Verdant Cloud Sect – Outer Disciple Quarters
The slap echoed across the training grounds, sharp as a blade unsheathing.
Luo Feng stumbled back, his cheek burning, the taste of iron flooding his mouth. Around him, a dozen outer disciples snickered, their eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.
"Hah! Look at this trash," sneered Young Master Zhao, flexing his fingers. "Three years in the sect, and his Power Level hasn't even reached Qi Condensation! Pathetic."
Luo Feng wiped blood from his lip, his fists trembling. He hated that word—trash.
But what could he do?
In a world where strength = power level × void energy, Luo Feng had neither. While others absorbed spiritual energy like breathing, his meridians were clogged, brittle, as if the heavens themselves had cursed him.
"Kneel," Zhao commanded, smirking. "Maybe I'll spare you another beating."
The disciples jeered.
Luo Feng's nails dug into his palms. Never again.
The Check-In That Changed Fate
That night, bruised and humiliated, Luo Feng limped to the Abandoned Shrine of Fallen Stars, a crumbling relic at the sect's edge. Legends said a god had died here—but all Luo Feng saw was a good place to scream without being heard.
He slumped against the broken altar, glaring at the crescent moon.
"Stupid heavens. Stupid sect. Stupid me—"
DING!
A sound like chimes cut him off.
>[System Activation Detected.]
>[Divine Check-In System Loading…]
Luo Feng froze. Words—golden, shimmering—floated in the air before him.
"W-What…?"
>[Welcome, Host!]
>[You have checked in at: Fallen Stars Shrine!]
>[Mission Generated!]
More text exploded before his eyes:
Mission Details:
Objective: Slap Young Master Zhao.
Difficulty: Easy
Reward: 10 Void Energy (Fire God)
Bonus: Humiliate him publicly for extra rewards!
Luo Feng's breath hitched. Was this a dream? A demon's trick?
Then—a surge of heat flooded his veins. His right palm glowed crimson, embers dancing between his fingers.
"Holy…"
The System's voice chirped:
>[Pro Tip: Host has 24 hours to complete the mission!]
>[Failure Penalty: Zhao slaps you twice as hard tomorrow.]
Luo Feng's eyes narrowed.
"…Guess I'm slapping Zhao."
The Slap Heard Across the Sect
Next Morning – Training Grounds
Zhao was holding court, bragging about yesterday's "fight" (his word for one-sided beating), when Luo Feng strode forward.
"Oi, Young Master," Luo Feng called, voice dripping sarcasm.
The crowd fell silent.
Zhao turned, eyebrow raised. "Trash. Back for more?"
Luo Feng smiled. "Nah. Just returning the favor."
His Fire God-charged palm lashed out—
WHACK!
The sound was glorious. Zhao's head snapped sideways, his body lifting clean off the ground before crashing into a training dummy. Silence.
Then—chaos.
Disciples gasped. Zhao's lackeys screamed. Zhao himself clutched his face, eyes wide with pure, unadulterated shock.
"Y-You…!"
>[Mission Complete!]
>[Reward: 10 Void Energy (Fire God) – Deposited!]
>[Bonus Reward: Flame Palm Technique – Learned!]
Power exploded in Luo Feng's core. His meridians, once dead, now burned with divine fire. He flexed his fingers—flames wreathed his fist.
Zhao scrambled back, face paling. "H-How?!"
Luo Feng grinned. "Turns out? This trash burns hot."
The Aftermath
By noon, rumors were wildfire:
"Luo Feng mastered a secret technique!"
"He's been hiding his power!"
"Zhao got slapped so hard he cried!"
But the real shock came at sunset.
Sword Saint Li Qing, the sect's icy beauty, stopped Luo Feng at the gate.
"You." Her voice was frost. "That technique… where did you learn it?"
Luo Feng's System dinged again:
>[New Mission Alert!]
>[Difficulty: Hard]
*>[Objective: Tell Li Qing, 'From your future husband.']
>[Reward: 50 VE + Frost Resistance!]
Luo Feng choked.
"System… ARE YOU TRYING TO GET ME KILLED?!"
End of Chapter 1