The training courtyard gradually quieted as the session came to an end.
Jiang Chen stood still for a moment, feeling the faint residue of his pseudo-domain fade completely. The subtle clarity, the control—it all slipped away like mist.
"…That's enough for today," Zhou Yan said.
Jiang Chen nodded. "…For now."
Chen Yu stretched his arms. "Good. Because I'm starving."
Han Wei smirked. "You're always starving."
Lin Xue glanced at Jiang Chen. "…You should rest."
Jiang Chen shook his head. "I need some air."
Zhou Yan's eyes lingered on him for a moment, as if trying to read deeper into his thoughts, but he didn't press.
"…Don't go too far," he said.
"I won't."
The Inner Clan pathways were quieter than usual.
More guards.
More tension.
The recent attacks had clearly shaken the entire sect.
Jiang Chen walked alone, his pace steady, his senses alert out of habit. But for once—there were no immediate threats.
Only silence.
And space to think.
---
*Control… influence… domain…*
His mind replayed everything he had learned.
The Origin Thread was no longer something completely foreign. It was becoming part of him—but still not fully his.
"…Not enough," he muttered.
Just as he stepped into a more secluded path
The system flickered.
---
**[System Update Detected]**
**[Conditions Met: Origin Comprehension + Combat Evolution]**
**[New Features Unlocking…]**
---
Jiang Chen stopped.
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"…Now?"
The interface expanded in his vision—far more detailed than before.
---
**[Primordial System v2.0 Activated]**
**New Functions Unlocked:**
* **System Store**
* **Technique Evolution Pathway**
* **Origin Stabilization Module (Locked)**
* **Combat Prediction Enhancement (Upgraded)**
---
Jiang Chen's heartbeat slowed.
"…System Store?"
A new panel opened.
---
**[System Store]**
**Available Currency: Primordial Points (420)**
**Items Available:**
* Low-Grade Recovery Pill — 50 Points
* Meridian Stabilizer — 120 Points
* Combat Insight Scroll — 200 Points
* Minor Origin Stabilizer (Fragment) — 300 Points
---
Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So I can exchange points for resources."
Unlike before—where everything depended on combat and passive rewards
This gave him control.
Choice.
---
He focused on the last item.
**Minor Origin Stabilizer (Fragment)**
"…That's what I need," he murmured.
His current biggest weakness—
Wasn't strength.
It was instability.
Without hesitation
He selected it.
---
**[Purchase Confirmed]**
**[Primordial Points -300]**
**[Remaining: 120]**
---
A faint warmth spread through his body.
Not overwhelming.
Not explosive.
But steady.
The Origin Thread within him
Reacted.
It didn't surge.
Didn't resist.
It… settled.
Jiang Chen's eyes widened slightly.
"…So this is what stabilization feels like."
He raised his hand slowly.
The thread appeared.
Thinner than before.
But
Smoother.
No violent trembling.
No immediate backlash.
"…Good," he said quietly.
---
The system flickered again:
**[Origin Stability Increased]**
**[Pseudo-Domain Duration: +20%]**
**[Backlash Reduced]**
---
Jiang Chen lowered his hand.
This
Was a real upgrade.
Not just understanding.
But foundation.
"…This changes everything."
He closed the system panel carefully.
No one else could see it.
No one else could know.
For now
This was his advantage.
As he resumed walking, his gaze sharpened slightly.
*If the system continues evolving…*
Then the gap between him and others—
Would only widen.
But at the same time—
A thought lingered.
*If I have this…*
*Then others…*
He stopped briefly.
"…Might too."
The idea wasn't comforting.
The system wasn't just power.
It was a battlefield.
And he had just taken his next step.
From the shadows above, a pair of eyes watched silently.
"…His aura changed."
Another voice responded faintly.
"…Not stronger."
"…More stable."
A pause.
"…So he's adapting."
Jiang Chen continued walking, unaware of the gaze above—but not unaware of the feeling.
He didn't look up.
Didn't react.
But his senses
Remained sharp.
---
*I'm not the only one moving,* he thought.
---
Back in the Inner Clan, the tension continued to build.
Stronger forces were watching.
Waiting.
And Jiang Chen
Now held something new.
A hidden edge.
One he hadn't even begun to fully explore.