[System Log - Preliminary Assessment: T-Minus 15 Minutes]
[True Cultivation: Qi Refining Level 2 (Freshly Broken Through)]
[Projected Display: Level 2 (Precise Masking Active)]
[Probability of Detection: 0.3%]
[Primary Concern: Behavioral Inconsistency (Host's calm vs. expected anxiety)]
[Adjustment: Simulating elevated heart rate, slight tremor in hands... Active]
The Sect Law Office was a stern building of dark wood and grey stone, radiating authority and judgment. Disciples summoned here usually left in tears, expelled, or occasionally carried out on stretchers after "disciplinary adjustments."
Xiao Ran stood before its heavy doors, breathing slowly. The System managed his physiological displays—just enough nervousness to appear normal. Inside, he was a still pool.
He entered.
The reception hall was empty except for a stone-faced attendant who didn't look up from his ledger. "Name and purpose."
"Xiao Ran. Preliminary assessment as summoned."
The attendant's eyes flicked up, registered him with disinterest, then returned to the ledger. "Third door on the left. Elder Zhang Lao is waiting."
The third door was unmarked but emanated power. Xiao Ran knocked.
"Enter."
The room was spacious but austere. A single window high on the wall admitted a shaft of afternoon light. Elder Zhang Lao sat behind a massive desk carved from blackwood. He was a man in his late middle years, with sharp features, cold eyes, and an aura of controlled power that pressed against Xiao Ran's senses. His cultivation was far beyond Qi Refining—Foundation Establishment at least, possibly higher.
To his left stood a junior Law Officer, a severe woman with her hair pulled back tightly. To his right, on a pedestal, sat the Qi-Measuring Stone—a slab of grey rock that looked inert but hummed with detection formations.
"Disciple Xiao Ran," Elder Zhang Lao said, his voice flat and carrying. "You are here for preliminary assessment prior to tomorrow's general evaluation. State your current cultivation level."
The question was a test. Most disciples would proudly declare any progress. But the correct protocol was to let the Stone measure.
"This disciple has made some progress, Elder. But the Stone's judgment is truer than my own."
A flicker of something—approval?—in the Elder's eyes. "Wise. Place your hand on the Stone and channel your Qi. Do not force it. Simply circulate."
Xiao Ran stepped forward. The Stone felt cool under his palm. He activated his masking protocol, projecting exactly Level 2 energy. But he did more—he channeled his Qi not in the standard forceful way, but as his System had optimized: a gentle, continuous flow.
The Stone reacted instantly.
A ring of light bloomed—solid, steady blue. Level 1.
Elder Zhang Lao leaned forward slightly.
A second ring formed, just as stable. Level 2.
The junior Law Officer made a note.
But then something unexpected happened. The Stone didn't stop humming. Its surface shimmered, and a third ring began to form—faint, flickering.
Elder Zhang Lao stood up. "What...?"
Xiao Ran's heart pounded for real now. The masking was supposed to be perfect. Was the Stone detecting something his System couldn't hide?
But the third ring didn't solidify. It pulsed weakly, then faded. The Stone returned to showing two steady rings.
After a long moment, Elder Zhang Lao sat back down. "A fluctuation. The Stone sometimes resonates with unstable foundations." His eyes pierced Xiao Ran. "Your progress is... remarkable. From near-death to Level 2 in under a month. Explain."
The moment Xiao Ran had prepared for.
"I discovered I was cultivating wrong, Elder," he said, keeping his voice respectful but not fearful. "I was forcing Qi through damaged meridians. After my collapse, I had no strength for forceful cultivation. So I... rested. And as I rested, I focused on gentle circulation rather than forceful compression. My meridians healed. The Qi accumulated naturally."
It was truth, just not all of it.
"Rest." Elder Zhang Lao tasted the word as if it were foreign. "You advanced through... rest."
"This disciple found that sometimes, not pushing allows nature to take its course."
The Elder's expression was unreadable. He gestured to the junior officer. "Meridian scan."
The woman approached with a crystal lens. "Channel your Qi, disciple."
Xiao Ran complied. The lens glowed, projecting an image of his meridian network onto the wall. Normally, a Level 2 disciple's meridians would show strain, minor scarring from aggressive cultivation.
His showed none.
They were clean. Smooth. Healthy. More like a cultivator who'd been at Level 2 for years and cultivated gently the whole time.
"This is impossible," the junior officer whispered.
Elder Zhang Lao stared at the projection. "Your meridians show no stress. No damage. How?"
"When one doesn't fight the river, the river doesn't fight back," Xiao Ran said, quoting something he'd read in one of the "failed theory" scrolls.
The Elder was silent for a full minute. The only sound was the faint hum of the detection formations.
