Chapter 15: Breaking Through in Four Days

  When Li Ming returned to his room, it was already late at night.

  He didn't light a lamp, sitting on the bed in darkness, hand pressed on his dantian. The pain there was more obvious than in the evening, like a dull knife slowly cutting inside. Every breath, he could feel the crack widening.

  [Status] Foundation cracked (collapse risk 89%)

  [Time remaining] 4 days 21 hours 45 minutes

  "Four days..."

  Li Ming murmured, voice clear in the dark room. He pulled out the jade pendant Elder Wang gave him, Player 034's identity token. The jade was warm, like... it had body temperature?

  "Elder Wang is Player 034..."

  He turned the jade over. On the back was a line of small characters, invisible unless you looked closely:

  "If I disappear, go to Law Enforcement Hall dungeon."

  "Law Enforcement Hall dungeon..."

  Li Ming's heart jumped.

  Elder Wang said Player 056 was trapped in the library third floor and died. Player 078 was trapped in the inner sect main hall. Then in the Law Enforcement Hall dungeon... was another player?

  "Seven nodes, seven players..."

  He calculated.

  Lin Xue (Player 007), Chen Feng (Player 073), Wang Xue (Player 089), Elder Wang (Player 034), Player 056 (dead), Player 078 (inner sect), and one more... in the Law Enforcement Hall dungeon?

  "Damn."

  He cursed again.

  What kind of hell difficulty was this?

  Outside the window came the sound of rustling leaves.

  Li Ming spun around, looking at the window.

  The ninth avatar was still following him. Since returning from the library, that gaze had never disappeared, like... stuck to him?

  "Come out."

  Li Ming spoke to the window.

  No response.

  But the leaves moved.

  "I know you're there." Li Ming stood up, hand touching the wooden sword at his waist. "Zhang Tao has nine avatars. Which one are you?"

  Still no response.

  But Li Ming could feel, that gaze... stronger?

  "Afraid to act?" Li Ming smiled, something mocking in the expression. "Elder Wang was right. You're waiting, waiting for me to open the source code, then replace me."

  The leaves stopped.

  "But you know what..." Li Ming paused. "What I'm best at..."

  "Is modifying code."

  The moment words fell, Li Ming suddenly pushed open the window, sword thrusting out!

  The wooden sword sliced through the night sky, stabbing toward the tree outside. The moment blade touched trunk, a muffled grunt came.

  "Found you."

  Li Ming withdrew his sword. Outside the window, no one. But he could feel, that gaze... disappeared?

  "Gone for now."

  He closed the window, sat back on the bed.

  "Must break through."

  Four days, Qi Refinement Layer Four. Normal cultivation needed at least a month, but he... had no time.

  "Break through with code."

  Li Ming remembered Elder Wang's words.

  Breaking through with optimized techniques would accelerate foundation collapse. But not breaking through, he'd die in four days anyway.

  "Dead either way, might as well gamble."

  He pulled out that paper full of optimization plans, selected *Qingyun Heart Method*.

  This was Qingyun Sect's basic internal technique, code analysis version v2.1, efficiency up to 85% after optimization.

  "System, begin optimizing Qingyun Heart Method."

  "Ding! Optimization plan generating..."

  "Ding! Optimization complete, obtained *Qingyun Heart Method·Optimized Version*"

  Li Ming closed his eyes, began circulating the optimized technique.

  Spiritual power flowed through his meridians. This time... different.

  Before when circulating techniques, spiritual power was like a stream, slow and steady. But now... like a flood?

  Every cycle, spiritual power surged.

  [Cultivation] Qi Refinement Layer Three 15/600 → 50/600

  "So fast..."

  Li Ming felt joy.

  But the next second, pain struck.

  The crack in his dantian was like being torn open. Every point of spiritual power increase, pain intensified.

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  "Hold on..."

  He clenched his jaw, nails digging into flesh, palm bleeding.

  "Can't... give up..."

  Spiritual power continued flowing.

  [Cultivation] 100/600 → 200/600 → 300/600

  Pain grew more intense. Li Ming felt his meridians like being burned by fire. Every time spiritual power flowed, it was like sprinkling salt on wounds.

  "Fast... fast..."

  He shouted in his heart.

  "Faster... a bit more..."

  Suddenly, a crisp sound came from within his body.

  Like something... cracked?

  [Warning] Foundation crack expansion detected

  [Hint] Crack expansion may cause... early collapse

  [Recommendation] Stop cultivation

  "Stop?"

  Li Ming laughed bitterly.

