4: First time cultivating

Lin Ye was woken up by a rough shove.

"What time is it and you're still sleeping! Do you really think you're some rich young master from the Inner Sect?"

A sharp, sarcastic voice rang in his ears. Without even opening his eyes, Lin Ye knew it was Steward Zhang, the Steward of the Menial Servants.

He struggled to open his heavy eyelids, the dazzling morning light making him squint. His entire body felt as if it had been disassembled and reassembled, aching all over, especially his shoulders and legs, which still retained the sharp pain from carrying water yesterday. His stomach was empty, and hunger, like an invisible hand, clutched his gut tightly.

If it had been before yesterday, such a predicament would have been enough to plunge him into despair again. But at this moment, a completely different emotion—anticipation—lurked in Lin Ye's heart.

He almost subconsciously immersed his consciousness into his mind.

The light blue translucent panel indeed floated quietly in the depths of his consciousness. In the [Task] column, the AFK task for "Iron Sand Palm" was still steadfastly being executed.

"Remaining Time: 2 hours 05 minutes 31 seconds"

It wasn't a dream!

All of this was real!

A huge surge of ecstasy almost made him laugh out loud on the spot, but he forcefully held it back. He took a deep breath, using all his strength to suppress the excitement in his heart, his face still maintaining that tired, numb, and even somewhat timid expression.

He struggled to sit up from the hard bed, bowed his head to Steward Zhang, and said in a hoarse voice, "Steward Zhang, I... I'll get up right away."

Steward Zhang looked him up and down with a sidelong glance. Seeing his face as pale as paper, looking as if he might faint again at any moment, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. He snorted coldly, "Consider yourself lucky you're not dead yet. Since you're awake, stop playing dead! Seeing you half-dead like this today, you won't be able to do any water-carrying or wood-chopping work, so go help out in the dining hall! If you dare to slack off again, you'll see how I deal with you!"

With that, he slammed the door shut and left.

Helping out in the dining hall was also one of the most undesirable chores for Outer Sect Disciple. The space was cramped, constantly accompanied by smoke and intense heat. In summer, it was hot enough to bake a person, and in winter, one had to use icy cold well water to wash mountains of dishes.

Lin Ye didn't care at all. For him now, it didn't matter what he did, as long as... he could AFK!

He leaned against the wall, stumbled to his feet, and stretched his stiff body. Strangely, although his limbs still ached, his hands didn't feel as bad as he had imagined. On the contrary, a subtle warmth seemed to slowly flow deep within his palms, dispelling some of the fatigue.

"Is it the System's effect?" Lin Ye's heart stirred, and he gained more confidence in his future life.

After simply washing his face with cold water to clear his head, Lin Ye dragged his weak body towards the dining hall.

At this time, it was just dawning, and the back kitchen of the dining hall was already a scene of bustling activity. In the huge stoves, flames burned fiercely, illuminating the faces of several Disciple responsible for stoking the fire. Steam permeated the air, mixed with the aroma of rice and flour and the choking smell of oil smoke, forming a unique scent.

"Newcomer? What are you standing there for! All those vegetables piled up over there must be washed and chopped today!" A burly kitchen Disciple with a fierce face pointed at the small mountain of greens and radishes piled in the corner and shouted at Lin Ye.

"Yes, Senior Brother." Lin Ye dared not delay, quickly responded, and walked to the sink to start working.

His task was arduous and monotonous, constantly repeating the actions of washing, removing roots, and chopping. The icy well water quickly made his hands red and numb. Long periods of bending and standing made his already weak body sway precariously.

The surrounding Utility Disciple all had numb expressions and mechanical movements. No one communicated, and the entire back kitchen only had the crackling of the stove fire, the chopping sounds of cutting vegetables, and the clanging of spatulas.

Lin Ye kept his head down, working silently, disguising himself as one of them. He dared not slack off in the slightest, because Steward Zhang and other stewards would occasionally come to inspect, and any sign of laziness could result in a scolding or even more severe punishment.

Time passed bit by bit.

When Lin Ye finished processing the basket of greens in front of him, straightened his aching back, and prepared to move another basket, the cold, mechanical prompt sound in his mind rang out without warning.

"Ding! 'Iron Sand Palm' has automatically Cultivated for 1 hour, proficiency +10."

It's here!

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat!

Almost at the same instant the prompt sounded, he clearly felt a surge of heat, several times stronger than before, abruptly welling up in the Meridians of his palms!

That surge of heat wasn't powerful, but it was exceptionally clear, like a wisp of warm sunshine in winter, quickly dispelling the biting cold brought by the well water. His hands, which had been frozen almost numb, slowly regained their color under the nourishment of this heat, and even the soreness in his entire arm was greatly reduced.

This... this is the feeling of Cultivating?

Lin Ye was ecstatic, his heart churning with turbulent waves!

He didn't need to sit cross-legged, didn't need to calm his mind, didn't even need any conscious intent. In this smoky, noisy kitchen, while he was performing the most arduous and monotonous labor, the System was diligently improving his strength in the background!

His body trembled slightly with excitement, but he immediately forced himself to calm down. He quickly glanced around, and seeing that no one noticed his abnormality, he immediately lowered his head and picked up another radish, concealing the almost overflowing ecstasy in his eyes.

On the surface, he was still that hardworking, submissive Utility Disciple Lin Ye.

The time that followed, for Lin Ye, was no longer an ordeal, but rather filled with anticipation. While mechanically working, he silently calculated the time in his mind, waiting for the arrival of the final transformation. He could feel that as time passed, the warmth in his palms became more and more obvious, and the force and accuracy of his chopping seemed to have unconsciously improved. Radishes that previously required effort to cut through now yielded cleanly with a swift stroke of the knife.

Another hour passed. As it approached noon and he finished cleaning the last basket of radishes by the sink, the countdown in his mind finally reached zero.

Almost at the same time, two prompt sounds rang out consecutively!

"Ding! 'Iron Sand Palm' has automatically Cultivated for 1 hour, proficiency +10."

"Ding! Novice AFK task completed. 'Iron Sand Palm' proficiency has reached 100/100, Realm increased!"

"Cultivation Technique: Iron Sand Palm (Low Grade Mortal Rank)"

"Current Realm: Entry (Proficiency 0/200)"

"Effect: Palm force slightly increased, palm bone toughness improved."

A surge of warmth, far more powerful than any before, suddenly coursed through his palms. Lin Ye only felt a slight heat in his palms, as if infinite power was brewing within them. He subconsciously clenched his fists, his knuckles making a series of crisp "crackling" sounds, full of a sense of power.

He had entered the Entry Realm!

In just one day, and even after a day of hard labor, this "Iron Sand Palm," which the original owner had Cultivated for several months without any progress, had actually reached the Entry Realm!

Lin Ye put down the cleaver in his hand, looking at his still thin, but now containing a hint of strength, palms, his heart filled with emotion.

After a day of exhaustion, he still felt ravenously hungry and physically tired, but his spirit was more invigorated than ever before.

He knew that from today onwards, everything would be different.