Hidden Potential

The Crimson Feather Sect's library loomed before Xiao Lian, its towering stone walls illuminated by the cold light of the moon. She pressed herself against the outer wall, listening for any approaching footsteps. The night air was crisp, carrying the distant hum of chanting disciples in their nightly meditations.

Her heartbeat was steady, her hands light as she traced the engraved patterns along the doorframe.

This was dangerous. This was reckless. But knowledge was power, and she needed both if she was going to survive.

"SIS, scan the area for patrols."

A pulse of cold energy swept through her mind before SIS responded.

[Three guards positioned at the eastern corridor. No immediate threats detected within the library.]

Xiao Lian exhaled softly. That meant she had a small window before the next patrol cycle. Moving swiftly, she pressed her fingers into the worn wooden door, applying gentle pressure at a specific point.

A soft click. She was in. The scent of aged parchment and ink filled the air. Towering shelves stretched into the darkness, crammed with scrolls and tomes brimming with forgotten techniques and forbidden knowledge.

Xiao Lian's fingers twitched in anticipation. She had never been allowed beyond the outer disciples' manuals, where only basic techniques were stored. But here? Here was where the true wisdom of the sect resided.

She approached the nearest shelf, pulling out a scroll at random. "SIS, memorize this."

[Processing… Memorization complete.]

She grinned. "Next."

One by one, she moved through the shelves, unraveling techniques at an impossible speed. Unlike normal disciples who needed months, years to study a single scripture, SIS allowed her to store information instantly.

Iron Palm Technique. Shifting Mirage Steps.

Qi Compression Refinement. Thousand Needles Palm. Each one imprinted into her mind like carvings on stone. Her body was weak, but her mind? Her mind was now a weapon unlike any other.

Then, A presence. Her breath stilled.

Xiao Lian turned sharply, instinct tightening her muscles. A figure emerged from the darkness, their face obscured by a silver mask, their robe embroidered with the sect's insignia.

An elder.

She forced herself to remain calm. Running was useless. The masked elder tilted their head, studying her with an amused air.

"You have an interesting way of seeking knowledge, little one," the elder murmured, their voice low, unreadable.

Xiao Lian straightened, keeping her expression neutral. "Knowledge should not be locked away from those willing to learn."

The elder chuckled. "A bold statement. And yet, here you are, sneaking like a thief."

She clenched her fists. "I only take what others would squander."

A moment of silence stretched between them. Then, unexpectedly, the elder laughed.

"Fascinating," they mused. "Do you even understand what you are doing, child?"

Xiao Lian met their gaze. "I'm learning. Preparing."

The elder's masked face gave nothing away, but their presence was like a storm held at bay. Then, after a paused.

"Go."

Xiao Lian blinked. "...What?"

"I will pretend I never saw you," the elder said lightly. "But be warned, little fox, knowledge is a double-edged blade. Wield it wisely."

And with that, He stepped into the shadows. Xiao Lian stood frozen for several heartbeats, the adrenaline slowly ebbing from her veins. She had expected punishment. Instead, she had been...entertained?

Shaking herself, she turned back to the shelves. There was still time. And she would make the most of it.

~

By the time Xiao Lian slipped back into her small hut, the eastern horizon had begun to lighten. Exhaustion tugged at her limbs, but her mind burned with knowledge.

She sat cross-legged, centering her breath.

"SIS, initiate The Mindflow Codex—Stage Two."

A cool wave of energy surged through her mind.

[Stage Two: Mental Refinement. Focusing on integrating memorized techniques for optimized performance.]

Xiao Lian inhaled deeply, directing her Qi not to her body, but to her mind. Instead of raw strength, she focused on understanding, on predicting, on seeing through the unseen.

The techniques she had absorbed from the library unfolded like a map within her consciousness. Every movement, every formation, every principle, it all wove together into something greater than the sum of its parts. She was no longer just memorizing. She was adapting.

The shift was subtle at first, a tingling sensation across her scalp, a strange lightness in her thoughts. Then...A snap.

Like a dam breaking, a surge of clarity rushed through her. Her senses sharpened to an almost painful degree. The distant rustling of leaves became individual whispers, each carrying different massiveness and rhythm. The flickering candlelight was no longer just light, it was a play of angles and refractions.

Xiao Lian gasped. She had broken through. Not physically. Not in brute strength. But her mind had evolved. She opened her eyes, a slow smile curling her lips. This was only the beginning.

.

.

.

Morning arrived with a storm of rumors.

"Did you hear? Xiao Lian fought Jin Hao and predicted every move he made!"

"She dodged Senior Wei Zhen's strikes like she saw them before they even happened!"

"They say she's mastered dozens of techniques overnight."

The whispers grew. Some laughed, calling it impossible. Others grew wary. But a select few, the ones who understood and watched her with calculating eyes. The sect elders were among them.

In the grand hall, where only the most senior members of the sect convened, Elder Huang stroked his beard in thought.

"A mind cultivation technique… how rare."

Elder Shen, his rival, scoffed. "Mind cultivation alone is useless without physical prowess. What good is knowledge if one's body cannot keep up?"

"Perhaps," Elder Huang mused. "And yet… have you ever seen a mere outer disciple shift the tides of battle without lifting a finger?"

Silence. Even Elder Shen could not refute that. The sect had many strong disciples, but none who could see combat the way Xiao Lian did. A spark of curiosity flickered in the elders' gazes.

Perhaps… just perhaps… this girl was more than what she seemed. Not all were impressed.

In the secluded training grounds, Wei Zhen sat in brooding silence, fingers curling into his robes.

"She's becoming a problem," he muttered.

Jin Hao, still nursing his wounded pride from their last encounter, scowled. "She's nothing but a fraud. A lucky fraud."

"Then prove it," Wei Zhen said coldly.

Jin Hao stiffened. "What?"

"Challenge her again. Humiliate her. Show the sect she is nothing but an insect pretending to be a dragon."

Jin Hao hesitated. Something about Xiao Lian had changed. The way she moved, the way she knew where to strike before an attack even landed… it was unnatural.

Still, his pride demanded satisfaction.

"Fine," he spat. "But if she truly is a fraud, what then?"

Wei Zhen's lips curled into a sharp smile. "Then we end her."

.

.

.

Xiao Lian stood beneath the morning sun, her thoughts calm yet sharp. She could feel the change within her, the way the world made sense in a way it never had before.

But knowledge alone would not be enough. She needed to refine it. To prove it. And if the sect was watching her now?

Then she would give them something they would never forget. Her journey had only just begun. But soon, the Crimson Feather Sect would know her name and it will and must reach the ear of her father. And they would never underestimate her again.