Even though the sun hadn't climbed above the horizon yet, the square outside Qingzhou's eastern gate was already packed.
Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire.
"Is he really going to fight them?"
"They say they're from the Sword River Sect...outer disciples. But even one of those is stronger than most inner city lords!"
"Lin Bufan's just a wild dog with a lucky blade—he's going to get crushed."
At the center of it all stood Lin Bufan with his arms crossed and his shirt half-unbuttoned. The wind ruffled his black hair. He looked bored.
Mu Qingxue leaned against a nearby pillar, casually sharpening her throwing needles. She didn't look worried.
"Do you even know who Yu Shuang is?" she asked.
"Nope."
"She ranked eighty-third on the Southern Heaven List last year."
"That sounds low."
"It's not."
Bufan shrugged. "Then this'll be quick."
1. The Envoys Arrive
Thunder rumbled.
Three figures dropped from the sky, their blades gleaming like cold moonlight. Their robes bore the blue-silver crest of the Sword River Sect, one of the five rising sects in the Southern Frontier.
The leader stepped forward. She was a tall young woman with eyes as sharp as her saber. Her voice cut through the murmurs like steel.
"I am Yu Shuang. By order of my sect, I challenge Lin Bufan of Qingzhou to a formal duel."
The city officials didn't even dare to blink.
Formal duels between sect disciples and outsiders? This wasn't just personal business. That was politics.
Bufan scratched his neck. "You came all this way just to get embarrassed?"
"You killed a sect-affiliated bounty target," said Yu Shuang, unsheathing her saber. "That makes you our problem."
2. The Duel Begins
A massive circle was drawn in the dust. The standard sect rules were established: no stepping out and no killing unless deemed necessary.
Yu Shuang stepped in.
Bufan followed, cracking his knuckles.
"Begin," someone called out.
She vanished.
Like lightning, Yu Shuang appeared behind Bufan, her blade flashing toward his spine.
But Bufan didn't even turn.
He sidestepped, grabbed her wrist mid-swing, and twisted.
She flipped, breaking free and landing with a low skid and a slash of wind.
"Fast," she muttered. "But sloppy."
He grinned. "You're fast. I'm faster."
He shot forward.
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her, then behind her.
Yu Shuang's eyes widened.
Blood flew from a cut on her shoulder.
[DING! System Triggered: "Break the Sword, Shake the Sect!"
Objective: Defeat a sect envoy within 30 moves.
Reward: "Momentum Step" skill unlocked. +1 Constitution.
Progress: 3/30 moves
She gritted her teeth. "You're not at your peak Qi Condensation..."
He didn't answer.
Because he wasn't.
Not anymore.
He was past it.
3. The Crack in Heaven
On the twelfth move, Yu Shuang's saber broke.
By the fifteenth move, she collapsed to her knees.
By the eighteenth move, the duel was over.
Silence gripped the square.
A disciple of a major sect had been humiliated in under twenty moves.
Mu Qingxue walked to Bufan's side, handed him a cup of water, and whispered, "You're officially a problem now."
He wiped his face. "Took them long enough to notice."
The other two envoys lifted Yu Shuang with trembling hands. One of them turned back. "You've made an enemy of the Sword River Sect."
Bufan just raised a hand.
He flipped him off.
4. Names on the Wind
By nightfall, footage of the duel had been replayed via jade slips in taverns, courtyards, and brothels throughout Qingzhou.
Lin Bufan had no sect, no background, and no filter.
But he had something far more dangerous.
A name that refused to stay small.
5. Meanwhile, in a hidden hall
Far across the mountains, a man wearing white robes adorned with golden thread lounged in a vast hall filled with incense smoke.
He held a scroll titled "Qingzhou Preliminary Heaven List."
He crossed out "Yu Shuang."
He scribbled a new name in red:
Lin Bufan — Unranked, Potential Tier: S, Watch Closely.
Behind him, a cloaked figure asked, "Should we make contact?"
The man chuckled.
"No, let him struggle a bit longer. The sharpest blades are forged under pressure."
6. System Update:
That night, alone under the stars, Bufan opened his system panel.
[System Update: Qi Condensation Tier Completed."
You have unlocked:
- Inner World Condensation Phase
New Skill Tree: "Momentum Arts"
- New passive: "Unyielding Intent" — You cannot be stunned below 20% health.
