"To think I broke through in a single day! Not bad at all," Bi Kan exclaimed, a proud grin spreading across his face. The influx of Qi from the pill had not just pushed him over the threshold; it had left him feeling energized, his senses sharper than ever before. It was only when he glanced at the window, seeing the familiar orange glow of dawn, that he realized the truth. "W-woah," he breathed, "I was so immersed in my cultivation that an entire night has passed." The new day had already begun.

  He went through his morning routine with renewed vigor, stretching his body and cracking his neck, each movement feeling more fluid and powerful than the last. As he stepped outside, he glanced towards Shi Lam’s door. It remained shut. "Hm, I guess Brother Shi is still cultivating," Bi Kan mused. "With his higher stage and that pill's potency, he might even push for Stage 5. He'll probably be in seclusion for a few weeks." A small smile touched his lips; he was glad his alchemy could help a fellow disciple.

  His plan was simple: return to the forest, gather more herbs with his newfound perception, and attempt another refinement session. However, he had barely taken twenty steps when another Outer Disciple, squarely built and radiating a confidence that matched Bi Kan's own newfound energy, stepped into his path. The disciple's aura pulsed at the 3rd Stage of the Qi Sensing Realm.

  "Brother! What is your name?" the disciple asked, his voice booming slightly in the quiet morning.

  Bi Kan, surprised by the direct approach, became wary. "This one is Bi Kan. May I ask who is greeting me?"

  "Gar Yu! Brother Gar Yu!" he announced, then cleared his throat as if to regain his composure. "This brother has a request. I would like to challenge Brother Bi Kan to a formal duel. I am in dire need of contribution points!"

  Bi Kan’s eyes scanned the area. He noticed them immediately—the silent watchers. A few other disciples had paused, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and indifference. Duels for contribution points were a common, almost daily occurrence in the Outer Sect. The winner would earn a precious three points from the Sect Registry, while the loser would be docked one. It was a brutal but effective system to encourage competition and weed out the weak. The rules were strict: one could only challenge another disciple within three stages of their own realm to prevent lopsided slaughter.

  This was a challenge between equals. An opportunity. "Very well," Bi Kan declared, his voice ringing with a confidence he hadn't possessed a day ago. "Brother Bi Kan accepts!"

  He settled into a basic defensive stance. The small crowd of onlookers remained sparse; it was still early, and the truly diligent Inner Disciples, already practicing in the training grounds, wouldn't spare a glance for a brawl between what they considered mere children.

  "Here I come, Brother Bi Kan!" Gar Yu roared, his fists glowing with a faint white light. He charged forward, employing the Sect’s most common martial art, the ‘Rushing Boar Fist,’ a style that prioritized raw power over finesse.

  But the world had changed for Bi Kan. As Gar Yu rushed towards him, Bi Kan’s enhanced perception kicked in. He didn't just see a charging opponent; he could now perceive the very flow of Qi. He saw the energy gathering in Gar Yu's right fist, a bright, angry knot of power. He saw the way it circulated unevenly through his opponent’s legs, indicating a slight imbalance in his stance. It was like seeing the blueprint of the attack before it was fully executed.

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  Instead of meeting the blow head-on, Bi Kan took a sharp, almost unnatural-looking side-step. Gar Yu’s Qi-infused fist whistled past, missing by a hair's breadth and striking the stone ground with a dull thud that sent dust puffing into the air. Gar Yu stumbled, surprised by the miss.

  "You… you're fast!" he grunted, righting himself.

  Bi Kan didn't answer. He was too engrossed in this new sensory experience. He could feel his own Qi, a calm, steady river compared to Gar Yu's raging, uncontrolled torrent. He decided to test a theory. Channeling his own Qi not into his fist, but into his legs, he pushed off the ground, a simple evasive maneuver that now felt as effortless as breathing.

  Gar Yu threw a flurry of punches, each one aimed to bludgeon Bi Kan into submission. Yet, to the growing number of onlookers, it was a strange dance. Bi Kan wasn't blocking or parrying; he was simply… not there. He weaved and ducked, his movements economical and precise, always a fraction of an inch away from harm. He was using Gar Yu's own momentum against him, letting the larger boy tire himself out.

