Volume 1

Chapter 2: Silent Dungeon, The First Cry of Spirit-Martial

When Deacon Wang descended on a blue-tinted Flying Shuttle, his robes fluttered in the wind. The Spiritual Pressure of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining bore down like a mountain, instantly making the noisy Martial Arts Arena so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. His expression was grim as his gaze first swept over Zhao Hu, who was sprawled on the ground wailing while clutching his twisted arm, then flicked over the pile of Medicinal Pill powder, before finally settling on the only youth in plain clothes standing in the field.

“Who is causing a commotion and fighting here?” Deacon Wang’s voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority that reached everyone’s ears clearly. “Zhao Hu, what happened?”

“Junior Martial Uncle Wang!” Zhao Hu cried out as if grasping a life-saving straw. Tears and snot flowed as his voice cracked from the pain, sounding even more shrill. “It’s Lin Xuan! This waste ambushed me! I... I was only following the Sect rules and Junior Sister Su’s wishes, kindly trying to dissolve the contract with him, but he held a grudge and suddenly attacked me! He must have Cultivated some demonic evil art! Junior Martial Uncle, you must seek justice for me!” He completely omitted his own provocations and insults, throwing all the blame onto Lin Xuan.

Su Qingyue had also come to her senses from the shock. Suppressing the surging waves in her heart, she took a step forward and bowed slightly. “Junior Martial Uncle Wang, Senior Brother Zhao’s words may have been somewhat inappropriate, but the severity of Lin Xuan’s attack indeed exceeds common sense. Furthermore, I saw with my own eyes that he has no Spiritual Power fluctuations, yet he could...” She paused, giving Lin Xuan a complex look. “Yet he could so easily severely wound Senior Brother Zhao, who is at the Fourth Level of Qi Refining. This matter... is indeed suspicious.” Her words seemed fair, but in reality, they directed the focus toward Lin Xuan’s illogical “power.”

A sharp light flashed in Deacon Wang’s eyes. Su Qingyue possessed a Third-Grade Spiritual Root and was a talent the Sect favored, so her words carried weight. His sharp gaze fell back on Lin Xuan, and his Divine Sense reached out like invisible tentacles to carefully investigate.

No Spiritual Power fluctuations. He couldn’t even sense the faint Internal Energy Aura a Martial Artist should have. Only his Vital Energy was several times more vigorous and solid than a normal Martial Artist’s... No, more than just several times! Within that seemingly thin frame, the Vital Energy was so majestic it felt as if a young Dragon-Elephant was lying in wait—heavy, pure, and restrained. This was definitely not a physique that could be achieved at the first or second level of the Martial Dao! Even stranger, when his Divine Sense approached the surface of Lin Xuan’s body, it felt a vague “resistance,” as if what flowed beneath that skin was not blood, but molten Refined Gold.

“Lin Xuan,” Deacon Wang spoke in a heavy voice, “was it you who injured Zhao Hu?”

“Yes,” Lin Xuan answered bluntly, meeting Deacon Wang’s gaze calmly without flinching.

“Why did you do it?”

“He insulted me first, tried to force me to crawl between his legs, and his words insulted the reputation of Miss Su, whose engagement with me has already been dissolved.” Lin Xuan’s tone was flat, as if he were stating a minor matter that had nothing to do with him. “I retaliated, nothing more.”

Deacon Wang quickly calculated in his heart. He had heard a bit about Zhao Hu’s arrogant behavior, so Lin Xuan’s words were likely true. Having a Fourth Level Qi Refining Disciple get his arm snapped by a “Martial Artist” with zero Spiritual Power would be a laughingstock for the Yunni Sect if word got out. However, given Lin Xuan’s extremely strange physique and power—especially at a time like this when Spiritual Qi was resurging, anomalies were appearing everywhere, and all sorts of characters might emerge—he could not afford to be anything but cautious.

