Chapter 6: STILL AT THE BOTTOM
Morning settled over the Azure Cloud Sect like a thin veil of mist.
The training grounds stretched wide and orderly, stone tiles worn smooth by decades of footsteps and sweat. Tall wooden pillars lined the perimeter, etched faintly with formation marks long dulled by time. Disciples filtered in steadily, their murmurs blending with the soft hum of circulating Qi in the surroundings.
Li Chen arrived quietly.
As usual.
The moment he stepped onto the grounds, eyes drifted his way—not curious ones, but familiar, dismissive glances. Some whispered secretly. Others didn't bother lowering their voices at all.
"So he really came back again."
"I thought Elder Yun would finally give up."
"Fourteen times carried out like a sack of grain… embarrassing."
Li Chen ignored them.
His body still ached beneath his robes, a dull soreness that reminded him of every mistake he'd made in that forest. But unlike before, the pain didn't drown his thoughts. It sat there—contained, manageable.
Posture, he reminded himself.
He straightened his back just slightly and took his place among the outer disciples.
A scoffing laugh cut through the murmurs.
"Well, well. Look who crawled back."
Fang Ji stepped forward, hands resting casually at his waist, his presence loud even before he spoke again. His Qi wasn't subtle—it pressed outward, aggressive and unrestrained, as if daring others to acknowledge it.
Peak Mortal Plane.
He had every reason to be proud.
The Fang Family wasn't among the great clans, but they were solid—mid-tier, reliable. Several elders held steady positions within the Tempered Plane, and even a couple of them had even broken into the Early Arcane Plane years ago. Not legends, but enough to elevate the family's standing.
Enough to inflate Fang Ji's ego.
"I heard you fainted again," Fang Ji said with a grin. "What was it this time? A strong breeze?"
A few disciples laughed.
Li Chen looked at him calmly.
"No," he replied. "I just didn't feel like entertaining an audience."
The laughter faltered.
Fang Ji's smile twitched. "You're getting bolder."
"No," Li Chen said evenly. "Just tired."
Fang Ji snorted. "Careful. People might start thinking you've improved."
Li Chen said nothing.
That silence, measured and deliberate, irritated Fang Ji more than insults ever could.
From farther back, a tall disciple leaned against a stone pillar, arms folded, expression unreadable.
Shen Yao.
Unlike Fang Ji, Shen Yao didn't jeer or mock. He was known for something else entirely—cruelty masked as amusement. He had been one of the first to shove Li Chen to the ground months ago, laughing as others followed suit.
His eyes lingered on Li Chen now, sharp and assessing.
Interesting, Shen Yao thought. He'sstandingstraighter.
A sharp clap echoed across the grounds.
"Form up," the instructor commanded.
Disciples dropped into seated positions.
Li Chen lowered himself onto the stone and closed his eyes.
The familiar ache flared as he began circulating Qi.
Immediately, a presence stirred.
"Slow down," the system said coolly. "You're pushing like an amateur again."
Li Chen resisted the urge to scowl. I'm doing it the same way as always.
"Yes," the system replied dryly. "And you've always done it wrong."
He inhaled.
"Cloud Flow is not about force," the system continued. "It's about continuity. Imagine mist moving through a valley—unbroken, unhurried."
Li Chen adjusted.
The Qi within him responded, thin but obedient. Pain bloomed as it passed through damaged meridians, but this time, he didn't panic.
"Good," the system said. "Endure. Do not compress yet. You'll tear something you can't afford to replace."
Nearby, Fang Ji's Qi surged loudly, his circulation aggressive and domineering.
"Show-off," the system muttered. "All volume, no finesse."
Li Chen nearly laughed.
He felt it now—the differences. Fang Ji's raw strength. Shen Yao's sharp, efficient flow. Others stumbled, their Qi sputtering unevenly.
And Li Chen?
Weak.
But clean.
When the instructor called for them to stop, Li Chen opened his eyes slowly.
Sweat trickled down his spine.
"You didn't embarrass yourself," the system said reluctantly. "A low bar, but still."
"High praise," Li Chen thought back.
"Strength assessment," the instructor announced.
The stone slab was rolled forward.
Fang Ji stepped up first, cracking his knuckles dramatically.
"Watch closely," he said over his shoulder.
He struck the slab with a Qi-infused palm.
The runes flared bright red.
"Peak Mortal Realm indeed," someone murmured.
Fang Ji smirked and stepped back, basking in the attention.
Others followed.
Zhou Kai, from a minor family, barely triggered a reaction—his strike weak, Qi unstable.
Sneers followed.
Then Lin Yue, a disciple from the Lin Family—one of the stronger households tied to the sect. Her strike caused the slab to glow brighter than Fang Ji's had.
Whispers erupted.
"Stronger than Fang Ji…"
"The Lin Family really spared no resources."
Fang Ji's smile stiffened.
More names followed. Some failed. Others excelled.
Power and lineage were on full display.
Then—
"Li Chen."
He stepped forward.
Fang Ji laughed openly. "Try not to faint on the stone."
Li Chen placed his palm against the slab.
His thoughts were oddly calm.
Withhold everything. Not a thread more.
Li Chen struck.
Nothing happened.
The slab remained dull and lifeless.
Silence.
Then laughter.
"Expected."
"As useless as ever."
"Why even bother calling his name?"
Fang Ji nearly doubled over, clutching his sides. "Impressive! Truly impressive! I didn't think it was possible to be worse than last time!"
Li Chen stepped back, maintaining a poker face.
Inside, he grinned.
"Excellent," the system said approvingly. "Sensible for once. I'm shocked."
"Don't get used to it," Li Chen thought back.
The instructor frowned slightly.
He had felt it.
Just for an instant—Qi. Faint, controlled, deliberately withdrawn.
Strange, he thought.
Shen Yao noticed it too.
He didn't laugh.
Instead, his eyes narrowed just a fraction.
Li Chen returned to his place among the outer disciples, heart steady.
I can't reveal anything yet, he thought. Not until I can explain it. Not until I can defend it.
The system hummed softly.
"Caution suits you," it said. "For now."
Li Chen kept his gaze forward, posture relaxed, expression unreadable.
To everyone else, he was still the same weak disciple.
And that was exactly how he wanted it.
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