Fang Li was sitting on the narrow bed in his cabin, his back against the wooden wall and his arms crossed over his chest. The room was silent again; only the light of sunset entered through the small window and drew a golden strip across the dirt floor. In front of his eyes floated the system interface.

  Beating Points: 4746.

  He had done the calculation several times. Four thousand six hundred twenty obtained on the platform, plus the remainder he had before the fight. Four thousand seven hundred forty-six in total. Not bad for an afternoon of "practice."

  He narrowed his eyes as he evaluated options. There was no point in scattering the points on minor upgrades if he could make another significant leap; the difference between mediocre progress and solid advancement could decide whether the next fight ended the same way… or worse.

  "Hey, system," he spoke mentally in a direct tone. "How much does it cost to take my realm to perfect Organ Tempering?"

  The interface flickered slightly and there was a longer pause than usual.

  "Estimated cost to reach Organ Tempering, perfect stage: 4000 Beating Points."

  Fang Li did not change posture immediately, but his gaze tightened.

  "How much did you say?"

  "4000 Beating Points."

  The silence inside the cabin seemed to grow denser. Fang Li slowly uncrossed his arms, rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward.

  "What the hell… If before, with 1500 points, I was able to rise from early Bone Tempering and skip Blood Tempering all the way to intermediate Organ Tempering… and now just for two more refinements you charge me more than double?"

  His expression hardened.

  "This is a scam."

  "The cost increases exponentially as the host approaches the current structural limit of the body," the system replied.

  Fang Li frowned.

  "Explain."

  "The previous leap included multiple stages because the host was at an extremely low base state. Initial improvements present greater efficiency. As the body is optimized, each additional refinement requires greater energy investment."

  Fang Li remained silent while processing the logic. In other words, escaping misery was cheap; perfecting what already functioned was expensive. He clicked his tongue with disdain.

  "Convenient explanation."

  He shifted his gaze toward the wooden ceiling. Four thousand points would leave him with less than a thousand remaining, which meant little margin for error. However, perfect Organ Tempering would make a real difference against the other outer disciples.

  He looked again at the floating number. He had the margin. The question was not whether he could pay it, but whether he should do it now, and Fang Li was not the type to jump without calculating the next move.

  He remained leaning forward for a few more seconds, weighing risks and benefits. He did not like being left without options. Then he remembered something and slightly raised his head.

  "System, can I use those points for something else? For example… unlocking the gacha."

  "The gacha function requires special requirements."

  Fang Li arched an eyebrow.

  "What requirements?"

  Silence.

  "System?"

  Receiving no answer, he exhaled through his nose in annoyance.

  "Fine. Since you don't want to answer that, let's see what else I can do with the points."

  He swiped the interface with a gesture and opened the skills section. He vaguely remembered that the former Fang Li had practiced some basic sect techniques. Nothing impressive.

  Martial Skills:

  "Basic Three-Impact Fist" Level 2 (45/200)

  "Fundamental Breathing Technique" Level 1 (67/100)

  "Light Wind Step" Level 1 (12/100)

  He observed the numbers in silence. It did not surprise him that there was an interface detailing progress; he had already seen missions, multipliers and direct upgrades. What did surprise him was the overall state.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  "…What a mess," he muttered.

  Level 2 barely at a quarter of progress. Level 1 incomplete. Another technique at absolute beginning. He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms.

  "Mediocre talent."

  It was not a decorative label; it was an accurate description. The original body had not only been weak, but average even among the average.

  "Fine. If the hardware is bad, we'll optimize the software."

  His eyes returned to the figures. Perhaps perfecting the basic techniques first was not a bad investment. Sometimes a solid foundation yielded more than a rushed realm leap, and he did not intend to waste a single point without squeezing every last benefit out of it.

  He dismissed the interface and stood up. The cabin was small, but sufficient to test basic movements. He positioned himself in the center of the free space, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The body remembered how to execute the techniques, even if clumsily; it was not theoretical knowledge, but muscle memory.

  He adjusted his stance, relaxed his shoulders and let Qi circulate through the simplest routes associated with "Light Wind Step." He advanced. The displacement was short, barely a smoother slide than a normal step. If he had to describe it, it would be mediocre.

  He repeated the movement.

  Then a notification appeared.

  [ +1 ]

  He blinked. The notification vanished. He executed the technique again. It did not appear on the first attempt nor on the second, but after several uses it returned.

  [ +1 ]

  Fang Li paused for a second, thoughtful, and moved again. Only on the fourth repetition did the increment reappear.