“Lin Xuan,” Deacon Wang made a decision, his tone turning cold. “Even if Zhao Hu was in the wrong first, you attacked too heavily and maimed a fellow Disciple—though Zhao Hu has not officially entered the Outer Sect, he is already on the records. That is the first point. Secondly, you possess an unknown power that poses a potential threat to the safety of Qingshi Town. According to the Sect’s temporary management regulations, Qingshi Town is currently co-managed by our Yunni Sect. You are suspected of disturbing public order and possessing an unknown power, so you must accompany me back to the station for an investigation. If it is confirmed that you are indeed innocent, you will be released. If you dare to resist...”

He no longer hid the Spiritual Pressure of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, releasing it with a boom. The air seemed to become viscous and heavy. Several Law Enforcement Disciples who had followed him took a step forward simultaneously, their hands secretly forming Spells, faintly creating a surrounding formation that blocked all of Lin Xuan’s exits.

Lin Xuan’s gaze swept across the scene. Su Qingyue turned her face slightly, avoiding his line of sight. Zhao Hu curled on the ground, his eyes filled with a complex light of malice and satisfaction. The onlookers were either fearful, curious, or gloating.

Inside his body, the Martial Dao Extreme Realm power—which was tightly suppressed by the rules yet remained as vast as a sea of stars—seemed to sense the provocation of the external Spiritual Pressure and stirred slightly, like a sleeping dragon rolling over.

But he knew now was not the time for a head-on confrontation. This Deacon Wang’s full strength was unknown, and there were several Disciples around. He possessed a “gold mine” but lacked “paper currency.” Fighting would not only be a disadvantage but would also place him completely in opposition to the Yunni Sect, which ran counter to his plan of “understanding the world first, adapting to the rules, and developing quietly.”

[Ding! Side Quest Triggered: Temporary Forbearance.]

[Quest Content: Cooperate with the Yunni Sect’s investigation to avoid an immediate large-scale conflict. Use this opportunity to gain a deep understanding of basic information about the current world, common knowledge of the immortal cultivation System, and the internal situation of the Yunni Sect.]

[Quest Reward: Based on the host’s response and the completeness of information acquisition, unlock some core keys of the Basic Martial Dao Spirit-Transformation Art or obtain special auxiliary items.]

The System’s prompt came just in time.

Lin Xuan’s heart settled. He deliberately let a well-timed look of “unwillingness” and “helplessness” appear on his face and slowly lowered his eyes, relaxing his slightly tensed body as if resigning himself to fate.

“Fine, I’ll go with you.” He chose to “soften.”

Seeing this, Deacon Wang felt slightly more at ease, but his vigilance did not decrease. A Law Enforcement Disciple immediately stepped forward, taking out a pale yellow rope flickering with faint runes, intending to loop it around Lin Xuan’s wrists.

“No need,” Deacon Wang waved his hand, stopping the Disciple. “Take him to the East Wing Quiet Room. Without my order, no one is allowed to approach him, nor are they allowed to use interrogation or torture. Just keep a good watch over him.”

In the end, he still harbored deep wariness toward Lin Xuan’s bizarre power and the method he used to instantly disable Zhao Hu. An ordinary Spirit-Binding Rope would likely be useless, and forcing its use might instead escalate the conflict. It was better to keep him under house arrest in the name of an “investigation,” observe his reactions, and plan later.

Lin Xuan was “escorted” away from the Martial Arts Arena by two Law Enforcement Disciples, one on each side. As he passed Su Qingyue, he didn’t even glance her way, as if she were just an insignificant weed by the roadside.

Su Qingyue watched his back—straight as a pine and steady in step. The shock caused by Lin Xuan’s sudden change was quickly smoothed over by her logic and ingrained beliefs, and she even felt a deeper sense of detachment and... a faint unease. Even if he had a lucky encounter and his strength became greater, so what? Without a Spiritual Root, he couldn't Cultivate. In this chaotic world of Spiritual Qi Resurgence where great masters emerged in large numbers, he was ultimately just a slightly stronger ant. Today he could rely on freakish strength to injure Zhao Hu, but tomorrow his head might be taken by a true Cultivator’s Flying Sword. Her choice was not wrong... right?