Warning: Your actions have triggered an "S-Rank Threat Alert" from two sects.
You have entered the wider world.
Welcome to the real game.
Bufan closed the panel.
He looked toward the horizon.
Somewhere out there, people were preparing to kill him.
Good.
He needed the practice.
Ripples Across the River
7. The Crowd Reacts
News of the duel spread quickly—first through the square, then through the city, and finally through the frontier towns. By the time the sun had fully risen, every cultivator in Qingzhou knew one thing.
A rogue cultivator with no background had just dismantled a Sword River Sect envoy.
Not just anyone—Yu Shuang, one of their strongest outer disciples.
That kind of victory didn't just make waves.
It made enemies.
In a quiet teahouse on the city's southern edge, three disciples of a minor sect watched the replay on a crystal orb.
"That wasn't Qi Condensation," one whispered. "He's already half a step into Spirit Vein."
"Even so," another added, "Yu Shuang's blade art was at least second tier. She lost in under twenty moves."
"That guy... Lin Bufan...he's either going to get recruited—"
—or assassinated."
They all nodded.
Because that's how this world worked.
8. Mu Qingxue's Perspective
Mu Qingxue sat on the rooftop above the main square with her legs dangling off the edge. She chewed on dried fruit as she watched the duel below.
She had watched the entire duel unfold from the shadows, her eyes never leaving Bufan.
He was faster now. Cleaner.
But more than that, he didn't hesitate.
Not once.
He was growing too quickly, she thought. The system is still adapting to him, not the other way around.
She took out her pendant, which glowed with a faint jade light, and stared at it.
If the Jade Celestial Clan finds out I'm with him... If Father finds out...
She clenched her fist.
Then they'll come for us both.
But she didn't regret staying.
Not for a second.
For the first time in her life, she felt like she wasn't just surviving.
She was choosing.
9. The Sword Sect Responds
Three days later, in the cold stone halls of the outer court of the Sword River Sect, Elder Han smashed a jade slip against the wall.
Cracks splintered across the stone like spiderwebs.
"Yu Shuang is defeated. Her sword is broken. And the boy is mocking us in front of an entire city?"
His aide knelt beside him. "We could issue a formal bounty. Or an internal trial mission."
"No," Elder Han growled. "Send the Black Arm Envoy."
The aide flinched. "But, sir, the Black Arm is a Foundation Stage cultivator. That would—"
"Do it quietly," Han spat. "No insignia. No proof."
The aide bowed and fled.
Han turned to the shattered pieces of jade on the floor.
"Lin Bufan... Let's see how long your luck holds."
10. The System Evolves
Meanwhile, back in Qingzhou, Bufan sat cross-legged in his courtyard with his shirt off, breathing slowly and deeply.
Lines of golden energy coursed through his veins, visible even beneath his skin.
[DING! Internal energy exceeded safe threshold. Activating Condensation Protocol..."
[You are now entering: Inner World Phase (1st Layer).
New Realm: Spirit Vein - Minor
Body Reinforcement Bonus: +20%
Passive unlocked: "Blade Body": Your body counts as a weapon.
Bufan's eyes snapped open.
For a brief moment, his breath formed a faint, sword-shaped mist in the air.
Then it vanished.
He stood.
His steps felt lighter. The wind felt slower.
And the world?
It felt ready to break beneath his will.
11. A New Name
That night, a new flyer appeared throughout Qingzhou. It was posted to tavern walls, market poles, and even nailed to some sect-run bulletin boards.
⚔️ WANTED ⚔️
Lin Bu Fan
Status: Unaffiliated Rogue
Known for: Slaying the Butcher, Defeating the Sword Sect Envoy
Estimated Realm: Spirit Vein (unconfirmed)
Reward: 300 spirit stones + 1 rare artifact
Warning: Do not engage alone. Highly dangerous.
Bufan read the poster at the city gate the next morning and snorted.
"Only 300?"
Mu Qingxue appeared behind him with a smirk. "I'm worth more than that."
He grinned. "You can fight me later for the top spot."
She flicked his forehead.
12. The Next Step
They both turned to face the city beyond—the winding roads, the whispers, and the plotting sects.
Qingzhou had only been the beginning.
And now?
The world was watching.
But Bufan didn't care about the eyes on him.
He was watching the road ahead.
In two days, the regional Heaven Ranking Tournament would begin.
He had a list to climb.