Chapter 19: Awakening

The scrawny teen was "Cobra," infamous in Yian District for his knife skills. He'd waited patiently through the riot, timing his strike for when Luo Feng was distracted. The blade flew from behind a flying inmate, its trajectory hidden until the last second.

Whoosh! The knife emerged from an inmate's legs, just two meters from Luo Feng's shoulder.

"Shit!" Luo Feng's reflexes screamed, but there was no time to dodge. The blade aimed for his right shoulder—damage there would cripple his sword arm, ruining his August combat assessment.

Not now. I can't miss this chance.

His mind blanked, every muscle tensing. At the last millisecond, the blade twisted, its path curving slightly. It scraped his shoulder, drawing a shallow cut instead of piercing bone.

"All get down !" Guards stormed in, rifles raised. Inmates dropped to the floor, Cobra staring in disbelief—How did my throw fail?

Luo Feng knelt, but a searing headache exploded in his skull, like a drill boring into his brain. He convulsed, blood beads seeping through his clothes, veins bulging like live wires.

"Medical team! Now!" Guards carried him to the infirmary, shocked by his crimson, sweating form.

Inside his mind, a primordial force erupted from the depths of his brain, surging through every cell. Bones cracked and realigned, muscles rewove themselves, blood burning with new energy. The transformation was a thousand times faster than cultivation, yet the mysterious power stabilized his body, preventing collapse.

××××××

8 p.m. – The detention center director's living room.

"Pause." The director, in a bathrobe, halted the movie as an officer entered.

"Sir, the riot was a setup by Zhou Huayang to target Luo Feng. But he took down dozens, including serious injuries."

"Zhou's kid again? Tsk." The director frowned.

"Sir, we believe Zhang Haobai hired him. And sir—Luo Feng's strength is warrior-level. He dented steel tables with his fists, even split a bench with a chop."

The director stood abruptly. "Warrior-level? Confirm it."

"Contacted both gyms—he passed the Provisional Warrior test. Just waiting for official registration."

"Damn it. A provisional in our custody? Release him immediately. Move him to the military medical quarters. Apologize personally when he wakes. Coordinate with his gym tomorrow—we need this buried."

××××××

Midnight – Luo Feng's eyes fluttered open in a quiet bedroom.

Where am I? His vision was sharper, hearing so acute he could make out distant conversations. Even the texture of window bars stood out in perfect detail.

He stood, noticing a strange energy humming in his mind. Focusing on a stool, it lifted into the air, defying gravity. A thrill ran through him as he willed the bed, desk, even the wardrobe to float.

Is this… telekinesis?

He approached the balcony, eyeing a steel railing. With a thought, a bar twisted free, its tip sharpening into a needle. Go.

The steel spear shot downward, piercing a two-meter stone rockery like butter. It vibrated back and forth, hundreds of strikes in an instant, turning the rock into rubble. When the steel finally shattered, the rockery exploded, alarms blaring.

Luo Feng ducked back into bed, heart racing. That power—stronger than a tank's cannon. And I controlled it with my mind.

Footsteps approached, but he feigned sleep, mind reeling. The headache hadn't been a weakness—it was the awakening of something far greater. His brain, altered by three childhood collapses and tonight's energy surge, had unlocked a gift only the rarest warriors possessed: spiritual power.

I'm a spiritual practitioner. The realization sent chills down his spine. In a world where warriors reigned, spiritual practitioners were legends—able to wield mind as weapon, to dominate battles without lifting a hand.

As guards searched the area, Luo Feng smiled into the darkness. The detention center riot, the near-fatal knife strike, even the headache that had plagued him—all had been steps toward this moment.

August 1st combat assessment? He clenched a fist, sensing the invisible force coiling within. I'm not just passing that test. I'm going to shock the world.

The future stretched before him, no longer a path of struggle, but a storm of power waiting to be unleashed. And for the first time, Luo Feng understood: he wasn't just chasing warrior status.

He was destined to rise far beyond it.