The Path to Strength

Inside the cave, Lu Chen sat and picked up one of the healing pills he had retrieved from the spatial ring.

He studied the small, round medicinal pill. Its faint fragrance carries the scent of spiritual herbs and refined Qi essence.

Low-grade recovery pill.

It wasn't anything special, at least not to a true cultivator, but to him it was priceless.

He popped the pill into his mouth.

The moment it dissolved, a warm energy surged through his meridians, spreading like a gentle current through his battered body. His torn flesh stitched itself together, his internal injuries stabilized, and the throbbing pain in his ribs gradually disappeared.

Though he wasn't fully healed, this was enough to start his training.

Lu Chen exhaled slowly and closed his eyes.

It was time to practice the Shadow Serpent Arts.

Lu Chen picked up the jade slip containing the martial technique and pressed it against his forehead once more.

This time, he focused, allowing the technique's true essence to sink into his consciousness.

The Shadow Serpent Arts was not a traditional cultivation method.

It did not rely on overwhelming force like most combat techniques in the Azure Sky Sect.

Instead, it focused on using minimal movement to avoid lethal attacks, exploiting an enemy's weaknesses at the perfect moment, and making it difficult for opponents to predict attacks.

It was a style built for the weak.

Lu Chen's heart pounded with excitement.

He got up on his feet and took his first stance. The cave was narrow, but it provided just enough space for him to move.

He started with footwork exercises, shifting his weight carefully from one side to another, mimicking the movements described in the jade slip.

His feet barely made a sound against the stone floor.

It was slow at first, his body still adjusting, but as he continued he found himself growing more natural.

Hours passed and Lu Chen repeated the movements again and again.

Luckily he had a good comprehension so by the time he collapsed against the cave wall, drenched in sweat, he had memorized the foundation of the technique.

It was only the beginning, but even now, he felt a difference.

...

Lu Chen decided to take the next step. The Shadow Serpent Arts was a martial technique, but he still needed a cultivation base to support it.

Until now, he had been stuck in the Body Refinement Stage, unable to break through due to his weak meridians.

But inside the spatial ring, he had found a broken but powerful cultivation manual.

He took the old parchment and unfurled it.

The words were faded, some parts illegible, but the title was clear:

"Void Serpent Manual"

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed.

Another serpent-based technique… Was this cultivator an assassin? He carefully read through the first pages.

The Void Serpent Manual was unique, it did not rely on force Qi gathering like most standard sect techniques.

Instead, it absorbed Qi through precision control, refining it into a purer form rather than a larger quantity.

It was slower than normal cultivation methods, requiring longer meditation periods to refine Qi properly.

For most cultivators, this was a terrible trade-off but for Lu Chen, it was ideal.

He was not the type to rely on brute force anyway, his entire strength lay in strategy, deception, and technique.

This manual aligned perfectly with his fighting style.

With burning determination, he sat down in a lotus position and began his cultivation session.

His breathing slowed, his mind cleared.

He reached out with his will, sensing the Qi in the air for the first time since coming to this world.

It was faint, but it was there.

Carefully and methodically he followed the Void Serpent Manual's instructions, pulling the energy into his dantian.

The process was slow, meticulous but after several hours, something shifted inside him. A faint warmth spread through his core.

His veins trembled.

Then, a surge of energy erupted from within. His eyes snapped open, glowing with a faint silver light.

He had stepped into Qi Condensation.

The moment Lu Chen finished his breakthrough, his instincts flared.

A presence.

Something or someone was nearby.

He froze, his breath caught in his throat. The cave was completely hidden, buried beneath stone and vines. No one should have been able to find it.

Yet, he felt it. A pair of unseen eyes, watching from the darkness.

Zhao Feng? No… If he found me, he'd have attacked already.

Was it a beast? A rogue cultivator? Or was it…

His heart pounded.

Slowly, he reached for his dagger

Then…

A voice drifted from the cave entrance.

"You have good instincts." A figure stepped into the cave.

The light from the entrance revealed their white robes—a direct contrast to the dark surroundings.

Lu Chen's breath caught in his throat. The insignia on the robes…

A core disciple of the Azure Sky Sect.

Lu Chen tensed up, he had barely recovered and already encountered another dangerous situation.

"Relax," the disciple said smoothly. "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have sensed me at all."

Lu Chen didn't move, his entire body was tense.

He didn't know this person and he didn't know their intentions, but one thing was clear…

This was no ordinary cultivator and depending on what they wanted.