The main courtyard filled quickly.
Disciples lined up in formation, guards took their positions along the perimeter, and the elders stood on the raised platform like judges at a tribunal.
Raon stayed in his designated spot near the back gate, trying to blend in. Jin stood beside Master Hwan Dojin, his expression unreadable.
Elder Cho stepped forward, his voice carrying across the courtyard. "Last night, our sect was infiltrated. A spy attempted to corrupt our Qi storage chambers. Thanks to Young Master Jin's swift action, he was neutralized."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Raon kept his face neutral.
**Look at Jin, taking all the credit like a true protagonist. This is what you wanted, right?**
"Yes," Raon thought. "This is exactly what I wanted."
"However," Elder Cho continued, his tone darkening, "this incident reveals a troubling truth. The Heavenly Demonic Alliance has not forgotten us. They know we are recovering, and they fear our resurgence."
The murmurs grew louder. Fear crept into some faces, anger into others.
Master Hwan Dojin raised his hand, and silence fell. "We will not cower. The Blue Pearl Sect has stood for three hundred years, and we will stand for three hundred more. But we must be vigilant. All disciples will undergo Qi purity checks. Guards will double their patrols. And anyone displaying unusual techniques or knowledge..." His gaze swept the crowd. "...will be questioned."
Raon's stomach tightened.
**That's directed at you, genius. Someone's noticed your sudden improvement.**
"They can't prove anything," Raon thought.
**Yet.**
After the assembly, Jin approached Raon near the guard barracks. His expression was troubled.
"Raon, we need to talk."
**Uh oh. Trouble in paradise.**
"Sure," Raon said casually. "What's up?"
Jin glanced around, then lowered his voice. "The elders are watching you."
Raon kept his expression calm. "Why would they watch a guard?"
"Because you're not acting like one," Jin said bluntly. "Your techniques, your insights, your sudden growth, none of it matches your background. Elder Cho thinks you might be connected to the spy."
**Called it.**
Raon's mind raced. He needed to deflect without lying to Jin. "Do you think I'm a spy?"
Jin's answer came with a bit of hesitation. "...No."
"I'm a goner..." Raon said with a doomed expression, meeting his gaze. "I'm just a guard trying to survive. If my methods are unconventional, it's because I don't have the luxury of following tradition. Guards don't get formal training or access to advanced techniques. We improvise."
It was the truth, just not the whole truth.
Jin studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "I'll handle the elders. But Raon... be careful. Not everyone in this sect wants change."
**Translation: Someone's going to try to kill you soon.**
"Great," Raon muttered as Jin walked away. "Just great."
Over the following week, Raon's cultivation advanced steadily.
Each morning before dawn, he practiced the corrected breathing techniques in the secluded grove behind the guard barracks. The Spirit Condensing Pills Elder Jeong had provided accelerated his progress, what should have taken months was happening in weeks.
**Dantian capacity increased. Core Formation Middle Stage: 67% consolidated. Estimated breakthrough to Late Stage: 12-15 days at current rate.**
But it wasn't just passive cultivation. Raon drilled the Blue Pearl techniques relentlessly, using his enhanced perception to refine every movement. Flowing Pearl Steps until his feet barely touched ground. Mirrorwater Flow until he could redirect attacks without conscious thought. Tidal Flow Slash until each strike built pressure like actual ocean waves.
His body was changing too. Leaner, more efficient. His meridians ran clearer, his Qi circulated faster, and the corrupted energy from the spy encounter had been fully purged from his system.
Meanwhile, Jin's progress was even more dramatic.
The Young Master had thrown himself into the corrected techniques with single minded intensity. He practiced the new breathing patterns during every waking moment, walking, eating, even during administrative meetings. His Qi circulation, already excellent, had become flawless.
**Target: Jin Seoryun. Current status: Core Formation Peak Stage. Breakthrough probability: 37% within three months.**
"Thirty seven percent?" Raon muttered, watching Jin practice in the main courtyard. "That's higher than I expected."
**He's the protagonist. Plot armor increases breakthrough chances by default.**
"That's not how cultivation works."
**Are you sure? Because statistically, main characters break through at dramatically higher rates than side characters. Almost like narrative weight affects spiritual development.**
"You're insufferable."
**And yet, accurate.**
But System's jokes aside, Jin's progress was real. His strikes carried more force with less effort. His defensive techniques flowed seamlessly. And most tellingly, his Qi had begun to develop that subtle pressure that marked the threshold of Awakened Realm, the sense that energy was no longer just circulating but transforming into something greater.
If Jin broke through to Awakened, it would be the first time in over a decade. The sect would have a genuine powerhouse again.
**Mandatory Quest: Sweep the Guard Barracks**
**Duration: 1 hour minimum**
**Requirement: Every corner, every crevice, thorough attention to detail**
**Reward: +2 Perception, +1 Patience**
**Penalty: I will describe dust particles to you. In detail. For hours.**
**Note: Yes, this is janitorial work. No, you can't skip it. Build character... and maybe bones.** "Are you serious?" Raon stared at the broom on the floor "I'm trying to save a sect and you want me to SWEEP?"
**Did I stutter? Sweep. Now. Or enjoy my thrilling narration on the lifecycle of dust mites.**
Raon grabbed the broom with barely concealed frustration and began sweeping.
Sweeping is one of the oldest forms of meditative cultivation.
The repetitive motion, push, pull, push, pull mirrors the natural rhythm of Qi circulation through meridians. Each stroke of the broom synchronizes with breath, creating a harmonic pattern that stabilizes internal energy flow.
More importantly, the attention to detail required to spot every speck of dust trains the eye to perceive minute variations in patterns.
In combat, this translates to noticing the smallest shift in an opponent's stance, the briefest flicker of Qi before an attack.
Ancient manuals called this "The Sweeping Meditation." Modern cultivators dismissed it as menial labor.
**They were fools**
One hour later, Raon finished and tossed the broom aside.
**Quest Complete: Sweep the Guard Barracks**
**Rewards Granted: +2 Perception, You can now see slightly less badly**
**+1 Patience, Barely noticeable, honestly**
** Bonus: Qi Circulation Efficiency +3%**
**Bonus: Meridian Stability +5%**
"Wait, hidden bonuses?"
**Oh, did I forget to mention those? My bad. Turns out menial labor has benefits. Who knew?**
"You KNEW this would help and still made it sound like punishment!"
**Correct. Your suffering amuses me. Also, you wouldn't have taken it seriously if I'd explained. You needed to be annoyed into compliance. Psychology!**
"I hate you."
**The feeling is mutual. Now stop whining. Tomorrow's task is polishing training swords. 50 of them.**
"FIFTY?!"
**Should I make it 100?** "...No." **That's what I thought. Dismissed, janitor.**