1: Primordial Purple Qi

Bang! Bang! Bang!

At 5:13 AM, in the abandoned mountain behind the school, the dull impacts echoed like the wails of a dying beast.

Lin Yuan was shirtless, sweat mixed with faint traces of blood streaming down his lean back.

The one hundred and eighth punch!

He used all his strength, smashing it fiercely against the dark metal surface of the force-testing pillar.

Hum—!

At the top of the force-testing pillar, cold numbers jumped violently amidst dazzling red light, eventually locking onto a despairing figure: 3.3.

"Haa... haa..." Lin Yuan gasped heavily, letting his arms drop in exhaustion, his knuckles split and bleeding.

Sweat dripped into the dust at his feet, forming small dark spots.

He looked up, his gaze piercing through the thin morning mist and fixing firmly on the distant city center—there, a massive, deep blue light gate that pierced the heavens stood towering, emitting heart-palpitating energy fluctuations.

The Holy Land for the Martial Artist assessment!

The only ladder leading to power and the future!

And the nightmare he had spent three years of bitter Cultivation trying to reach, yet remained out of reach.

He lowered his head; the cheap silver combat power detector on his wrist, like the cruelest judge, shimmered with a faint light: [Lin Yuan: combat power 3.3].

Beside it was a line of small text: [Monthly increase: 0.3].

The cold data silently mocked his efforts.

The college entrance exam in three months?

At this rate, he would reach 4.2 at best!

And the lowest threshold for the Martial Artist assessment—10 points of combat power!

It was a chasm he could not see across, no matter how hard he tried.

"Tsk, who is playing monkey tricks here so early in the morning? It's annoying as hell!"

An extremely grating, condescending voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence of the mountain.

Lin Yuan's body stiffened; he didn't need to turn around, for that mean-spirited voice was already etched into his marrow—Zhao Hao!

Zhao Hao, accompanied by his three lackeys, strode into the training ground like a local emperor inspecting his territory.

The gleaming silver badge on his chest, symbolizing his identity as a Reserve Martial Artist, reflected a malicious light in the early morning sun, stinging Lin Yuan's eyes.

"Yo! I was wondering who it was!"

Zhao Hao raised his voice exaggeratedly, walked up to the force-testing pillar, and glanced at the bright red "3.3", his face instantly filled with undisguised contempt.

"Isn't this our 'Great Genius' of theory class, Lin Yuan! I heard you got another perfect score in 'Martial Dao Theory' yesterday? Tsk tsk, how amazing! What a pity, what a pity..."

He deliberately drew out his tone, and the tall, thin lackey beside him immediately understood, chiming in with a weird laugh: "It's a pity that the Martial Artist assessment doesn't test armchair tactics! No matter how good some people are at theory, aren't they still just a piece of trash stuck at 3 points of combat power for life? Hahaha!"

Trash!

These two words were like a red-hot iron brand, searing into Lin Yuan's heart.

He gritted his teeth, his jawline tensing sharply, and silently bent down to pick up his worn-out backpack from the ground.

Zhao Hao, the young master of the Zhao Group, relied on the "Body Tempering" pills his family forced into him to stack up 10.3 points of combat power—a complete and utter playboy!

But in a world where martial arts were supreme, results were everything!

"Move."

Lin Yuan's voice was low and hoarse as he tried to squeeze past this group of scum.

"What's the rush?"

A trace of malice flashed in Zhao Hao's eyes, and he suddenly extended his foot to trip him!

Thump!

Caught off guard, Lin Yuan fell hard to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

His backpack flew far away, and the carefully organized notes and materials inside scattered all over the place.

On one of the open notebooks, it was densely packed with neat, elegant handwriting, the title strikingly reading: "Seventeenth Optimization Deduction of the 'Basic Body Refining Technique' and Feasibility Analysis of Spiritual Qi Guidance through the Extraordinary Meridians."

"Oh! My bad!"

Zhao Hao feigned a smile without any apology, raised his foot, and stepped hard on the notebook that condensed countless efforts of Lin Yuan, grinding it with his sole until the clean white paper was instantly blackened and damaged.

"Look! Our 'Genius' is busy with inventions again? Improving a Cultivation Technique? Hahaha! A piece of trash with 3 points of combat power, and you think you're qualified to talk about improvements?"

