The morning mist within the cave parted as Li Xuan exhaled, the faint steam curling upward like smoke from divine embers. He opened his palm, fingers flexing slowly—marveling at the strange lightness and dense power pulsing through every inch of him.
He moved.
One step—bang—a gust of air exploded beneath his feet, scattering loose stones across the chamber.
A second step—his figure vanished, reappearing by the shattered wall.
His body, though lean, carried the weight of tempered steel. Muscles coiled with precision and power. Every breath pulled spiritual energy into him instinctively, as if the world itself now fed him.
He tested a punch—casual, aimed at the air.
Boom!
Wind pressure tore through the cave like a howling beast, causing dust and pebbles to scatter like a minor storm had awakened.
Li Xuan blinked. "This… is only the 10th stage of Body Refinement?"
[Passive Effect: Heavenly Bone Marrow activated.]
[Current Status: Physical Regeneration +600%, Qi Absorption Rate +150%, Nerve Response Enhanced.]
He raised a brow, then steadied himself.
"System," he said calmly, "I broke into the 10th stage. Where's my reward?"
[Achievement Unlocked: Defy the Mortal Shell – Body Refinement Stage 10 (First in 117 Years)]
[Reward Issued:]
Spirit Stones x50
Low-Grade Spirit Weapon: Steelcloud Bracers
Cultivation Pill: Qi Condensation Core (Rare – 1x)
System Shop Tier Upgrade Unlocked
Trait Token (Unidentified – 1x)
The items appeared in his mind's inventory like stars populating a blank sky.
He reached out, and a pair of dark, sleek bracers materialized in his hands—etched with cloud patterns, light but cold as forged sky-iron.
[Steelcloud Bracers: Defense + Moderate Strength Boost. Adaptable to qi flow. Ideal for martial cultivators.]
"Good," he murmured, strapping them on. They molded to his forearms as though born for him.
Next, he examined the Qi Condensation Core—a swirling blue pearl encased in jade light.
[Qi Condensation Core: Instantly catalyzes entry into the first level of Qi Refinement. Best used post-Body Refinement.]
He tucked it away. Not yet. He wanted to feel the transition himself. Earn it, not skip it.
Finally, he inspected the Trait Token. Unlike other items, it pulsed with a strange rhythm, like a heart that had never stopped beating.
[Trait Token: Contains a dormant bloodline or physique ability. Use at your discretion. Warning: Cannot be undone.]
Li Xuan closed the inventory.
He stood again—calm, silent.
Then, without warning, leapt upward, slamming a foot into the cave ceiling.
A crack split the rock. Dust rained down.
He landed perfectly, crouched, smiling faintly.
"Now," he said, "let's see what Qi Refinement feels like again"
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