The Azure Serpent Sect's Training Grounds were alive with the rhythmic clash of techniques and the thick smell of scorched spirit grass. Rayen Wu stood at the edge of Arena C, watching two disciples exchange fierce, flame-laced blows.
It looked impressive.
But to Rayen, it was a poorly optimized waste of energy.
:: Spectral analysis complete. Average efficiency: 34.7%. Style: aggressive, lacking in foundational control. High probability of internal Qi deviation under pressure. ::
"Q.E.D., if I ever fight like that, feel free to shock me."
:: Noted. Preparing neural correction protocol labeled 'Idiot Mode'. ::
Rayen grinned and adjusted the strap of his spirit pouch. He wasn't here just to critique. Today, the sect had opened up sanctioned combat practice—with ranked simulations. Each win meant points. Points meant reputation. And reputation meant more access.
As a freshly minted Foundation Establishment cultivator, he needed all three.
"Rayen Wu?"
The voice belonged to a lean disciple in pale blue robes, with a courteous bow and a sword strapped across his back.
"Yes?" Rayen answered.
"I'm Tian Feng. Arena C moderator. You've been assigned to this bracket. Opponent's on the way."
:: Opponent probability matrix initialized. Most likely profile: Mid-Foundation, aggressive, prefers fire-based techniques. Suggest thermal resistance barrier. ::
"Already on it." Rayen reached into his pouch and tapped a jade talisman that shimmered faintly with cooling inscriptions.
Moments later, a stocky woman with a twin-bladed saber strode up to the arena. Her arms were scarred, her expression impassive.
"Tao Mei," she said. "I don't like talking during fights."
"Then you'll love me," Rayen replied.
Tian Feng raised a hand. "Begin!"
Tao Mei moved like an avalanche—fast, brutal, and direct. Her saber whistled through the air with a heat-trailing edge.
Rayen stepped back and snapped his fingers.
:: Initiating kinetic echo. Sabers detected: twin trajectory. Deploying angular momentum siphon. ::
The talisman on Rayen's belt flared. One saber curved unnaturally to the left. The other shuddered as if dragged by invisible force.
Tao Mei paused for half a second.
Rayen used it.
He drove two fingers into a sigil traced into the air. From beneath the stage, a burst of steam erupted—his own Steam Qi Technique, jury-rigged from alchemy exhaust principles.
She coughed. Her stance faltered.
Rayen closed in.
Palm glowing, he struck not her body but the blade itself. Qi flowed in reverse, feeding back into her arm and making her stagger.
Then he pivoted, swept her feet, and knocked her clean onto the mat.
Silence. Then applause.
Tian Feng blinked. "Victory… Rayen Wu."
Tao Mei grunted, picking herself up. "Weirdest fight I've ever had."
"Thanks," Rayen said. "I optimize for confusion."
Back at Lab 7B, Rayen stood before his modified simulation dummy—a wooden construct now reinforced with alchemy-hardened alloys and embedded with sensors.
:: Combat feedback logged. Weakness: overreliance on calculated delays. Suggest improving reflex-tier response times. ::
"Agreed. Let's recalibrate. Simulate triple enemy assault: two with elemental affinity, one rogue-style."
The dummy lit up with three illusionary opponents.
Rayen danced through their strikes, manipulating the flow of heat and pressure through microthermal adjustments.
Steam hissed. Qi flowed. Equations filled his mind.
He didn't just react—he simulated, ran projections, and adjusted paths like solving a living formula.
When the sequence ended, all three illusions blinked out.
:: Efficiency: 83%. Energy expenditure: 61%. Damage taken: 0.03% (accidental toe stub). ::
"Damn that corner," Rayen muttered.
He collapsed into the lab chair and opened his status sheet.
**[Rayen Wu – Cultivator Status Sheet]**
• Cultivation Stage: Foundation Establishment – Layer 1 (Ember Core: Stable)
• Core Stability: 78%
• Martial Techniques:
⁃ Ember Pulse Palm (field-tested)
⁃ Thermal Weave Breathing (custom method)
⁃ Steam Qi Displacement (new)
⁃ Kinetic Feedback Reversal
• Alchemy Affinity: Very High
• Pill Formulas Mastered:
⁃ High-tier Body Refinement Pill
⁃ Ember Spark Draught
⁃ Soup of Enlightenment (banned)
• Notable Items: Quantum Entangled Drive (Q.E.D.), Lab 7B Access, Sect Trial Token, Thermal Resistance Talisman
• Combat Rating: Mid-Tier Foundation (unorthodox modifier applied)
Rayen closed the sheet with a smirk.
The trials were coming. And he wasn't just going to pass them—he was going to redefine how cultivation was measured.
"Q.E.D.," he said, "let's start working on a stealth pill. Something to suppress Qi presence temporarily."
:: Suggest utilizing Shadow Lotus extract and refined Whisper Pearl dust. Side effect: potential vocal inversion. ::
Rayen paused. "Vocal inversion?"
:: Your voice may become extremely deep. Or extremely high. Randomized. ::
He grinned. "Now that's an entrance strategy."
Outside, the sun dipped low. In the heart of the Azure Serpent Sect, a new kind of cultivator was rising—one armed with logic, laughter, and a little chaos.
And the world had no idea how to handle him.