10: Achieved overnight

The night was inky black, deeply shrouding the continuous mountain ranges of Qingyun Sect.

In the courtyards where the Outer Sect Disciples lived, the lights had long been extinguished, leaving only the barely audible chirping of insects and the rising and falling snores. In the crowded wooden bunkhouse, an nauseating, sour, rotten smell, a mixture of sweat and foot odor, permeated the air.

Lin Ye lay on his hard, uncomfortable bed board, his eyes tightly closed and his breathing steady, seemingly no different from the seven other Disciples in the room who had long since fallen asleep.

However, in the depths of his consciousness, there was an unprecedented clarity.

The scene of him being bullied by Zhao Tian in the valley during the day replayed in his mind like a brand. The suffocating feeling of his throat being choked, the eyes full of disdain and greed, the humiliation of being wantonly insulted as if he were an ant being crushed... All of it transformed into the most primitive, coldest rage, burning silently in his chest.

But this rage did not make him lose his reason. On the contrary, it was like a piece of quenched ice, making Lin Ye's thoughts incredibly clear and firm.

He realized more clearly than ever that in this world, dignity, reason, and even the right to survive were built upon the two words: "strength."

Without strength, even the air you breathe is controlled by others.

"I need power... stronger power!"

This thought surged like an undercurrent in the deep sea.

He completely immersed his mind in his brain, and the light blue, technologically advanced System panel appeared at his command.

Under the [Status] tab, his personal data was still dismal, and his Cultivation Realm was still "Qi Refining Stage One (Weakened State)." But in the [Cultivation Technique] section, a change had quietly occurred.

[Cultivation Technique Name: Iron Sand Palm (Low Grade Mortal)]

[Current Realm: Entry Level (Proficiency 50 / 200)]

From Entry Level to Minor Achievement, 200 proficiency points were needed. At this moment, he had already completed a quarter of it.

"It's still not enough... far from enough!"

The Entry Level Iron Sand Palm might double his efficiency when chopping wood, but in a real fight, facing Zhao Tian, who was at Qi Refining Stage Three, this level of strength was no different from fighting bare-handed.

He had to Breakthrough quickly and reach the Minor Achievement Realm!

Only upon reaching Minor Achievement could the Iron Sand Palm truly be considered a Martial Skill for killing, with true "Coiling Force" contained within its palm strikes. While it might not be able to shatter stone tablets, its power against flesh and blood bodies would definitely be greatly enhanced.

Lin Ye's will decisively landed on the [Tasks] tab.

"System, create an AFK task!"

[Please set the AFK duration.]

"Set the AFK duration to 8 hours."

From now until dawn, that was roughly the time. This was the longest and safest Cultivation time he could utilize.

[Task creation successful!]

[Task Target: Iron Sand Palm]

[Remaining Time: 7 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds]

[Current Status: Running...]

The moment the command was confirmed, a warm current, thicker and warmer than any he had felt during the day, suddenly rose from deep within his Dantian. It then split into two paths, slowly but steadily converging towards his palms along the Meridians of his arms.

"It's begun!"

Lin Ye's heart settled. He adjusted his sleeping posture, trying to relax his body.

The extreme exhaustion from the day, coupled with the high tension and subsequent relaxation of his mind, quickly overwhelmed him with a surging sleepiness.

But this sleep was completely different from before.

In his dream, he seemed to stand in an boundless dark space. A blurry figure, identical to him, was tirelessly practicing the "Iron Sand Palm" in front of him.

Chop, hack, slap, push... Every movement was perfectly standard, every exertion of force perfectly aligned with the "Coiling Force Clue." The figure repeated the movements over and over again, and with each repetition, the color of his palm deepened slightly, and his movements became more stable and powerful.

Meanwhile, Lin Ye's body resonated with it in his sleep.

The warm current circulated repeatedly through his palms, cycle after cycle. Each cycle silently transformed his hands. The capillaries beneath his skin expanded and reorganized, muscle fibers were torn and strengthened, and even the palm bones gradually increased in density under the infiltration of this energy.

Time quietly slipped away in the silent night... *Dong!*

After an unknown period, a piercing clang of a gong, like a clap of thunder, exploded over the courtyard, violently tearing through the stillness before dawn.