He bent down, leaning close to Lin Yuan, who was lying miserably on the ground, his voice lowered to a whisper, yet it was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue: "Listen here, trash. At the last simulated combat assessment before the college entrance exam, I will make your face, which only knows how to memorize books, taste what real fists are in front of the whole school! Theory? It's completely useless!"

After saying this, he laughed arrogantly and swaggered away with his lackeys.

Lin Yuan lay on the ground, his fists clenched tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, unaware of the blood seeping out.

Bit by bit, he picked up the trampled and torn pages, carefully brushing off the dust.

One of the pages was exactly what he had calculated all night: a tradition-defying Spiritual Qi circulation route—abandoning the safe twelve standard Meridians to risk impacting the extraordinary Meridians!

Theoretical deduction efficiency increased by 37%!

However, who would take the whimsical ideas of a "trash" seriously?

The first class was "General History of Blue Star."

The white-haired Professor Zhang was just reaching the crucial point: "...A thousand years ago, the 'heaven-reaching pagoda' descended, Spiritual Qi on Blue Star recovered, and the era of universal martial arts began. Spiritual Qi nourishes all things and also births countless rare treasures; 'Star-Shine Grass' is one of the supreme treasures for enhancing Spiritual Qi affinity..."

His gaze swept across the classroom, landing precisely on the silent figure by the window, "Lin Yuan, you tell us the three major taboos of collecting Star-Shine Grass."

Lin Yuan stood up reflexively, the answer pouring out, clear and fluent: "First, one must use jade tools, as metal attributes suppress its spiritual essence; second, it must be gathered at midnight when the starlight is strongest, as picking it during the day causes toxic backlash; third..."

Before he could finish, uncontrollable snickers rang out from the corner.

A theory class representative?

A walking encyclopedia?

Just a poor wretch who couldn't even touch a Reserve Martial Artist badge!

"Very good."

Professor Zhang pushed up his reading glasses, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible regret, "But Lin Yuan, the core of the Martial Artist combat assessment lies in..."

"It lies in a minimum of 10 points of base combat power, at least one proficient offensive Martial Skill, and a neural reaction speed of less than 0.3 seconds."

Lin Yuan recited the standard mechanically, every word hitting his heart like a heavy hammer.

He could not overcome any of these three great mountains.

The bell for the end of class was like a funeral knell.

The homeroom Teacher, Teacher, stopped him at the door with a complex look in her eyes: "Lin Yuan, the Principal wants to see you."

The Principal's office was filled with the bitter aroma of Longjing tea.

The bald Principal Zhou pushed a cup of hot tea in front of Lin Yuan, his voice heavy: "Sit down. I just received an urgent notice from the Municipal Education Bureau; this year's college entrance exam... the weight of theory scores has been lowered from 30% to 15%."

Hum—

Lin Yuan felt his mind go blank.

The last piece of driftwood had sunk!

This meant that even if he achieved an unprecedented perfect score in theory, that insignificant 15% could not bridge the huge gap in points caused by the chasm of combat power!

Top Martial Arts Academy?

Dream on!

Even the lowest-tier Tianming Martial Arts Academy required a baseline of 8 points of combat power!

The Principal looked at his instantly bloodless face, wanting to say something but hesitating: "The school... can try to apply for the 'Theory Specialist' admission channel for you, but the minimum combat power requirement from Tianming Academy..."

He didn't finish the rest of his sentence, but the meaning was clear enough.

Theory Specialist?

In an academy where martial arts culture prevailed, that was a living target, a disgrace labeled with "trash"!

"Thank you, Principal."

Lin Yuan's voice was as dry as sandpaper rubbing together, and he forced himself to squeeze out a smile that looked worse than crying, "I will... think of another way."

A way?

What other way was there?

Despair, like a cold tide, instantly submerged him.

The setting sun was like blood, dyeing the ruined walls of the abandoned chemical plant on the outskirts of the city a tragic orange-red.

This was Lin Yuan's only safe haven.

The mottled walls were covered with Martial Artist insights and Body Refining diagrams cut from old journals.

In the center, a yellowed family photo was carefully pinned there; the young parents in the photo had warm smiles, but now, they had been missing for many years, with no news of their whereabouts.

"Dad, Mom... I'm sorry, your son might... really not make it."

Lin Yuan murmured to the photo, the last glimmer of light in his eyes extinguishing.

The new college entrance exam regulations cut off all his hope of a comeback through theory.

Zhao Hao's threat was like a sharp sword hanging over his head.