  [ +1 ]

  He narrowed his eyes and a faint smile appeared on his face as he grasped the idea. He moved from one end of the cabin to the other, turning at tight angles, trying to optimize the transition between normal step and technique. Sometimes the movement was clumsy; other times he achieved a cleaner slide. When the flow was correct, the small increment appeared.

  Sweat began to accumulate on his forehead and his breathing grew heavier, but he did not stop. After half an hour, his legs began to burn. Intermediate Organ Tempering gave him a good base, though his endurance was still limited. A full hour passed inside the cabin.

  At the end he placed a hand against the wall and breathed with difficulty. His legs trembled slightly from constant repetition, but when he checked the interface he let out a satisfied sigh.

  "Light Wind Step" Level 1 (38/100)

  He had started at 12.

  "I see…"

  Progress did not depend solely on spending points. He closed the interface and let himself drop onto the bed, his body exhausted but his mind active.

  "So I can level up techniques by training… and reserve points for more expensive things."

  He remained seated for a few more seconds, feeling the accumulated fatigue, then lifted his head without a trace of doubt.

  "System. Use 4000 points and upgrade my realm to perfect Organ Tempering."

  "Confirmed. Consuming 4000 Beating Points. Initiating complete organ refinement."

  The number dropped and a dense pressure was born deep in his abdomen, expanding toward his chest. It was an internal compression, as if each organ were being grasped and pressed by an invisible force. Fang Li clenched his teeth, but did not scream. He felt his heart beat with greater weight, his lungs expand from within and each organ vibrate under a constant surge of energy.

  The compression gave way to a more solid sensation, as if a translucent layer formed around each organ, hardening and stabilizing them. The process was intense though not long. When it ended, the internal flow settled into a deeper and firmer state.

  He opened his eyes and expelled a long breath. The air came out heavy, as if it had been accumulated for years. He rose slowly and felt his body respond with greater cohesion; not only strength, but internal stability. Even the soreness from the hour of practice vanished.

  "Hahaha… I've only been here one day and I'm already almost at the gates of the next cultivation level."

  Ambition shone for a moment in his gaze.

  "Good. Use the rest of my points to improve Light Wind Step."

  "Confirmed. Consuming 746 Beating Points."

  A torrent of compressed information passed through his mind: posture adjustments, exact weight distribution, minute variations in Qi flow during propulsion, optimal angles for direction changes. It lasted only an instant and the sensation disappeared, leaving clarity.

  He opened the interface.

  "Light Wind Step" Level 6 (44/600)

  He blinked, surprised. If he remembered correctly, the manual in the original body's memory described only four defined levels. It was a basic outer sect technique, designed for beginners. It made no sense for there to be anything beyond the fourth refinement.

  And yet, the interface clearly showed that he had surpassed that limit.

  "System."

  Silence.

  "How can a four-level technique be at level six?"

  There was no response. The interface remained unchanged.

  Fang Li clicked his tongue.

  "Uhm. What an unreliable system."

  He waited another moment, but received no reaction. Finally he stopped insisting. He did not understand what was happening, though that did not change the essential point: the technique was now superior to what any average outer disciple could execute.

  He stood up and left the cabin. The night air was cooler and the outer courtyard was almost empty. Some disciples were talking in the distance; upon seeing him, they pointed and then dispersed in different directions.

  His gaze turned toward the forest that stretched behind the outer courtyards. A dark mass of trees and undergrowth where few entered due to animals and poisonous insects.

  A smile appeared on his face.

  If I remember correctly… in a month there will be the competition to enter the inner sect.

  The former Fang Li would not even have considered participating. With mediocre talent and a weak foundation, he would have been crushed without remedy.

  But now…

  He paused for a moment and adjusted his posture.

  Now I am Fang Li.

  He let out a brief laugh.

  "Let's earn some points with the creatures of the forest. And in the tournament I'll give them a good show."

  He activated "Light Wind Step."

  The difference was immediate. The impulse was not a simple clumsy slide; his body projected forward with controlled lightness. Each step was precise, each change of direction fluid. Qi circulated without interruption and fueled the movement steadily. His speed increased like a gust passing through a narrow path without breaking anything in its way.

  In a few seconds he crossed the courtyard's boundary and entered among the trees. The shadows enveloped him as his figure disappeared between the trunks.

  The forest received him with silence and growing darkness.

  And Fang Li advanced without slowing his pace.

  This is only the beginning.