Night fell like a velvet curtain, but inside the villa, Qi surged.
Ren Wei didn't rest.
The moment the stars blinked into the sky, he was already seated in the courtyard, eyes shut, the runes of the **Heaven-Spiral Qi Net** glowing faintly beneath him.
No pills.
No guides.
Only pain — and defiance.
> "You want progress, Sheng Lian?
> I'll give you something the heavens themselves will feel."
The **Heaven-Flaying Vein Scripture** roared to life. Qi didn't flow — it lashed.
His body shook.
His veins lit up like branding irons, forcing open meridians that had only just begun to heal. The air around him shimmered with spiritual heat.
> *Ding!*
> **Qi Refinement Level 5 Achieved**
> – Passive Ability: [Iron Blood Meditation] upgraded
> – Qi Channel Expansion: +12%
> – Internal Tempering: Stable
> – Side Effect: Bone marrow Qi saturation exceeded recommended limit
A line of blood slipped down from his nose — evaporated before touching the floor.
> "Still not enough…"
His vision blurred. The pain didn't stop.
He didn't ask it to.
> "Let it hurt."
It was nearly dawn when he finally exhaled.
His eyes opened — darker than before.
Sharper. Focused. Hungry.
He didn't just want power now.
He was beginning to **remember** how it felt to **take** it.
---
A knock at the villa door broke the silence.
Soft. Controlled. Intentional.
Ren Wei stood and opened it.
A silver-haired girl in pale green robes stood on the steps, her expression neutral. Her stance was soldier-straight, and her fingers held a single scroll with Sheng Lian's wax seal.
> "You're Mei Rou's replacement?" Ren Wei asked, voice rough from cultivation.
The girl bowed, exact and practiced.
> "No. Mei Rou remains your steward. I am your appointed support maid send by Sheng Lian, my master doesn't want that Han Crest take you from her. I assist with daily training, Qi-related cooking, and combat preparation."
Ren Wei raised an eyebrow.
She extended the scroll.
He broke the seal. Inside, Sheng Lian's brushstrokes flowed like sword cuts:
> *"Progress noted.
> Heaven's Ring awaits.
> Don't embarrass me."*
> — **S**
Ren Wei smiled faintly.
> "So she does care."
The girl straightened. " Your duel is in three days. Shall I arrange battle garments and recovery meals?"
> "Three days, huh..."
He looked past her, toward the distant ring of clouds over the inner city.
> "Then I'll give her a miracle in two."
> *Ding!*
> **Main Quest Updated: [Make Her Wait]**
> – Reach Qi Refinement Level **7** before the Heaven's Ring Duel
> – Optional Bonus: Earn a title that silences the Four Great Families
> – Time Remaining: 72 hours
> – Reward: ???
He rolled the scroll back up, his hands tightening around it.
> "Let's see who waits for who."
Behind him, the villa's Qi array pulsed in rhythm with his heart.
The villa bathed in twilight was quieter than death. But inside, the storm only deepened.
Mei Rou was tending to tea again when the silence was broken by soft footsteps.
A second maid had arrived.
She bowed slightly, her silver hair tied in a neat braid and her eyes sharp.
> "I am **Su Yao**, direct attendant of Lady Sheng Lian."
She glanced at Mei Rou, who stood with a blank expression.
> "So… we're both assigned to serve some broke Qi brat?"
Mei Rou gave a half-shrug. "Orders are orders. But I didn't expect *this.*"
Ren Wei raised a brow as they exchanged skeptical glances, but said nothing. He returned to the central courtyard and sat in meditation.
As the sky darkened, he breathed deeper.
One hour passed. Then two. Then five.
> *Ding!*
> **Qi Refinement Level 6: Achieved**
> *Stat Points Allocated: +2 Constitution, +1 Mental Focus, +2 Qi Control*
> **New Passive Synergy Activated: Iron Blood Meditation + Heaven-Flaying Vein Scripture**
> *Qi Recovery Speed While Injured: +8%*
Ren Wei opened his eyes slowly.
> "Three more steps... and I will tear the sky."
---
At dawn, he dressed simply. Su Yao stood by the gate, dressed in a long black coat with red embroidery — elegant but discreet.
> "Young Master," she said with a smirk. "Shall we?"
They walked to school together, drawing stares.
A group of students — three boys in slick uniforms — stepped forward, smirking.
> "Yo, orphan brat. You finally crawled out of your trash pile?"
> "Where'd you steal this maid from?"
> "Think you're someone just 'cause you changed clothes?"
Ren Wei didn't even break stride. He turned his gaze to them.
> "You're right," he said softly. "I was born in the dirt. But dirt grows roots. Yours rot."
They stepped back instinctively — something about the way he looked at them felt wrong.
Su Yao smiled faintly.
After school, Ren Wei returned to the villa.
Sheng Lian was waiting.
She sat at the garden table, sipping cold tea. Her cloak hung from the chair like mist.
> "So?" she said. "How is Su Yao treating you?"
> "Like someone sent to spy on me."
She smirked. "You're mine. Not Han Crest's."
> "That's not what my blood says."
She studied him for a moment… then froze.
> "You… broke through again?"
She stood, eyes narrowing.
> "In one night?! No… that's—"
He stepped past her toward the villa.
> "You said you'd return when I made real progress."
> "You consider this real?"
He turned.
> "I'm not real yet. But when I am… the heavens will flinch."
> *Ding!*
> **Main Quest Updated: "Rise Without Shadow" (Stage 2)**
> – Reach Qi Refinement Level 9
> – Reward: Hidden Physique Evolution (???), Special Bloodline Detection, Dao Fragment Revelation
Sheng Lian said nothing.
She simply stared, as if looking into a storm she couldn't predict.