"Instead of being humiliated to death in public by Zhao Hao during the mock exam... I might as well... take a gamble!"

A ruthless determination to burn his bridges suddenly ignited in his eyes!

He violently ripped off his school uniform jacket, revealing his arms wrapped in blood-soaked bandages.

The trampled notebook lay open before him, revealing the very "Death Path" he had simulated countless times, yet no one dared to attempt—Spiritual Qi would not follow the Twelve Standard Meridians, but would instead surge directly from the Belt Meridian into the Yin Linking Meridian!

"Traverse the Extraordinary Meridians! Success means life, failure... means no regrets!" Lin Yuan let out a low growl, his eyes as resolute as a soldier facing death! He hesitated no longer, and following the route he had designed, he urged the meager Spiritual Qi within his body with all his might, fiercely charging toward the meridian path regarded as a forbidden zone!

"Argh—!!!"

It felt as if billions of red-hot steel needles had instantly pierced every tiny Meridian throughout his body! The berserk Spiritual Qi, like a runaway mad Dragon, rampaged and tore through him!

Blood vessels bulged hideously beneath his skin, his skin cracked inch by inch, and fresh blood seeped from his pores! Lin Yuan felt as if his Soul were about to be torn apart by this inhuman agony!

He violently spat out a mouthful of scalding blood, his vision went black, and his consciousness, like a candle in the wind, was on the verge of extinguishing!

In this very moment of near-death!

The jade pendant he wore close to his body—the only thing his parents had left behind, engraved with ancient and obscure runes—suddenly erupted with a rich, impenetrable deep purple light!

The light seemed alive, instantly enveloping his entire body!

An indescribable, supreme aura, as if originating from the very beginning of the primordial Universe, surged out from the jade pendant!

That rampant, destructive Spiritual Qi, which had sought to tear him to pieces, now encountered this supreme Primordial Purple Qi and, like a mob meeting their king, instantly became tame and submissive!

The Primordial Purple Qi, in wisps and strands, ignored the barriers of flesh and blood, directly merging into his limbs, bones, internal organs, and even the depths of his Soul, which had been on the verge of collapse!

Hum—!

The combat power detector on his wrist saw its numbers skyrocket like a rocket out of control!

3.5... 3.8... 4.2... 4.9... 5.1...

The afterimages of the wildly jumping numbers almost blurred into one!

Crack!

A crisp cracking sound rang out. After releasing its final wisp of Primordial Purple Qi, the jade pendant that had accompanied him for years instantly became covered in spiderweb-like cracks, then turned into a handful of fine purple light dust, dissipating into the air.

At the same time, within Lin Yuan's mind, which had been chaotic from the intense pain, a crystal-clear, semi-transparent information panel exuding an arcane aura suddenly unfolded:

【grandmist dao foundation · Initial Activation】

Host: Lin Yuan

Base combat power: 6.0

Cultivation Aptitude: Mortal Body (Damaged / Can be repaired and improved)

Main Cultivation Technique: Basic Body Refining Formula (Yellow Rank Low Grade · Can be simulated / Can be evolved)

evolution points: 10 (+ 2 / daily) [Initial Fusion Reward]

Primordial Purple Qi Fusion Rate: 0.001% [Reached physical limit]

A stream of information, like an enlightenment, instantly flooded into the depths of Lin Yuan's consciousness!

This jade pendant... actually contained a wisp of "Primordial Purple Qi" from the beginning of creation! It had been triggered by his heart's blood and had now fused with his very life!

"This... is this... my Opportunity?!" A massive wave of ecstasy slammed into Lin Yuan's mind like a tsunami, almost suffocating him!

He jerked his head up, scanning his surroundings vigilantly. The abandoned factory was deathly silent, with only his own heartbeat thundering like a war drum.

"Talent! This is my Talent Awakening!" An unprecedented, brilliant light erupted in Lin Yuan's eyes—it was an unwillingness to accept fate, and even more, an endless ambition for the future!

Relying on his profound theoretical knowledge base, he instantly understood the terrifying potential of this panel—repairing damage, simulating Cultivation Techniques, evolving Aptitude, and even... fusing with that supreme Primordial Purple Qi!

Mortal Body? Damaged? So what!

From this day on, my, Lin Yuan's, fate will be rewritten by my own hands!

Zhao Hao? The college entrance exam? Martial Artist?!

Just you wait!

An unprecedented sense of power surged and roiled in his clenched fist!