Finally, he spoke. "You will participate in tomorrow's evaluation. You will be watched. Closely. Dismissed."
Xiao Ran bowed and turned to leave.
"One more thing," Elder Zhang Lao said. "Who has been instructing you?"
"No one, Elder. I've been cleaning the Archives. I found some old scrolls on cultivation theory and... experimented."
"Old scrolls." The Elder's eyes narrowed. "Which scrolls?"
Xiao Ran named three: the fluid dynamics treatise, the cyclical energies manuscript, and one other he'd actually read—"Meditations on Stillness."
Elder Zhang Lao's expression shifted subtly. Recognition. "Those are heretical texts. Banned two centuries ago."
"This disciple didn't know. They were in the open stacks."
A lie. They'd been buried. But plausible.
The Elder waved a hand. "Go. And disciple... be careful what theories you test. Some paths lead to dead ends. Or worse."
Xiao Ran bowed again and left.
Outside, the sun was setting. He breathed deeply, the tension draining.
[Preliminary Assessment: Complete]
[Outcome: Passed (With scrutiny)]
[Threat Level: Elevated (Elder Zhang Lao suspicious)]
[New Objective: General Evaluation - Display Level 2 appropriately]
He walked toward the Archives. Old Man Wen was waiting, as promised.
"Well?" the archivist asked without preamble.
"Level 2. He was... intrigued."
Wen snorted. "Intrigued is Zhang Lao's word for 'I don't understand this so I'm going to dissect it.' You've drawn attention, boy."
"I had no choice."
"True." Wen poured two cups of tea—a rich, dark brew Xiao Ran hadn't seen before. "Drink. It'll steady you."
The tea was bitter but fortifying. The System identified it as "Truthseeker's Blend"—used by interrogators to calm subjects but also to lower mental barriers.
Wen was testing him.
"You know about the banned texts," Xiao Ran said.
"I know about all the texts. That's my job." Wen sipped his tea. "The ones you mentioned... they're part of a school of thought that was purged. The 'Restful Way.' Its practitioners believed cultivation should be harmonious with nature, not a war against it."
"What happened to them?"
"Declared heretics. Their sanctuaries destroyed. Their texts burned—except the copies clever archivists hid in 'failed theory' sections." Wen's eyes held warning. "The current orthodoxy—the Striving Heaven path—isn't just a cultivation method. It's a religion. And you, boy, are starting to sound like a heretic."
Xiao Ran considered his next words carefully. "What if the heretics were right?"
"Then a lot of people have suffered and died for nothing." Wen set down his cup. "And those in power won't appreciate being told they're wrong. Be careful. Tomorrow, during the evaluation... don't stand out more than you already have."
That night, the dormitory buzzed with last-minute anxiety. Disciples practiced forms, meditated, argued about techniques. Shi Hu held an impromptu training session, showing off his Level 2 prowess.
He caught Xiao Ran's eye. "Tomorrow you're gone. Enjoy your last night."
Xiao Ran just nodded.
He didn't cultivate that night. He slept. Truly slept. The Deep Peace ability activated naturally, restoring him.
Dawn of evaluation day arrived cold and clear.
The main training square was packed with outer disciples—all two hundred of them, arranged by seniority. At the front stood the elders, including Zhang Lao. In the center of the square sat the public Qi-Measuring Stone, larger than the one in the office.
Sect Leader Mu Yang Zi presided—an elderly man with kind eyes but immense presence. Lin Shu's grandfather. Xiao Ron spotted her standing respectfully behind the elders, her expression unreadable.
The evaluation began. Names were called. Disciples stepped forward, touched the Stone.
Most produced one ring. Some produced two. Each result was recorded. The atmosphere was tense—everyone knew approximately half would be expelled today to make room for new recruits.
Shi Hu was called early. He swaggered up, slammed his hand on the Stone. Two solid rings, brighter than most. He smirked as he joined the "passed" group.
Jian Feng, the prodigy, was called. He moved with effortless grace. The Stone lit with three rings—Level 3. A murmur went through the crowd. Fifteen years old and Level 3. Unprecedented.
Jian Feng's expression showed no pride, only focus. As he walked to the passed group, his eyes scanned the crowd. They lingered on Xiao Ran for a moment. Curiosity, not hostility.
The calls continued. Failures were led away, faces ashen. The square gradually divided into two groups: the hopeful and the doomed.
Finally, near the end: "Xiao Ran."
A ripple of attention. Everyone knew his story—the sick boy who should have died or been expelled weeks ago.
He walked forward, calm. He could feel Elder Zhang Lao's gaze like a physical weight.
He placed his hand on the Stone. Activated his masking. Level 2, stable.
The Stone glowed. One ring. Solid.