  "Stand still and fight, coward!" Gar Yu bellowed, frustration creeping into his voice.

  From his perch on a distant rooftop, the same Junior Elder who had noted the breakthroughs paused his patrol. His eyes narrowed, focusing on the small duel. "That footwork," he whispered to himself. "It is not a formal technique. He is reading his opponent's Qi flow directly. That boy… the one who just broke through to the 3rd Stage… his spiritual sense is abnormally sharp for his level."

  Bi Kan knew the fight had to end. He saw his opening. After a particularly wild swing, Gar Yu’s entire right side was exposed, the flow of Qi around his ribs thinned to a mere trickle. Bi Kan pivoted. Focusing a single, sharp burst of Qi into the tips of his fingers, he jabbed forward, striking a precise point below Gar Yu’s armpit. It wasn't a powerful blow, but it was perfectly placed.

  The effect was immediate. Gar Yu’s entire body seized up as the concentrated Qi disrupted the energy flow in his meridians. He gasped, the light in his fists sputtered out, and he crumpled to the ground, temporarily paralyzed. The fight was over.

  Silence fell over the small crowd, followed by a wave of hushed murmurs. They had expected a clumsy brawl. They had witnessed a display of uncanny perception and control. Bi Kan stood over his defeated opponent, breathing steadily. He hadn't just won. He had proven that his path, a path forged by alchemy and insight, was more than a match for brute force. With three contribution points to his name and the respect of his peers hanging in the air, a new chapter of his life in the Jade Pathways Sect had truly begun.

  Bi Kan folded his arms, his breathing even, and gave a respectful nod towards the fallen Gar Yu. "This brother thanks Brother Gar Yu for this match!" He extended a hand to help his opponent up, an offer of basic sportsmanship. However, the hand was smacked away with a hiss of anger. Gar Yu scrambled to his feet, his face a mask of fury and humiliation. Not only had he failed to gain the contribution points he desperately needed, but he had lost one in the process.

  "Tch! You got lucky!" Gar Yu spat, his voice laced with the bitterness of a sore loser. "If I had landed just one hit, I would have defeated you in a single blow!"

  Bi Kan’s expression remained placid, but his eyes held a sharp, analytical glint. "You were underestimating me, Brother Gar Yu, and in turn, it was you who was beaten in one hit," he stated, his voice calm and cutting. "Do not tread on the path of 'what ifs.' No such thing exists. There is no other world where you have won. This is reality, and in this reality, you have lost. Do not project your own weakness onto my victory."

  The words struck Gar Yu like a physical blow. His reason consumed by rage, he roared and lunged forward, his fist reigniting with a desperate, sloppy burst of Qi. Before the illegal attack could land, a shadow fell over them. The Junior Elder landed between the two with the silent grace of a falling leaf, his back to Bi Kan. "Fighting is forbidden unless it is a sanctioned duel," the Elder's voice was flat and devoid of emotion. "And yours, boy, is finished." He didn't even turn his head. He simply flicked his hand back, and the casual motion connected with the back of Gar Yu's skull with a dull thump. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed in an unceremonious heap.

  The Elder turned his gaze to Bi Kan, his eyes sharp and probing. "Did this Martial Nephew truly need to taunt his brother so? You could have crippled his cultivation heart with such words."

  Bi Kan immediately cupped his fists, bowing respectfully. "Martial Uncle, this nephew thanks you for intervening," he said, his voice polite but firm. "As for your question, I was only testing his will. He has proven to be an ill-tempered boy. It is the likes of him, whose pride is as fragile as dried leaves, that are the reason we Outer Disciples are so often slandered. It is only right," he concluded, his gaze unyielding, "to remove the weed from the grass."

  The Junior Elder simply grunted, his expression unreadable as he looked from the confident youth to the unconscious form on the ground. With another respectful bow, Bi Kan turned and took his leave. The duel had been a profitable diversion, but his true objective for the day still lay ahead, waiting for him in the quiet depths of the Spiritwood Grove.