"Is this power... real?" After the immense ecstasy, an uncontrollable urge welled up in his heart.

Lin Yuan stood up abruptly, his gaze like lightning, instantly locking onto a spot not far away. It was an abandoned metal pipe, half-buried in the Foundation ruins, rusted but as thick as an adult's thigh!

This pipe had once been an unreachable goal for him. A month ago, he had used all his strength and could only leave a shallow dent on it.

"Try it! I must try it!"

There were no fancy Moves, no shouting to build up momentum. Lin Yuan simply followed his body's most instinctive impulse, channeling that scorching power—which was roaring and surging within him, almost bursting out of his body—along the Meridians that had been groomed and nourished by the Primordial Purple Qi, frantically pouring it into his right arm!

Hum!

The air itself seemed to tremble, unable to bear the weight!

Boom—!!!

A simple, straightforward punch! Fast as lightning! Powerful as a thunderbolt!

The instant his fist made contact with the rusted metal pipe, time seemed to freeze for a split second.

Crack! Clang—!!!

A piercing sound of metal breaking, twisting, and exploding erupted deafeningly!

Under Lin Yuan's fist, the thick metal pipe, like rotten wood struck by a ten-thousand-ton hydraulic press, instantly collapsed and shattered inward from the point of contact!

Twisted metal fragments sprayed everywhere with terrifying kinetic energy, embedding themselves deep into the surrounding concrete walls! The broken pipe body slammed into the ground with immense force, kicking up a sky full of dust!

Amidst the swirling dust, Lin Yuan slowly retracted his fist. On his knuckles, there was only a faint red mark; not even the skin was broken! He didn't even feel any significant recoil!

He looked down at the combat power detector on his wrist. When he had thrown that earth-shattering punch, the number on the screen had briefly jumped to a figure that made his heart stop—10.7! Only then did it slowly fall back to 8.0 and stabilize.

"Burst power... far exceeding my normal state!" A brilliant light shot from Lin Yuan's eyes as he instantly understood the meaning of the "8.0" on the detector.

Although his base combat power was 6.0, 8.0 was his comprehensive combat power assessment in a normal state; his full-force strike could actually instantly break through the 10-point mark, even touching the edge of 11!

This meant that the instantaneous destructive power of his punch just now had already surpassed Zhao Hao's so-called Reserve Martial Artist level of 10.3!

"Hiss..." After the extreme excitement, a strong sense of weakness, accompanied by a faint stinging pain deep in his Meridians, washed over him. Lin Yuan immediately checked the panel in his mind:

Host: Lin Yuan

Base combat power: 6.0

Cultivation Aptitude: Mortal Body (Damaged / Can be repaired and improved) [Severe meridian hidden injuries detected: Forced burst intensified the damage]

Main Cultivation Technique: Basic Body Refining Formula (Yellow Rank Low Grade · Can be simulated / Can be evolved)

evolution points: 10 (+ 2 / daily) [Initial Fusion Reward]

Primordial Purple Qi Fusion Rate: 0.001% [Reached physical limit]

"Meridian hidden injuries... forced burst will intensify the damage..." Lin Yuan calmed down immediately, understanding the limitation.

The Primordial Purple Qi had temporarily repaired and strengthened his body, giving him explosive power, but his Foundation had not been fully resolved. The price of that extreme punch just now was the needle-like stinging pain in his Meridians.

Lin Yuan quickly analyzed his own state, "The top priority is to use these 10 evolution points to prioritize repairing the meridian hidden injuries and improving my Mortal Body Aptitude!

Only with a solid Foundation can I withstand greater power, continue to grow stronger, and truly unleash the potential of the Primordial Purple Qi!"

He looked at those 10 precious evolution points with burning eyes. Repairing damage, improving Aptitude, simulating and evolving Cultivation Techniques... each one was incredibly tempting!

"Zhao Hao... the mock exam..." A cold and confident arc curled at the corners of Lin Yuan's mouth. A base combat power of 8.0, combined with his unparalleled theoretical knowledge and understanding of combat, was already enough to establish a foothold among Reserve Martial Artists!

If he were to also repair the hidden injuries and improve his Aptitude... then the mock exam, whose nightmare would it really be?!

He clenched his fist again; this time, the sense of power was more real and more controllable. He looked at the metal wreckage he had blasted apart with one punch, as if seeing Zhao Hao's arrogant and overbearing face.

"Just you wait, time... is on my side now!"