"What the hell is going on?"
Wei Wen, who had been resting, jolted upright as a system notification flashed across his interface. He looked like he'd just seen a ghost.
If his memory was right, the first time he absorbed Genetic Energy, the surge in strength had directly triggered his awakening as a Spirit Reader—a rare kind of cultivator whose mental energy gave them access to telekinesis and other psychic abilities.
That awakening had boosted his physical strength, pushing his punching power up to 6,400 kg. Totally expected—every Spirit Reader gets a one-time physical and psychic enhancement during their first awakening.
But now... a second awakening?
He stared at the screen, eyebrows furrowed. A second time wasn't supposed to be possible.
Even so, Wei Wen wasn't about to ignore a system prompt. It had never failed him. Everything he had—the power, the progress, even his survival—had come thanks to this mysterious system and his rivalry with Luo Feng.
Hisssss~~
Genetic Energy surged into his body through the soles of his feet, the palms of his hands, and the top of his head—specifically the Baihui point, a critical energy nexus. He could feel every cell greedily soaking it in.
Wei Wen blinked. "This absorption rate… It's just like when I awakened the first time."
His eyes gleamed.
Cosmic energy poured in through all five energy channels, and his body felt like it was trying to devour the universe itself. Then, his soul trembled.
His consciousness expanded, vast and misty. At the heart of this sea of consciousness spun a dark golden sphere—the core of his mental energy. It turned slowly like a distant star, exuding strands of mist with every rotation.
Usually, this mist—his Mental Power—trickled out at a slow pace. Now it was flooding. No question: this was a full-blown second awakening.
For a moment, his mind went blank.
But when clarity returned, so did excitement. Whether this was supposed to happen or not didn't matter. It was real, and it was powerful.
The golden sphere in his mind continued to pulse and spin, pumping out more and more Mental Power, reshaping his body and spirit in tandem.
Boom!
Wei Wen clenched his fist and punched the air.
A sonic boom cracked across the room.
"I need to head to the Dojo of Limits tomorrow. See where my strength stands now."
He hadn't tested himself yet, but he could feel the change. His instincts told him his raw punching power had jumped by more than 50 percent. He was guessing around 10,000 kg now.
For reference, 4,000 kg put you in the high-end of warrior-level martial artists. Crossing 8,000 kg pushed you into the warlord tier. But actual rankings weren't based purely on strength—they were measured by real-life performance in monster combat. That was the true test.
Still, from a stats-only perspective? Wei Wen was now a beginner warlord-class fighter—roughly the equivalent of Stage 4 in the Apprentice Rankings.
And that was just his physical strength.
As a Spirit Reader, Wei Wen's effective combat ability ranked two tiers above his physical power. Meaning: right now, he stood at the high-level warlord stage, in both body and mind.
A second awakening. Impossible on paper. But in practice? A huge, unexpected blessing.
The Next Morning, 5:00 AM – Dojo of Limits, Yian District
Luo Feng arrived just as the first light of dawn broke the horizon.
He still hadn't received his official Martial Apprentice certificate, but his student ID—Senior Division—was enough to get him into the advanced training hall.
"Hey, Crazy! Congrats on passing the apprentice test," a senior greeted him.
Luo Feng smiled faintly. His nickname, Crazy, had been around since he'd once taken on three senior students at once.
"You already passed, though. What are you doing here so early?"
"I've got the martial artist assessment coming up August 1st," Luo Feng replied. "Gotta prep early."
He paused. "Also… how do you even know I passed?"
The senior laughed. "Instructor mentioned it yesterday in class. Said you, Wei Wen, and Brother Yang all passed."
"Just ran into Wei Wen earlier, actually. Confirmed it with him."
Hearing that, Luo Feng cracked a rare smile.
He'd not only begun cultivating Genetic Energy but had awakened as a Spirit Reader as well—on the very first day. Finally, he felt like he was catching up to his long-time rival.
BOOM.
A sudden sonic boom echoed from above.
Luo Feng stiffened. "Who the hell is training that hard this early?"
Without a second thought, he vanished into a blur and sprinted upstairs to the fourth floor—the elite training level reserved for full martial artists.
Technically, only certified martial artists were allowed up there, but since Luo Feng had passed the apprentice test and the guard didn't stop him, he slipped in easily.
When he entered the training hall, only one figure stood inside.
Luo Feng stopped cold.
"…Wei Wen?"
Training Hall, Fourth Floor
Wei Wen stood in front of the punching machine, adjusting his breathing.
"Hopefully I don't break this thing…"
He exhaled slowly, stepped forward, and threw a clean, arcing punch.
Bang!
The punch slammed into the testing pad with a deep boom, shaking the whole device.
The screen lit up: 10,081 kg.
For comparison, an average cargo truck weighs less than that. A single punch like that could shatter bones—or worse.
Wei Wen nodded. "Right about what I expected."
"Holy hell—Wei Wen?! That sonic boom just now—was that you?" Luo Feng practically stumbled forward.
He stared at the screen.
10,081 kg. The number burned into his eyes.
"That's your number?" Luo Feng's voice cracked slightly. "You… hit that?"
He'd done the math. After absorbing Genetic Energy and awakening as a Spirit Reader, he figured his own strength was around 3,000 kg. As a Spirit Reader, that should mean 12,000 kg of force using mental techniques—technically stronger than Wei Wen.
So for the first time, Luo Feng had felt like he might finally be able to surpass him.
Now?
It was like Wei Wen had crushed that hope with a single punch.
"Who else would it be?" Wei Wen replied casually, his voice calm but with just a hint of smugness.
It wasn't taunting—but Luo Feng still felt it.
He clenched his fists.
He wasn't someone who gave up easily. Even if Wei Wen was ahead now, he would close the gap. After all, he was a Spirit Reader too.
What he didn't know… was that Wei Wen was also a Spirit Reader.
And had just experienced a second awakening.