Victor glanced at his hands again; "This is insane."

He had no system like the awakened did, no flashy interface floating in front of him, yet somehow, he was tapping into something beyond normal. He wasn't sure how it worked, but one thing was crystal clear—he needed to get stronger.

Victor smirked while rolling his shoulders. "I've got one goal now—train, get stronger, and show up at that screening like a total badass."

His mind wandered to the upcoming awakened academy screening.

It would be holding in a month and the evaluators will do final assessments for any late awakeners. If he could pass himself off as one, his entire life could change.

No more barely scraping by, no more being seen as an average loser. He could secure a future for himself—and his family.

"All I gotta do is keep grinding in the game," he muttered. "Easy enough."

With that, he made his way out of the factory.

---

By the time Victor got home, it was already late in the evening, and the house was quiet. His mom was reading on the couch, but his dad had already left for his mana crystal mining trip. Victor waved at her on his way upstairs.

"Gonna play some games, Mom."

She gave him a tired smile. "Don't stay up all night again, alright?"

Victor grinned mischievously. "No promises."

---

He rushed to his room, flopping onto his bed and grabbing his VR headset. The excitement buzzed through him as he powered it on.

This wasn't just a game anymore—Ascendant Realms was his key to everything he wanted. And luckily, it was Friday, which meant he could stay in the game all weekend.

"No school, no distractions," he whispered before strapping the device onto his head. "Just me and my cultivation."

---

[Logging into Ascendant Realms…]

A familiar rush of energy enveloped him, and in the blink of an eye, he was back in the game world. The serene realm within Lingyun's statue welcomed him once more.

Towering sword formations floated in the sky, and an eternal mist surrounded the landscape.

Victor stretched his in-game body and smirked. "Man, I've missed this place."

The translucent figure of Lingyun stood before him, expressionless as always. The sword master radiated an ancient, unshakable aura, and his mythical voice echoed in the space.

"You have returned," Lingyun's voice carried the weight of countless lifetimes. "Are you prepared to continue your training?"

Victor grinned while unsheathing his sword. "More than ready, Sensei."

Lingyun nodded, and without another word, he launched into the next stage of training.

Victor was tasked with refining his Phantom Mirage Step, an advanced footwork technique that allowed him to create afterimages to confuse his opponents.

Victor followed the spirit's movements, focusing on his breathing and balance. He had spent hours trying to execute this technique properly and although he was making progress, it was still tricky. The key was to shift his weight perfectly between steps while maintaining the illusion of speed.

Lingyun spoke once more, "Phantom Mirage Step is not merely a movement technique—it is an art of deception. With proper execution, you will create afterimages that confuse your enemies, allowing you to strike from unexpected angles."

Without another word, Lingyun moved. His feet glided across the ground with impossible fluidity, and suddenly, there were five versions of him standing in a perfect line.

Victor blinked. "Wait, what?"

Lingyun's voice echoed from all five figures. "This is the pinnacle of Phantom Mirage Step. It is not enough to move quickly; one must move with precision and intent."

Victor chuckled nervously. "Yeah, okay. That looks... slightly above my skill level."

Lingyun ignored his quip and resumed his demonstration. "There are three key components to mastering this technique."

---

Step One: The Root – Stability in footwork, grounding oneself while maintaining flexibility.

Step Two: The Drift – Mastering fluid transitions that allow smooth movement between steps.

Step Three: The Blur – Channeling qi to distort the enemy's perception of your movements, creating afterimages.

---

Victor whistled low. "Got it. Step, drift, blur. Sounds simple enough."

Lingyun gestured for him to begin.

Victor took a deep breath and mirrored Lingyun's stance. He tried shifting his weight lightly on his feet, focusing on his balance. As he attempted to move quickly, his steps felt clunky and unnatural.

He grunted, stumbling forward. "Yeah, not as easy as it looks."

He decided to repeat the process over and over and over again until his body began to move at bit more naturally.

He watched Lingyun's spirit once again and then decided to give it another try.

He stepped forward—Root. Shifted his weight—Drift. And then, focusing his qi to distort his presence, he executed the final step—Blur.

A faint shimmer surrounded his figure, and to his shock, he saw the faintest hint of an afterimage flickering behind him.

---

System Notification:

<[ Phantom Mirage Unlocked: 2% Proficiency ]>

---

Victor grinned. "Finally! At this rate, I'll be running circles around people in no time."

Lingyun, however, wasn't impressed. "You are still too slow. Again."

Victor groaned but obliged, diving back into practice.

------

System Notification:

Phantom Mirage Mastery: Beginner (5%)

------

The longer he practiced, the more his Phantom Mirage mastery increased.

Victor panted heavily as his entire in-game body got covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

He had spent what felt like days refining his Phantom Mirage Step, slowly improving his mastery bit by bit. His movements were no longer as clumsy, and he was starting to leave behind more convincing afterimages.

He checked his system interface and was pleased to see his progress:

---

Cultivation Level: Qi Refining Realm (Stage 3 – 45%)

Martial Techniques:

Shadow Crescent Strike – Mastery: 15%

Phantom Mirage Step – Mastery: 25%

---

Victor smirked. "Not bad. I think I'm getting the hang of this."

Just as he was about to resume, the system chimed in with a new notification.

---

<[ New Objective: Explore Lingyun Town and test your techniques in real combat situations. ]>

---

Victor exhaled and stretched his arms. "Guess it's time for a change of scenery."

--

--

Meanwhile, in Lingyun Town, the atmosphere had grown tense.

The Qin Family, one of the four most influential cultivation families in town, was on high alert. Word had spread about the humiliation their young master, Qin Fei, had suffered at the hands of an unknown outsider—Fang Chen.

The elders of the Qin family, dressed in crimson robes embroidered with gold, had been searching every inch of the town, questioning merchants, innkeepers, and travelers.

They were relentless in their pursuit, and it wasn't long before they arrived at Lingyun's Rest, the inn run by Chen Wen's father, Chen Guang.

The inn's peaceful atmosphere was shattered when the doors burst open, and a group of Qin disciples strode in, led by none other than Qin Fei's uncle, Elder Qin Han.

He was a middle-aged man with hawk-like features and an overwhelming aura of authority.

"Where is the boy who humiliated my nephew?" Qin Han's voice boomed across the room as his cold eyes scanned the frightened patrons.