Zhao Hu was helped up by his fellow Disciples and swallowed a healing Medicinal Pill. As the sharp pain eased slightly, he stared in the direction Lin Xuan had gone, the malice in his eyes almost solidifying. “Lin Xuan... now that you’ve entered the Yunni Sect’s territory, I’ll see how long you can remain arrogant! I will make you pay back the debt of this broken arm a hundredfold, a thousandfold! And that bitch Su Qingyue, she didn't even speak up for me with all her strength just now... You all just wait for me!”

---

The Yunni Sect’s station in Qingshi Town was originally the estate of the town’s wealthiest squire. With slight modifications and the deployment of simple Spirit-Gathering and Protective Formations, it had acquired a bit of an immortal Aura, and the Spiritual Qi inside the courtyard was much denser than outside. Lin Xuan was taken to a remote small courtyard in the East Wing and locked in a room where the doors and windows were carved with simple Restriction runes.

Though called a quiet room, it was essentially no different from a prison cell. The room contained only a bed, a table, and a chair; the furnishings were so simple they felt cold. The light from the Restriction at the door was faint, but it was enough to block most sound from inside and out and would alert them to any attempt to force the door or window. Two Law Enforcement Disciples at the Third Level of Qi Refining stood guard in the courtyard, their expressions vigilant.

Lin Xuan sat down on the hard bed, closed his eyes to concentrate, and immediately communicated with the System.

“System, analyze my current situation in detail. How can the Basic Martial Dao Spirit-Transformation Art help me break through this current predicament?”

[Deeply scanning host status and external rule environment... Analyzing...]

[Conclusion Restated: The host possesses the Martial Dao Extreme Realm Origin (gold mine), but the mainstream energy of the current world is Spiritual Qi (paper currency). The exchange channel is severely blocked.]

[Core principle of the Basic Martial Dao Spirit-Transformation Art (System-Adapted Version): Guide the host to use their own Martial Dao Vital Energy and Extreme Realm Origin as fuel to ignite a Spirit Fire, simulating and generating a type of “Special Spiritual Qi” within the body that is both initially recognized by the current world’s rules and highly compatible with the host’s Origin—temporarily named Source Martial Spiritual Energy. This process is known as “Spirit-Transformation.”]

[After successful Spirit-Transformation, the host can gradually use Source Martial Spiritual Energy as a medium to clear the “exchange channel,” unlock suppressed power, and attempt to absorb and convert external Spiritual Qi for their own use.]

[Do you wish to receive the first layer of the Basic Martial Dao Spirit-Transformation Art Mind-Cultivation Technique?]

“Receive,” Lin Xuan said without hesitation.

A stream of information that was cool yet carried a moist warmth flooded into his mind. It was not complex or tongue-twisting scriptures, but several profound Visualization Maps and a set of extremely refined Guidance Techniques that pointed directly to the essence of Vital Energy movement and mental regulation. It did not require absorbing Spiritual Qi from the outside; instead, it taught him how to use specific breathing rhythms and mental visualizations to trigger the majestic Vital Energy and that trace of Innate Origin Qi dormant in the depths of his limbs and bones, causing them to circulate, collide, and calcine according to a mysterious trajectory to refine the first wisp of Source Martial Spiritual Energy.

Once this wisp of Source Martial Spiritual Energy was born, it would be a seed that could circulate spontaneously, strengthening the self internally and sensing the heavens and earth externally, gradually penetrating the suppression of the rules.

Lin Xuan immediately tried according to the technique. A hundred years of Cultivation in the Martial Dao Tower had allowed his control over every inch of flesh and every wisp of breath to reach an incredibly subtle level. With a slight thought, his majestic Vital Energy, which had been as silent as an ancient ice field, began to slowly “awaken.” That faint trace of Innate Origin Qi was like a spark, guided by his will to fall into the “ocean” of Vital Energy.

Boom!

It was as if magma had surged beneath the ice field! At first, there was a difficult sense of obstruction; moving the Vital Energy was like pushing a mountain, and sharp pain rose from the depths of his bone marrow. But Lin Xuan didn’t even knit his brows. A hundred years of solitude and all kinds of tempering had made him long accustomed to mere pain.

