Another two weeks passed in the same cycle. The lavish mansion of the Luo family slowly returned to its routine without Luo Yuexi. The halls lost their life and grandeur. Family members stopped visiting as frequently, and the staff fell into an automaton-like repetition of routine. The once grand mansion started becoming dull and lifeless.
To Luo Feng, this stretch of time and boredom was especially severe. For the entire two weeks, he barely left the courtyard. There was no one who sought him out. No one destined him for visits. No one was unlucky enough to have him as their obligation. When there were no family meals, the staff would leave food in silence. After they departed, the courtyard would fall dead once again, and the silence would stretch on undisturbed.
There was nothing in this routine for Luo Feng to be restless about. The nothingness of his life was, after all, a contrast to the humiliation and neglect he had previously suffered. No one vexed him. No great expectations were placed upon him.
Most importantly, however, his physique was still evolving—even if it was occurring at a much more gradual pace compared to the abrupt bursts of power he had first experienced. This change was subtle and without clear signs. It had become so difficult to notice that a casual observer would certainly have seen nothing at all.
Yet the transformation was real.
His once long and laborious walks became effortless, no longer draining him in the slightest. Objects in the courtyard that had once been a burden to lift remained manageable, yet felt lighter in his hands. His grip grew stronger. His coordination and balance improved steadily.
Still, the changes were not as radical as before.
The initial transformation had been like pulling himself free from muddy ground. The current stage felt more like climbing a gentle slope.
Luo Feng did not mind. On the contrary, the gradual pace gave him comfort.
Then, as the days passed, he began to feel a certain pressure inside his body. It was not pain, nor did it interfere with his physical movement. The sensation resembled tension building—like water gathering behind a dam.
When he sat quietly and focused, the pressure became more pronounced. It felt as though he were brushing against a limit, a kind of invisible boundary.
He could not define this boundary, nor put it into words. Yet he sensed that crossing it would bring a completely different experience from the steady pressure that continued to build.
Today, Luo Feng sat in his room, preparing tea at the small wooden table he always used. The process was ritualistic—pouring the water, stepping away, waiting precisely for the leaves to steep.
As vapor rose into the air, he lifted the teapot and once again thought of the system.
Over the past two weeks, he had developed a habit of checking it. Each time, it remained the same. The partner was still bound. Karma remained unchanged.
Yet today, for some reason, he felt an inexplicable urge to check again.
The panel appeared before him as if summoned by instinct.
Luo Feng's hand froze mid-motion.
[Karma: 10]
He thought it was a glitch.
He checked again.
Ten.
Tea began to overflow, spilling across the table, yet Luo Feng did not react. All of his attention was fixed on the panel.
Previously, the number had been zero. He was certain of it. There had been no notification, no indication of change.
Yet his karma had increased.
A small smile formed on his lips as he examined the panel more closely.
[Bound: Huang Lei (Qi Refinement Level 2)]
The first line remained unchanged, but karma had risen.
Luo Feng narrowed his eyes.
As he focused on the karma value, something shifted. The number responded subtly to his attention, almost as if inviting interaction.
After a moment of hesitation, he made his choice.
The panel updated.
A new line appeared beneath the karma value:
[Spend karma points to accelerate cultivation feedback from bound partners for 24 hours]
Luo Feng inhaled deeply.
Karma was not something to hoard. It was meant to be spent—to amplify the feedback he had been receiving all along.
Below the message was a blank field prompting him to enter a number.
The implication was clear.
The more karma he spent, the stronger—or faster—the feedback would be, at least temporarily.
But questions remained.
Why was karma rising?
What actions caused it?
Was it random? Patterned?
Luo Feng leaned back, his gaze unfocused in the silence.
He had not interacted with Huang Lei. He had not influenced any events.
The most probable explanation was that karma rose due to Huang Lei's own growth—his cultivation, his destiny, or major developments surrounding him.
If that was true, then Luo Feng was far more deeply connected to Huang Lei than he had initially realized.
Before he could experiment with the karma function, the panel flickered.
The sudden distortion snapped him back to attention.
Another system notification blocked his vision.
He read it quickly.
[Huang Lei has awakened his saint physique: Barbaric Dominator Body]
Luo Feng's mind went blank.
"Saint Physique…" he murmured.
Just uttering the words made his blood heat.
Physiques of this caliber could alter the course of history—not merely the fate of one individual.
All of his previous assumptions suddenly made sense.
Huang Lei had never been ordinary.
Before Luo Feng could fully process it, another notification appeared.
[You can choose one of the following:][1. Claim Physique][2. Convert to karma points]
The two options hovered before him like a verdict awaiting judgment.