Liangshui City, the Fang Family.
'Sixteen years!' Fang Han, a disciple from a branch of the Fang Family, thought with a sigh as he made his way to the clan's martial arts training ground.
It had been sixteen years since he transmigrated to this world. At first, he held himself in high regard, dreaming of standing at the pinnacle of the world and making his rebirth worthwhile.
But he slowly discovered that despite having memories from his past life, he was, just as before, utterly mediocre.
He began his martial arts training at fourteen. Now, nearly two years later, he had only managed to reach the Skin Refining Realm, the first of the Martial Dao's Basic Four Realms: Skin Refining, Flesh Refining, Tendon Refining, and Bone Refining.
Among the many Fang Family disciples practicing martial arts, his talent could only be considered ordinary.
With such a low level of talent, it was incredibly difficult to walk the path of the Martial Dao, for the path of a Martial Artist is a path for geniuses.
Even so, he refused to give up. He was determined to seize even the faintest glimmer of hope.
This was because the path of a Martial Artist was the most orthodox road to social advancement in this world!
In his past life, the saying went, "All trades are base, only scholarship is lofty." In this world, however, it was "All trades are base, only Martial Artists are lofty."
Upon reaching the training ground, Fang Han drank a bowl of Qi Blood Soup prepared by a Fang Family servant and began his training.
The training ground was filled with other Fang Family disciples just like him. They all trained individually, their faces taut with concentration, and rarely spoke to one another.
They would stop to rest when tired and resume their cultivation once recovered. When they grew hungry, Fang Family servants delivered their meals. The day passed by in a flash.
The fading light of the setting sun spilled across the massive training ground, coating the bluestone-paved ground in a golden sheen.
"Fall in."
At the command of Tutor Fang Zhen, dozens of Fang Family disciples, Fang Han among them, fell into neat ranks in the center of the training ground.
"In one month, it will be time for the final assessment for this group of disciples."
Tutor Fang Zhen's gaze was sharp as lightning as it swept across the young faces before him.
"You all know the rules. Anyone who has not reached the Flesh Refining Realm by the age of sixteen will lose their qualification to continue training in the clan's Martial Hall!"
His words struck them like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, sending ripples of unease through the crowd.
The youths wore varied expressions.
A select few smiled confidently. They exuded a powerful presence, their well-defined muscles hinting at explosive strength. They had clearly already crossed the threshold into the Flesh Refining Realm.
The color drained from the faces of most, however, their eyes filling with panic and anxiety.
If they failed to break through to the Flesh Refining Realm within a month, they would be expelled from the Martial Hall, and their journey on the Martial Dao would come to an end.
'The Flesh Refining Realm…'
Standing among the other disciples, Fang Han subconsciously clenched his fists.
He could feel that he had reached the very limit of Skin Refining.
He only needed to break through this bottleneck to achieve Skin and Flesh Integration, allowing power to flow throughout his entire body and reach the Flesh Refining Realm.
But this single step was monumentally difficult. Many of his peers had been stuck at this stage for months on end.
He was no exception, having been unable to break through this bottleneck for the past two months.
As the final assessment drew nearer, an immense pressure welled up from deep within him.
"Dismissed. The rest is up to you!"
Tutor Fang Zhen took in everyone's reactions but said nothing more, simply dismissing them.
'For those disciples without any talent, giving up on martial arts might not be a bad choice. After so many years of practicing martial arts, he knew better than anyone how crucial talent was for a Martial Artist. The chasm between different levels of talent could not be bridged by effort alone.'
The crowd dispersed, some walking with a light step, others with a heavy heart.
'One month left!' Fang Han thought, his head bowed as he followed the crowd out of the training ground. The setting sun stretched his shadow long behind him.
If he couldn't break through to the Flesh Refining Realm within this month, his future in the Martial Dao would be over—a fate he refused to accept under any circumstances.
After leaving the training ground, Fang Han, a member of a branch family, returned to his home in a side courtyard of the Fang Mansion.
The courtyard wasn't spacious, but it was tidy and well-kept. Wisps of smoke curled up from the kitchen, lending the air a simple, homey warmth.
He had just pushed open the courtyard gate when a tiny figure in a little red coat and two pigtails sticking straight up in the air came stumbling toward him like a cheerful sparrow.
"Brother, you're back!"
His four-year-old sister, Fang Ying, looked up at him with a rosy-cheeked face. Her large eyes, dark as black grapes, were filled with pure joy as she spread her short arms wide for a hug.
Seeing his sister's smile, the gloom weighing on Fang Han's heart instantly vanished.
A fond smile naturally spread across his face as he bent down, scooped the sweet little girl into his arms, and lifted her high into the air.
"Well now, has our little Xiaoying been a good girl today?"
"I was! Xiaoying was super good!"
The little girl wrapped her arms around her brother's neck and giggled endlessly. Her bright, clear laughter was like a healing tonic, soothing the tension in Fang Han's heart.
He held his sister, basking in this simple warmth, and the pressure from the training ground seemed to fade away for a moment.
At that moment, his parents also walked out of the house.
His mother, Lin Wan, wore an apron, her hands still dusted with flour. His father, Fang Zheng, was holding a ledger, obviously having just been doing the accounts.
Seeing the affectionate display between the brother and sister, they both broke into warm smiles.
"You're back, Xiaohan," Lin Wan said, looking at him lovingly.
"Quick, go wash your hands. It's time for dinner."
Fang Zheng's gaze, however, lingered on Fang Han for a long moment. He hesitated, but the thought that only a month remained prompted him to finally ask.
"Xiaohan, how has your training been recently? Have you broken through to the Flesh Refining Realm?"
Fang Han's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
He set down his giggling sister. His gaze faltered for a moment before he finally shook his head, his voice subdued.
"Not... not yet."
Silence fell over the courtyard for a moment.
"That's all right. There's no hurry. Take your time."
Fang Zheng stepped forward and gently patted his shoulder with a heavy hand, his tone still gentle.
"That's right, Xiaohan. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Take it slow. Dinner's ready, so let's eat. I made your favorite today, eggplant with minced pork."
Lin Wan chimed in softly.
After dinner, Fang Han returned to his room. Moonlight filtered through the window lattice, spilling onto the floor like cool, clear water.
His body was exhausted from the full day of cultivation, and he lay down, ready for sleep.
Suddenly, his vision flickered, and a translucent projection screen appeared before his eyes.
[Host: Fang Han]
[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 0x (Level 1 Amplification requires 10 silver)]
[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 0x (Level 1 Amplification requires 10 silver)]
[Wealth: 0]
'Is this… a system?'
Fang Han shot up in bed, staring in disbelief at the projected screen before him.
As a Transmigrator, he of course knew what a "system" was. When he first arrived in this world, he had desperately longed for one of his own.
But as the years went by with no system in sight, he had eventually given up on the idea.
He never expected that just as he had completely abandoned all hope, the system would appear.
'This must be a pay-to-win system!'
Fang Han looked at the system panel in front of him.
From the text on the panel, it wasn't hard to guess that this was a system that allowed him to permanently amplify his talents by spending money.
'It can permanently amplify my talent?!'
Fang Han's eyes burned with eagerness.
After training in martial arts for nearly two years, he understood from painful experience just how crucial talent was for a practitioner.
And now, this system that could permanently amplify his talent was nothing short of heaven-defying.
With this system, breaking through to the Flesh Refining Realm in the next month and remaining in the Martial Hall was no longer an impossible dream.