Gradually, under the guidance of the technique, the Vital Energy and that wisp of Innate Qi formed an imperceptible vortex at the position of the Dantian. An extremely weak yet condensed and pure Qi, carrying a faint Chaos color, was with great difficulty born from the center of the vortex!

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

[Ding! Successfully guided and transformed the first wisp of [Source Martial Spiritual Energy]! The "Basic Martial Dao Spirit-Transformation Art" has officially reached entry level!]

[Host's martial Foundation detected to be exceptionally robust; the generation efficiency of 'Source Martial Spiritual Energy' far exceeds basic expectations. Automatically optimizing subsequent cultivation paths...]

[Hidden environmental task triggered: Dungeon Foundation-Laying.]

[Task Content: In a restricted environment, stabilize the first layer of the "Basic Martial Dao Spirit-Transformation Art". Requirements: Condense one hundred wisps of [Source Martial Spiritual Energy] and form a preliminary Small Heavenly Circuit within the body.]

[Task Reward: Unlock 'Internal Vision' ability (Elementary); slightly increase rule adaptability (by approximately 0.5%); random Elementary Spell model fragment x1.]

Restricted environment? Perfect. No one to disturb me, and free guards outside the door.

Lin Xuan completely settled his mind, fully immersing himself in the slow yet firm process of "Spirit-Transformation" running within his body.

Each wisp of Chaos-colored Spiritual Qi generated made him feel the barrier of the invisible "rule suppression" from the outside world weaken by a fraction, and the terrifying power sleeping within his body seemed to grow a fraction more active as well.

Time passed in silence. The sun set and the moon rose; silver radiance shone through the lattice window, casting cold spots of light on the ground.

The Disciple guarding outside were fully focused at first, sweeping their Divine Sense through the room from time to time.

However, after several probes, they only sensed Lin Xuan's breathing to be steady and long, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep (when in reality, it was a highly introverted state of cultivation), so they gradually relaxed and began to whisper to each other.

"Is Junior Martial Uncle Wang being too cautious? It's just a Mortal with a bit more strength."

"Who knows? That kid Zhao Hu lost a lot of face this time, getting his hand broken by a 'Martial Artist' with one slap, hehe."

"Quiet! Zhao Hu has some connections with Senior Brother Zhao Long of the inner Sect... But come to think of it, this Spiritual Qi recovery is truly terrifying. I heard that last night, the Sect sent word that groups of Yao Beasts have appeared in several towns to the north, and there are Ancient Tombs that exploded on their own!"

"Indeed, our Yunni Sect is still doing okay. Take this kid in the room, for example. If he had been discovered to have some strange strength a few months ago, he might have been able to be a laborer or a servant. Now? Hehe, in the face of the great era of cultivation, a useless Martial Dao counts for..."

Their conversation was captured word for word by Lin Xuan's keen hearing. Spiritual Qi recovery, Yao Beasts, Ancient Tombs... the world was indeed changing drastically.

His heart remained calm, though the speed at which he tempered his Spiritual Qi quietly quickened by a fraction.

Late at night, everything was silent.

Within Lin Xuan's Dantian, the one-hundredth wisp of Chaos-colored [Source Martial Spiritual Energy] finally took shape, intertwining and swirling with the other ninety-nine wisps of Spiritual Qi to form a stable, slowly rotating, tiny vortex.

A profound cycle was established within his body; although weak, it began to operate spontaneously, endlessly.

[Ding! Hidden task 'Dungeon Foundation-Laying' completed!]

[Rewards distributed: Unlocked 'Internal Vision' ability (Elementary); rule adaptability increased by 0.5%; obtained random Elementary Spell model fragment — 'Spiritual Energy Shield (Prototype)'.]

In an instant, Lin Xuan felt as if his consciousness had gained a pair of "eyes" and could clearly "see" the situation inside his body: the vast, silent martial Origin was like a background starry sky, the slowly rotating vortex of Chaos Spiritual Qi was like a nebula, and the omnipresent, light-gray web of rule suppression.