  "Can't stop anymore."

  He continued circulating.

  Spiritual power continued flowing.

  Crack continued expanding.

  [Collapse risk] 89% → 92% → 95% ...

  "Fast..."

  Li Ming roared in his heart.

  "Just... a bit... more..."

  Suddenly, a loud sound came from within his body.

  Like... explosion?

  [Ding! Host detected breakthrough]

  [Cultivation] Qi Refinement Layer Four 1/800

  [Status] Foundation cracked (collapse risk 97%)

  [Time remaining] 2 days 18 hours 30 minutes (medicine effect acceleration)

  "Two days..."

  Li Ming relaxed, then...

  Spat out a mouthful of blood.

  Blood was black, like... poisoned?

  "Damn."

  He cursed, then...

  Passed out.

  In the final moment before losing consciousness, he heard a voice:

  "Player 1025, breakthrough successful."

  "But... price has been paid."

  "Your foundation... has approached... critical point."

  "Two days later..."

  "You will... pay... price."

  Then, nothing.

  What Li Ming didn't know was that after he collapsed, the system interface automatically appeared before him, new code being written:

  [Li_Ming_Status.py]

  def foundation():

  status = "CRITICAL" # critical state

  collapse_risk = 0.97 # collapse risk 97%

  estimated_collapse = "2 days" # estimated collapse in 2 days

  Two days.

  Same day as inner sect assessment.

  And outside the room, a dark figure stood behind a tree, watching Li Ming's room, eyes complex.

  It was Chen Feng.

  "He... really broke through." Chen Feng said softly. "Madman."

  He paused.

  "But... that's good too."

  "Only madmen... can... clear."

  Then he vanished into the night.

  And farther away, in Qingyun Sect's inner sect main hall, a person in elder robes opened his eyes, looking at the jade slip in his hand, corner of mouth curling into a smile.

  "Player 1025..."

  "You... finally... came."

  "Game..."

  "Has just... begun."

  ***

  Li Ming was awakened by knocking.

  He sat up abruptly, finding himself on the bed, covered by a blanket. When did he return? Didn't remember. Only remembered passing out after breakthrough...

  "Who?" he asked, voice extremely hoarse.

  "Chen Feng."

  The voice outside made Li Ming's heart tighten.

  "Something you need?"

  "Inner sect assessment... moved up." Chen Feng said. "One hour later, training grounds assembly."

  "Moved up?"

  "Yes." Chen Feng said. "Elder Wang... arranged it."

  Li Ming's heart shook.

  Elder Wang?

  "Why moved up?"

  "Don't know." Chen Feng said. "But... definitely... for you."

  "For me?"

  "Your foundation..." Chen Feng paused. "About to collapse, right?"

  Li Ming fell silent.

  "How did you..."

  "Lin Xue can sense other players." Chen Feng said. "She... can also sense... status."

  "Then..."

  "So..." Chen Feng said. "You only... have two choices."

  "What?"

  "First, give up assessment, wait for death." Chen Feng said. "Second, participate in assessment, enter inner sect, find... source code."

  Li Ming clenched his fist.

  "Inner sect... has source code?"

  "Has." Chen Feng said. "But... also has... Administrator."

  "Administrator..."

  "Real... Administrator." Chen Feng said. "Not like Zhang Tao's... avatars."

  "Then..."

  "So..." Chen Feng paused. "You... decided?"

  Li Ming fell silent.

  A long time.

  "I'll go." he said.

  "Good." Chen Feng said. "One hour later... training grounds."

  "Mm."

  Footsteps faded away.

  Li Ming sat on the bed, hand pressed on his dantian.

  Pain still there, but lighter than last night. After breaking through to Layer Four, spiritual power was more abundant, but the foundation crack... also larger.

  [Status] Foundation cracked (collapse risk 97%)

  [Time remaining] 2 days 17 hours 45 minutes

  "Two days..."

  He stood up, changed into clean disciple robes, hung the wooden sword at his waist.

  "Then... gamble."

  Pushing open the door, morning sunlight hit his face.

  The outer district was already lively, disciples walking in groups toward the training grounds. Inner sect assessment, for outer disciples... was a once-a-year major event.

  Li Ming followed the crowd, hand touching the jade pendant in his robes.

  Player 034's token.

  "Law Enforcement Hall dungeon..."

  He remembered that sentence.

  "If I disappear, go to Law Enforcement Hall dungeon."

  "But... no time."

  Inner sect assessment moved up, he must go to training grounds first. Law Enforcement Hall dungeon... could only wait until after assessment.