"Get up! All of you, get your asses up and work!"

The familiar, emotionless roar of the Steward of the Menial Servants rang out on time.

Inside the wooden house, there was a chorus of sighs. The Disciples in the room, one by one, groggily and reluctantly climbed out of bed, their young faces filled with sleepiness and the numbness of another day of labor.

Lin Ye also opened his eyes at the sound of the gong.

Unlike the fatigue of others, he felt that this sleep was more refreshing than ever before. The exhaustion of his body was swept away, replaced by a feeling of abundant energy and overflowing strength!

And at the moment his consciousness cleared, a series of System prompts, like a tide, surged into his mind!

[Ding! "Iron Sand Palm" has been automatically Cultivated for 8 hours.]

[Detected that the host's mind was calm and his will firm during Cultivation, and he was in a quiet night environment, Cultivation efficiency received an additional bonus...]

[This Cultivation session yielded a total of: 150 proficiency points!]

["Iron Sand Palm" current total proficiency: 50 + 150 = 200 / 200.]

[Ding! Proficiency is full, "Iron Sand Palm" Realm has increased!]

[Congratulations to the host! "Iron Sand Palm" has reached — Minor Achievement Realm!]

Buzz!

It was as if an invisible shackle had shattered within his body with a crash!

The warm current that had flowed between his palms all night suddenly converged and compressed at this moment, finally completely integrating into his palm bones and flesh!

An unprecedented feeling of power instantly swept through Lin Ye's entire body!

He subconsciously raised his hands and, by the faint morning light filtering through the window crack, carefully examined them.

Outwardly, these hands seemed no different from yesterday, still slender and bearing the unique immaturity of a youth.

But only Lin Ye himself knew that inside, earth-shattering changes had occurred!

He could clearly feel that the skin of his palms had become several times tougher than before, feeling like a thin layer of cowhide. The flesh beneath the skin was even more filled with explosive power.

He slowly and silently clenched his fists.

Creak—

A slight, grating sound of finger bones rubbing together, enough to make one's teeth ache, was heard. A scorching, powerful sensation rose from his palms. He had no doubt that the strength of his grip at this moment was enough to easily crush hard stone!

"This... is the Minor Achievement Realm of 'Iron Sand Palm'?"

Lin Ye's heart pounded violently with immense surprise.

Overnight, simply by sleeping, his strength had become vastly different from yesterday, a world apart!

He quietly slipped out of bed, trying not to make a sound. The other Disciples in the room were still sluggishly getting dressed, and no one noticed his abnormality.

His gaze fell on the wooden leg of his bed. The bed leg was made of hard black ironwood, which an adult might not even be able to budge.

Lin Ye's heart stirred, and he casually reached out, placing his hand on the sturdy bed leg.

He didn't use all his strength, only activating the Minor Achievement Coiling Force in his palm, and his five fingers suddenly squeezed!

"Crack..."

A very faint sound of wood fibers being crushed was heard.

Lin Ye's pupils suddenly contracted, and he withdrew his hand like lightning.

He looked down and saw five shallow but startling finger marks clearly left on the surface of the iron-hard bed leg!

"So... such strong power!"

Lin Ye himself was startled by this power! He quickly used his body to cover the mark without a change in expression, but a storm raged in his heart.

What if this squeeze were on a person's bones?

A thought uncontrollably popped into his mind, making his blood slightly boil.

"Zhao Tian..."

The name reappeared in his mind. But this time, what accompanied it was no longer humiliation and powerlessness, but a confident, cold killing intent!

So what if he's at Qi Refining Stage Three?

As long as I get close with these iron palms, I will surely make your... tendons snap and bones break!

Lin Ye slowly exhaled a mouthful of stale air, forcibly suppressing the agitation and killing intent in his heart. He knew it was not yet time to reveal himself.

He silently put on his clothes, his face once again displaying that numb, submissive, and even somewhat startled expression. He followed behind the other Disciples in the room, walked out of the wooden house, and merged into the stream of people heading for the morning's labor.

The faint morning light stretched his shadow long.

From his back, he was still that inconspicuous Utility Disciple, who could be eliminated at any time.