Astra smiled faintly.
So even the system respects effort.
As he wiped sweat from his brow, another chime rang quietly.
[Ding! Repeat Sign-In Location: Outer Training Ground – New Condition Achieved (Blood + Sweat + Comprehension).]
Special Sign-In unlocked. Sign in now?]
"Sign in," Astra thought.
The world tilted for a heartbeat, as if the stones remembered his effort and chose to repay him.
[Ding! Special Sign-In Reward:]
– New Martial Skill: Stone-Breaking Fist (Basic Manual) – System Optimized
– Minor Bone Tempering (Arms)
Warmth bloomed in his forearms, bones tingling as if tiny hammers were reshaping them, making them denser, tougher.
At the same time, a clear image of a basic fist technique unfolded in his mind—the Stone-Breaking Fist he'd been approximating instinctively, now refined and corrected.
So I wasn't too far off.
He moved through the opening sequence of the technique, slow and precise this time.
Step. Twist. Drive.
Foot, waist, fist.
Each movement felt more… honest.
No wasted strength.
No useless flourish.
To most people, this would still be a basic, low-level technique.
To someone who had never had proper combat guidance in two lives, it felt like a door opening.
On a small wooden balcony overlooking the training ground, an old man in faded robes leaned on the railing, watching.
His hair was mostly gray, his aura faint and restrained, but his eyes were sharp.
This was Elder Jian, nominally in charge of the branch sect's outer disciples.
He watched as Astra completed several repetitions of the Stone-Breaking Fist, each punch growing more solid, more grounded.
That boy… Astra Long.
Elder Jian squinted.
For years, the boy had been stuck, barely at the threshold of real cultivation. No backing, no money for pills, no elder's personal guidance. His file was unremarkable.
And yet.
That stance is clean. His breathing… not bad. That last punch had decent force.
He rubbed his beard.
More importantly, when Astra moved, there was a subtle… weight behind it. Something deep, quiet, but not normal.
And the way he doesn't look around for approval…
The elder grunted softly.
"Interesting," he muttered.
Beside him, the elder's assistant—the same man who'd barked chore orders at Astra—shifted, annoyed.
"Elder, that boy was lazy for years," the assistant said. "A little frantic effort now doesn't change his worthless talent. We have more promising disciples to watch."
Elder Jian's eyes never left Astra.
"Worthless talent, you say?" the old man replied mildly. "Didn't you mark him as low-grade spirit affinity in his intake test?"
"Yes, Elder." The assistant straightened. "Barely passed."
Elder Jian snorted.
"Then clearly your eyes are old, not mine."
The assistant flinched.
"The boy's dantian opened to Spirit Realm without our help. His physique shifted in a short time. His movements sharpen by the day. Either he's hiding a background…"
He paused.
"…or he's the type who only wakes up when pushed hard enough."
His gaze deepened.
And that faint feeling… like something behind him breathing along with the world…
He straightened.