  Reaching the training grounds, many outer disciples had already gathered.

  About... over a hundred?

  "Heard? This assessment... only taking top three."

  "Top three? That's too hard?"

  "Heard the reward... is inner sect disciple qualification, and... Foundation Establishment Pill."

  "Foundation Establishment Pill?! Then..."

  Li Ming's heart tightened.

  Foundation Establishment Pill... could stabilize foundation?

  "But... only top three..."

  He clenched his fist.

  "Must... enter top three."

  "Li Ming!"

  A voice came from behind.

  Li Ming turned, it was Lin Xue.

  The girl wore white disciple robes, hair still... white? In morning sunlight, like... plated with gold?

  "You..." Li Ming paused. "Why did you come?"

  "To... see you." Lin Xue said. "Your... foundation..."

  "You know?"

  "Know." Lin Xue said. "I can... sense."

  "Then..."

  "You... only... have two days." Lin Xue said. "Inner sect assessment... today... tomorrow..."

  "Day after tomorrow..."

  "Inner sect main hall." Lin Xue finished. "Source code... is... in inner sect main hall."

  "You know?"

  "Know." Lin Xue said. "I... went there... two years ago."

  "Then..."

  "But..." Lin Xue paused. "I... didn't dare... look."

  "Why?"

  "Because..." Lin Xue said. "Looked... will..."

  "Become... Administrator."

  Ice ran down Li Ming's back.

  "Then..."

  "So..." Lin Xue said. "You... be careful."

  "Mm."

  "Also..." Lin Xue pulled a small bottle from her robes. "This is... Foundation Stabilizing Pill."

  "Foundation Stabilizing Pill?"

  "Yes." Lin Xue said. "Can... stabilize... foundation... one day."

  Li Ming took the bottle, hand somewhat trembling.

  "Thanks."

  "Don't... thank." Lin Xue said. "We... are... allies."

  "Allies..."

  "Yes." Lin Xue said. "Seven... players... together."

  "Then..."

  "Assessment... good luck." Lin Xue said. "I... will be... in audience seats... waiting for you."

  Then she turned and left.

  Li Ming held that small bottle, palm covered in sweat.

  "Foundation Stabilizing Pill... one day..."

  He swallowed the pill.

  Warm energy surged from dantian, pain in meridians lessened somewhat.

  [Status] Foundation cracked (collapse risk 85%)

  [Time remaining] 1 day 23 hours 59 minutes (medicine effect period)

  "One day..."

  Li Ming relaxed.

  At least... today... could hold on.

  "Inner sect assessment, begin now!"

  On the high platform, Elder Wang's voice rang out.

  Li Ming looked up, at the tournament platform.

  "First round, Li Ming versus... Zhao Liu!"

  "Here."

  Li Ming drew a deep breath, walked onto the tournament platform.

  Opposite was a robust youth, Qi Refinement Layer Five, one layer higher than Li Ming.

  "This one is Zhao Liu, please advise." Opponent was still polite.

  "Li Ming." Li Ming replied flatly.

  "Begin!"

  Referee commanded.

  Zhao Liu's aura surged, spiritual energy churning, one palm striking with whistling wind.

  Li Ming didn't dodge or evade, similarly pushing one palm.

  "Seeking death!" Zhao Liu sneered. This palm used eighty percent power, no one below Layer Four could receive.

  The moment palms met, Li Ming smiled.

  Not hard against hard—it was... code invasion?

  He wrote his spiritual power as a segment of "code," flowing along Zhao Liu's meridians... drilling in?

  Zhao Liu's expression changed dramatically, only feeling a strange force transmitting along his arm, his own spiritual energy actually beginning... disorder?

  "What technique is this?!"

  Before he could think more, Li Ming had already closed in, one finger poking his chest.

  "Code Sealing Technique, version 0.6."

  Zhao Liu instantly froze in place, unable to move.

  "Li Ming, wins!"

  Referee elder's voice carried... surprise?

  Below, audience seats exploded.

  "What was that?"

  "Never seen this technique..."

  "Evil, too evil..."

  Li Ming couldn't hear these discussions, nor was he interested.

  His attention was always on... Elder Wang on the high platform.

  Elder Wang looked at him, eyes complex.

  In those eyes, there was... expectation?

  "Next round, Li Ming versus... Qian Qi!"

  "Here."

  Li Ming drew a deep breath.

  "Then... round by round... fight."

  "Fight until... inner sect."

  "Fight until... source code."

  "Fight until... truth."