After the adaptability increased, that web of suppression seemed to... loosen and become transparent by a tiny bit.

At the same time, a vague structural diagram and the trajectory of Spiritual Energy circulation on how to project Spiritual Qi outward to form a thin layer of protection merged into his consciousness. Although it was still very rough, and his [Source Martial Spiritual Energy] had special properties, the principles were the same, giving him new inspiration.

Just then—footsteps came from outside the courtyard, extremely light, yet unable to escape his current perception. There was more than one person; their Auras were restrained, but they carried undisguised malice and... a hint of alcohol?

"Creak—" The door was pried open directly from the outside in some rough manner!

Under the moonlight, three faces were revealed. The leader was Zhao Hu; his broken arm was suspended in a bandage, his face pale from blood loss and anger, but his eyes burned with crazy hatred and a fierce light from the alcohol.

Behind him followed two Disciple who also wore expressions of viciousness and were dressed in Yunni Sect Outer Sect attire; they were clearly his lackeys and were also carrying a bit of drunkenness.

"Senior Brother Zhao, do we really have to... Deacon Wang gave orders..." one of the lackeys was still hesitant.

"Shut up!" Zhao Hu growled, his spit almost spraying onto the other person's face, "A piece of trash, what are you afraid of? Junior Martial Uncle Wang was invited by the Town Mayor to discuss the Yao Beast warning, he won't be back for a while!"

"This courtyard is only watched by two pieces of trash at the third level of Qi Refining, and I've already knocked them out with medicine!"

He stared at Lin Xuan, who seemed to be "sleeping" on the bed, his facial muscles twisting, "Lin Xuan! You made me lose face in front of so many people during the day! The pain of my broken arm, I want you to pay it back right now!"

He suddenly pulled out a dark, fist-sized object from his bosom, which looked like some kind of metal ball, its surface carved with rough explosive runes.

"See this? 'Heaven-Shaking Thunder'! Although it's an inferior product, it's more than enough to blow you, a piece of trash with no Spiritual Energy protection, to death!"

"If you don't want to be blown into pieces, crawl over here immediately and lick my shoe soles clean! And repeat the process from the day, one hundred times for me!"

The two lackeys beside him also brandished daggers, cruel smiles on their faces.

Lin Xuan, on the bed, slowly opened his eyes.

There was no burst of brilliance, no surge of Aura. Just a pair of eyes in the darkness, calm to the point of being chilling, clearly reflecting the three faces at the doorway that suddenly stiffened, their drunkenness instantly sobered by more than half.

"Zhao Hu," Lin Xuan spoke, his voice in the silent night as clear as ice beads falling on a jade plate, "It seems that the lesson from the day didn't teach you how to be 'quiet'."

He slowly stood up, his movements relaxed and natural.

Inside his body, the newly formed vortex of one hundred wisps of [Source Martial Spiritual Energy] slightly accelerated its rotation; although the total amount was insignificant, it was pure and condensed. More importantly, they resonated strangely with Lin Xuan's tempered Physical Body, bringing his control over his body to a new height.

"You... you weren't affected by the hypnotic incense?" one of the lackeys said in horror, as they had indeed used hypnotic incense before entering.

Lin Xuan did not answer. Under the terrified gaze of the three, he simply took a step forward.

Just one step. "Thud."

The sound of the footstep was very light, but to the ears of Zhao Hu and the others, it sounded like a funeral bell tolling!

What made their souls fly away and spirits scatter even more was that the hard blue brick under Lin Xuan's foot had silently sunken by a shallow layer!

It was not a deliberate stomp, but a manifestation of the "weight" and "Aura" contained within that body when it moved naturally!

"Quick! Throw it!" Zhao Hu was terrified, using all his strength to throw the "Heaven-Shaking Thunder" in his hand toward Lin Xuan, while desperately shrinking backward himself.

The black ball flew over, tumbling, and the runes on its surface began to light up with a dangerous red glow.

Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed. When the black ball flew to within half a zhang in front of him, he pointed his right hand like a sword. A trace of imperceptible Chaos-colored light flashed at his fingertip, and he struck with extreme precision at the junction of a certain rune node on the side of the black ball!

Although the [Source Martial Spiritual Energy] was weak, its high condensation and special vibrational properties were manifested at this moment.

"Hiss..." A slight sound, like a red-hot iron block entering water.

The red light on the surface of the "Heaven-Shaking Thunder" suddenly went out, the runes instantly dimmed, and like a firecracker with its fuse pinched out, it fell limply to the ground, rolled to the corner of the wall, and remained motionless.

"No... impossible!!" Zhao Hu and the two lackeys were dumbfounded, as if seeing a ghost.

Lin Xuan's figure flickered, and he was already close as a ghost. His left hand darted out like lightning, grabbing Zhao Hu's uninjured left arm and twisting it gently.

"Crack!" Another crisp sound!

Zhao Hu's left arm also bent at an odd angle. He only let out half a scream before Lin Xuan brushed the side of his neck with his other hand, cutting his voice off abruptly, his eyes rolling back as he fainted.

The other two lackeys were scared out of their wits and turned to run.

Lin Xuan casually picked up two small pebbles from the ground and flicked his fingertips. "Pfft! Pfft!"

Two muffled sounds, and the pebbles accurately hit the acupoints behind their knees. The two fell to their knees with a thud, their lower bodies instantly numb and losing all sensation.

Lin Xuan walked over to the unconscious Zhao Hu, crouched down, and using his fingers, tapped seven times in a special manner on his Dantian Qi Sea position, injecting seven wisps of extremely fine [Source Martial Spiritual Energy] with different frequencies.

These seven wisps of Spiritual Qi were like living creatures; they burrowed into his Qi Sea, connected with each other, and formed a miniature, continuously vibrating "mark" that quietly lay in wait.

[Successfully applied 'Martial Dao Hidden Energy · Seven-Star Spirit-Locking Seal' (Simplified Version). Effect: Continuously slightly interferes with his Spiritual Energy circulation, making his cultivation difficult to advance, and causing his Qi Sea to sting when emotionally agitated or during strenuous exercise. Lasts for three months. Unsealing requires a special technique or the force of a Realm far exceeding the caster's to forcibly erase it.]

After doing this, Lin Xuan picked up Zhao Hu like a chick, walked to the door, and threw him and the other two paralyzed lackeys into the center of the courtyard like trash, side by side.

The moonlight was bleak, shining on the three of them in their disheveled, unconscious state.

Lin Xuan brushed the non-existent dust off his hands, turned back into the room, and closed the door, as if he had just gone out to take out the trash.

In the distance, in the shadow of a higher roof ridge, a figure almost blending into the darkness took in everything that had just happened in the courtyard, a trace of deep astonishment and solemnity flashing in its eyes, before it quietly retreated.

Inside the room, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged again and continued to polish the newly formed [Source Martial Spiritual Energy] Small Heavenly Circuit.

The dungeon was silent; the Spirit-Martial began to chime.

The real storm, perhaps, had only just begun.

(End of Volume 1, Chapter 2)

[Next Chapter Preview]: The dungeon is silent; the Spirit-Martial begins to chime! Lin Xuan crushes the petty villains and plants a hidden seal! Deacon Wang returns; how will he handle this increasingly perplexing situation?

Zhao Hu is injured a second time; how will Zhao Long's rage burn? When Su Qingyue learns of the dungeon incident, how will the balance in her heart tilt?

The abnormal movements in Black Wind Ridge intensify; the threat of a beast tide is imminent! A new task is about to be released; can Lin Xuan use this opportunity to formally embark on the journey of "Martial Dao Spirit-Transformation"?

Where does the observing gaze from the shadows come from? Is it friend or foe?

Next Chapter: Black Wind Trial, Fisting the Yao Bear!

Lin Xuan: "My path has just begun. Whoever blocks it will be the next whetstone."