Two rings. Equally solid.
The crowd murmured. The sick boy had reached Level 2? How?
But then, as in the private assessment, something happened. The Stone hummed louder. A third ring flickered into existence—faint, but visible.
Gasps.
Three rings? Level 3? Impossible!
But the ring didn't stabilize. It pulsed, faded, returned, then vanished. The Stone settled on two steady rings.
Confused whispers.
Elder Zhang Lao stepped forward. "The Stone shows... instability. Fluctuation between Level 2 and early Level 3. Explain, disciple."
All eyes were on Xiao Ran. He kept his voice even. "This disciple's foundation is still stabilizing after recent illness. The Stone detects residual potential not yet solidified."
It was a good answer. Plausible.
But Zhang Lao wasn't satisfied. "Test him on forms. Basic cultivation exercises."
An elder gestured. "Azure Cloud Breathing. Demonstrate."
Xiao Ran took the standard stance. But instead of the forceful, chest-puffing breaths most disciples used, he breathed naturally. Deeply. His Qi circulated visibly—a calm, steady flow.
The elders exchanged looks. This wasn't how the exercise was taught. But it was undeniably effective—his Qi signature was clearer, purer than most.
"Gentle Breeze Sword form. First stance."
Xiao Ran hadn't physically practiced the sword beyond the System's simulations. But he drew the practice sword he'd been issued and assumed the stance. Perfect form. Not from repetition, but from perfect understanding.
He executed the first movement—a simple deflection. It flowed. There was no hesitation, no wasted motion.
Jian Feng, watching from the passed group, leaned forward, eyes intense.
"Enough," Sect Leader Mu Yang Zi said, his voice gentle but carrying. "The disciple has clearly made remarkable recovery. His foundation, while unorthodox, is solid. Level 2 confirmed."
The decision was made. Xiao Ran joined the passed group.
As he walked, he felt multiple gazes: Elder Zhang Lao's suspicion, Jian Feng's curiosity, Shi Hu's disbelief and growing anger.
And Lin Shu's... approval. She gave the slightest nod as he passed.
The evaluation continued, but the climax had passed. Xiao Ran had done it. He'd survived.
But as he stood among the successful disciples, the System displayed a new concern:
[Attention: Multiple high-level cultivators scanning host]
[Detection risk: 8% and rising]
[Recommendation: Maintain low profile, avoid further displays]
He had passed. But he'd also painted a target on his back.
The Stone had glowed not just with his cultivation level, but with the truth: he was different. An anomaly.
And in a world that valued conformity, anomalies were either destroyed or dissected.
The evaluation ended with fifty-eight expulsions. The failed disciples were led away, some crying, some numb.
The remaining disciples were addressed by Sect Leader Mu Yang Zi: "You have passed the first gate. But the path gets steeper from here. Train hard. Struggle harder. The heavens reward only the diligent."
The Striving Heaven mantra.
As the crowd dispersed, Shi Hu approached Xiao Ran, his face dark. "You cheated. Somehow."
"I recovered," Xiao Ron said simply.
"Nobody recovers that fast. Nobody reaches Level 2 from near-death in weeks." Shi Hu's voice was low, threatening. "I'll find out how. And when I do..."
He didn't finish. Just shoved past.
Jian Feng approached next. He didn't speak at first, just studied Xiao Ran with those intense eyes. Finally: "Your breathing. It's not forced."
"No."
"Your sword stance. You've never practiced it, have you?"
"Not in the conventional way."
Jian Feng nodded as if confirming something. "You understand it. The principle. Not just the motion." He paused. "I would like to talk. Sometime."
Then he was gone.
Lin Shu was the last. She appeared beside him as he walked back to the dormitory. "The Stone reacted to your Tranquil Core," she said softly. "It sensed the potential, not just the current state."
"You know about Tranquil Cores?"
"I've read about them. In banned texts." She met his eyes. "You're walking a dangerous path."
"So I've been told."
"But it's the right path." She smiled that rare, luminous smile. "The clouds approve."
She left him at the dormitory entrance.
That night, as Xiao Ran lay in bed, the System delivered its final assessment of the day:
[General Evaluation: Success]
[Status: Outer Disciple (Confirmed)]
[New Privileges: Access to intermediate techniques, increased resource allocation]
[New Threats: Shi Hu (Escalating), Elder Zhang Lao (Investigating), Jian Feng (Obsessing)]
[Overall Survival Probability: 71% (Up from 3% ten days ago)]
He had done it. Against all odds, he had survived.
But as he looked at the ceiling, feeling the newly potent energy of his Level 2 cultivation, he knew this was just the beginning.
The Stone had glowed. And in its light, he had become visible.
Now he had to learn how to exist in that light without being burned by it.