push Kui away—it anchored him in place for a microsecond before his body realized the physics of the impact.
"AGGGHHHH!"
The scream ripped through the library's quiet atmosphere. Xiao Kui collapsed, his knees hitting the floor with a heavy thud. He clutched his ruined arm, his face turning a ghostly shade of white as shock began to set in. His Water Qi, once so intimidating, leaked out of his body in chaotic, useless wisps.
The Weight of Silence
Chen stood over him, his expression as calm as a monk's. He looked down at his own hand. There wasn't a scratch on it. His skin, tempered by the doubling effect of his breakthrough, was as tough as refined iron.
"You... you monster..." one of the lackeys stammered, his legs shaking. "You've crippled a direct-line member! The First Elder will have your head for this!"
Chen turned his gaze toward the speaker. The lackey took a step back, nearly tripping over a stack of scrolls.
"Xiao Kui challenged me," Chen said, his voice quiet but carrying to every corner of the room. "He accused me of theft without evidence and attempted to force an inspection of my Dantian. According to Clan Law, Section 4, Article 12: An unprovoked assault on a fellow disciple justifies an equivalent response."
He stepped closer to the trembling lackey. "I didn't 'cripple' him. I defended myself. If his arm was too weak to handle his own momentum, that is a failure of his cultivation, not a crime of mine."
The Shift in Atmosphere
Outside the library, a crowd had begun to gather. Word traveled fast in the Xiao Clan.
"Xiao Chen broke Xiao Kui's arm?"
"The orphan did that? But Kui is 18!"
"I heard he didn't even use a Dou Skill..."
The atmosphere in the clan was shifting. For years, the power structure was simple: Xiao Yan was the golden boy, and the branch family lived in his shadow. But now, a second sun was rising, and it was far more aggressive than the first.
Chen walked out of the library, the crowd parting like the Red Sea. He could feel the eyes on him—eyes of fear, eyes of jealousy, and a few eyes of newfound respect.
He didn't go to the infirmary or the Elders' hall. He walked straight to the Clan's Back Mountain, a place of rugged cliffs and dense forests. He needed to be alone. His body was buzzing.
The Doubled Hunger
As he sat on a jagged rock overlooking the city, Chen felt a strange sensation. His stomach was growling—not just for food, but for energy.
[System Note]
Body Tempering Alert: Because your talent and physical stats have doubled, your body now requires 4x the standard amount of Qi and nutrients to maintain its peak state.
Current Status: Caloric/Energy Deficit.
Solution: Consume high-energy medicinal food or 'Monster Meat'.
"So that's the catch," Chen whispered, a wry smile on his face. "I'm a supercar, but I'm running on a lawnmower's fuel tank."
This was why he needed to become an Alchemist immediately. He couldn't rely on the Xiao Clan's meager rations of rice and low-grade meat. He needed Energy Recovery Pills and Body Strengthening Elixirs just to survive his own growth.
He looked at his hands again. They were trembling slightly—not from fear, but from the raw potential bottled up inside his cells. Every time he broke through a major realm, this "bottled power" would double.
Dou Zhe was 2x.
Dou Shi will be 4x.
Da Dou Shi will be 8x.
"If I reach the Dou Sheng level," he mused, looking up at the sky where the legendary experts were said to reside, "my physical strength alone might be enough to shatter a continent. I won't even need Dou Skills. I'll just be a walking calamity."
The First Elder's Shadow
As the sun began to set, a shadow fell over Chen. He didn't need to turn around. His Doubled Perception had picked up the heavy, rhythmic footsteps of someone powerful long ago.
"You've caused quite a stir, little Chen."
He turned to see the Second Elder, a man known for being neutral in the clan's internal politics.
"Second Elder," Chen greeted, standing up.
"The First Elder is currently in a meeting with the Clan Leader, demanding your cultivation be suppressed as punishment for injuring Kui," the Elder said, his eyes scanning Chen with intense curiosity. "But the Clan Leader is hesitant. He saw the stone you cracked in the training grounds."
The Second Elder stepped closer, his voice dropping. "Tell me the truth, boy. What pill did you take? There is no shame in it. If you have a secret benefactor, the clan can protect you."
Chen looked the Elder in the eye. "I have no benefactor, Elder. I simply practiced until my veins screamed, and then I practiced some more. If the First Elder wants to suppress me, tell him to come do it himself. I'd like to see if his arm is as brittle as his nephew's."
The Second Elder gasped. The sheer arrogance! And yet, looking at Chen's steady gaze, he didn't see a delusional child. He saw a predator who was quickly outgrowing his cage.
"You're walking a dangerous path," the Elder warned.
"In this world," Chen replied, turning back to the view of the city, "the only dangerous path is the one where you stand still. I plan on moving very, very fast."