Rayen's eyes snapped open just before dawn. His senses were sharper now—each breath felt like it carried more weight, each heartbeat a thrum of restrained power. The Ember Core pulsed faintly in his chest, a stable sun orbiting within his spiritual sea.
:: Good morning. Qi levels at 92%. Meridian channels flowing at optimal efficiency. Time to test applications in real-world conditions. ::
"Great," Rayen muttered, stretching. "Time to weaponize math."
He stepped outside Lab 7B, where the mist of morning still clung to the spirit herb fields. Disciples were already gathering near the central square—the announcement of the upcoming Inner Sect Trials had stirred up intense competition. The path to the Inner Sect was marked not just by strength, but flair, reputation, and a bit of good fortune.
Rayen had precisely one of those.
Elder Fan had given him a reluctant nod of support, and while that didn't carry much weight politically, it was enough to make him a candidate. He had thirty days to qualify.
The challenge? Survive mock battles, pass theoretical tests, and demonstrate spiritual control under duress. There was even a speed-forging contest for alchemists—though it hadn't been held in years. Rayen made a mental note to revive that.
As he walked past the training square, he caught the tail end of a sparring match. Zhou Geng—recovered and smug—was showing off his Flame Serpent technique to a small crowd.
Rayen ignored him.
:: Incoming. Target locking. Provocation imminent. ::
"Hey! Soup Boy!" Zhou called, stepping forward with a theatrical sweep of his sleeves. "Heard you bribed your way into Lab 7B. Didn't know kitchen scraps counted as credentials."
Rayen sighed and turned. "Zhou. How's the nasal reconstruction?"
Murmurs and snickers from the crowd.
Zhou's smile twitched. "Let's have a friendly rematch. I'll even go easy on you this time. No need to make you cry twice."
Rayen was about to dismiss him when Q.E.D. pulsed.
:: Recommendation: Controlled combat engagement. Optimal opportunity for field test. Also, revenge. ::
"Fine," Rayen said. "Three moves."
"What?"
"If I don't win in three moves, you can keep crowing about your eyebrows until the next sect festival."
Zhou laughed. "Bold words from a soup chef. Let's go!"
The crowd backed up as the two squared off. Rayen centered himself, letting the Ember Core flare slightly.
:: Activate Ember Pulse Palm. Charge density: 37%. Adjust trajectory. He's going to feint left. ::
Zhou surged forward, flame-wrapped fist flying.
Rayen sidestepped.
Move one: redirect energy.
He raised a hand and deflected Zhou's strike, fingers glowing faintly. Qi bloomed through his palm.
Move two: thermal lock.
With his free hand, Rayen tapped Zhou's chest. A wave of heat expanded outward in concentric ripples.
:: Executing localized thermal disruption. Heart-rate spike: 132 BPM. Muscular failure in 2.3 seconds. ::
Zhou's arms dropped. His knees buckled.
Move three: kinetic feedback.
Rayen spun and released a palm strike, not strong enough to cause harm—just enough to knock Zhou back and flat onto his rear.
"Three," Rayen said.
The crowd was silent for two seconds.
Then erupted.
"Did he just… disable a Flame Serpent practitioner with a tap?"
"That was alchemical Qi, wasn't it?"
"He hit him with cooking energy!"
Rayen dusted off his sleeves and walked off without another word. Q.E.D. chimed approvingly.
:: Field test successful. Recommend repeating trials in higher-difficulty scenarios. Also, that was objectively cool. ::
Back in Lab 7B, Rayen updated his cultivation logs.
**[Rayen Wu – Cultivator Status Sheet]**
• Cultivation Stage: Foundation Establishment – Layer 1 (Ember Core: Stable)
• Core Stability: 73%
• Martial Techniques:
⁃ Ember Pulse Palm (field-tested)
⁃ Thermal Weave Breathing (custom method)
⁃ Flame Sync Disruption (experimental)
• Alchemy Affinity: High
• Pill Formulas Mastered:
⁃ High-tier Body Refinement Pill
⁃ Ember Spark Draught
⁃ Soup of Enlightenment (still banned)
• Notable Items: Quantum Entangled Drive (Q.E.D.), Lab 7B Access, Sect Trial Token
Rayen leaned back, satisfied. The ember within him felt stronger already, responding eagerly to stress and calculation.
And if the sect wanted trials…
He'd give them equations they couldn't solve