(Post-dantian destruction – Nine Star Hegemon Body Art Integration):
Thunder cracked across the shattered arena.
Li Xuan stood in the heart of destruction, chest heaving. His battle robe had been torn to ribbons, revealing the intricate star-patterned scars carved across his chest and back—a side effect of cultivating without a dantian.
There was no core in his body. Only a vast vortex of astral energy spinning where most cultivators kept their foundation. It burned with violence… and hunger.
His opponent, Kuang Tie, lay twitching in a crater. A proud brute of the outer rankings, now defeated before thousands.
The crowd remained speechless.
No one cheered. They had no idea what they had just witnessed.
"He… he doesn't use Qi in the traditional sense?"
"What was that ring behind him?"
"It looked like Long Chen's… but wrong—different."
From the stands, elder disciples narrowed their eyes. In particular, several Inner Hall observers exchanged solemn glances.
"Should we report this?"
"Not yet. If it's what I suspect… we'll need confirmation."
—
System Notification:
—Victory Confirmed—
—+37 Long Chen Points (LCP)—
—Astral Flow Strain: Critical (93%)—
—WARNING: Body reaching overdraw limit—
—Immediate recovery advised or death may occur—
["Idiot,"] Long Chen's voice barked through the system. ["You tapped into the first Star Flow without reinforcement. That's suicide, brat."]
Li Xuan collapsed to one knee, coughing blood.
"I didn't have a choice."
["You always have a choice. Learn to make better ones."]
["You don't have a dantian. You have a body that pretends it doesn't need one. That means you need to treat every battle like surgery, not fireworks. You're strong. But strength used wrong is just a fancy suicide."]
Li Xuan gritted his teeth. "Then teach me how to do it right."
["…Good answer."]
—
By nightfall, Li Xuan had dragged himself into the Alchemy Hall's secondary chamber. He was barely conscious, half-carried by a silent Formation Golem dispatched by the System itself.
A spiritual flame flickered around him as three glowing bottles hovered nearby:
Astral Vein Tempering Elixir – For stabilizing the Nine Star vortex
Starbone Essence Draught – Reinforces bones strained by astral force
Soul Regulator's Dew – Reduces trauma caused by dantian-deletion cultivation
Li Xuan swallowed them all.
Then the agony began.
His veins writhed.
Without a dantian, the elixirs had no place to settle. Instead, they surged through his meridians—raw, unfiltered, deadly. The star-vortex inside him pulled the medicinal power in violently, like a black hole devouring light.
He bit into his forearm to keep from screaming. Blood soaked into the jade floor.
His heart raced to the edge of explosion, and just as he thought he'd pass out—
BOOM.
A pulse. Like thunder echoing from within his soul.
The star behind him—the same one that had manifested during his battle—flashed brightly for a moment.
Then faded.
System Notification:
—Astral Vortex Stabilized—
—Meridian Resilience +12%—
—Nine Star Body Integration Progress: 14%—
["That's it,"] Long Chen muttered, voice softer now. ["That pain? It's your path now. Every gain will hurt. But one day, the world will bleed just as much when they face you."]
—
By morning, Li Xuan emerged from the Alchemy Hall—tattered, bruised, eyes sunken… but stronger.
Yue Qingru was waiting for him again.
She blinked. "You look worse than yesterday."
"I feel better."
"You're becoming a walking contradiction."
Li Xuan didn't respond. He looked past her—at the Arena Rankings board.
He was now ranked 68th.
Barely above the fodder.
But with each step, he felt it: the weight behind his cultivation.
Like a mountain coiling behind him. Waiting to be unleashed.
System Mission Update:
—New Mission: Endure Two Ranking Matches Without Using Astral Vortex—
—Optional: Suppress star-ring manifestation until System Mask is applied—
—Reward: +50 LCP | Access to Masked Cultivation Technique Scroll—
—Failure: Alert Inner Hall to Nine Star Cultivation—
["If they see that star again, they'll come for you, Li Xuan. You need to lie low. Wear the mask. Hide the truth. At least until you can fight back."]
"…Got it."
And with that, Li Xuan headed toward the training grounds—already feeling the eyes on his back.
He would play the weak outer disciple for now.
But soon?
The stars would rise.
System Status:
Cultivation: Nine Star Path (1st Star Flow – Incomplete)
Long Chen Points: 348 / 1000
Strength Increase: Body +12%, Speed +5%, Resilience +18%
Meridians: Strained (48% recovery)
Soul: Stable
Arena Rank: 68th
Surveillance Status: Active
Next Battle: 2 Days