The room was silent. Moonlight filtered through the wooden window, illuminating the simple furnishings of Courtyard Thirty-Seven. Di Tian lay comfortably on his bed, one arm behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. The familiar mechanical voice sounded once more. 【Basic Qi Gathering Art is being cultivated...】【Progress: 1%】 A warm current slowly flowed through his meridians. Unlike ordinary cultivators, Di Tian didn't have to consciously guide the spiritual qi. The system circulated it perfectly, absorbing the surrounding spiritual qi before refining it into pure qi within his dantian. "It really works..." He could clearly feel himself becoming stronger despite doing absolutely nothing. A grin appeared on his face. "This system was made for me." Outside his room, his three roommates had already begun cultivating. One sat cross-legged beneath the courtyard tree. Another practiced his sword under the moonlight. The third repeatedly punched a wooden training post. Each of them wore serious expressions. They knew that the cultivation world was cruel. Only strength guaranteed survival. Inside his room... Di Tian turned over. "...Good night." Within moments... He fell asleep. --- Hours passed. The moon climbed high into the sky. The Azure Cloud Sect became quiet as most disciples entered their nightly cultivation. Only the occasional cry of a spiritual beast disturbed the silence. Inside Di Tian's body, however, the system never stopped. Spiritual qi continuously entered his meridians. It circulated through the Basic Qi Gathering Art over and over again. Each cycle became smoother. More efficient. More refined. The system adjusted every movement to perfection. No cultivator could hope to match such flawless control. --- 【Basic Qi Gathering Art has reached Minor Mastery.】【Cultivation efficiency increased by 15%.】 --- The notification appeared... But Di Tian remained asleep. --- Dawn arrived. Golden sunlight spread across the mountain peaks. Birds chirped outside the courtyard. The disciples one after another opened their eyes after a night of cultivation. Some looked exhausted. Others smiled after making slight progress. Sword cultivators stretched their sore arms. Body cultivators massaged aching muscles. Di Tian... Was still asleep. His roommates looked at each other. "Is he seriously still sleeping?" "I've never seen someone this lazy." "He really came through connections." They shook their heads. People like him wouldn't survive long in the Outer Sect. Suddenly— 【Host has reached the First Stage of Qi Gathering.】 A gentle pressure spread throughout the room before disappearing just as quickly. Di Tian slowly opened one eye. "...Morning already?" He stretched lazily. Crack. Crack. His bones released crisp sounds. "Hm?" His senses felt noticeably sharper. Even the distant waterfall several mountains away seemed louder than before. He looked inward. Within his dantian rested a tiny strand of pure spiritual qi. "I broke through?" He blinked twice. "I slept through it..." The system answered immediately. --- Host: Di Tian Realm: First Stage Qi Gathering Body Cultivation: Mortal Cultivation Technique: Basic Qi Gathering Art (Minor Mastery) --- Di Tian smiled. "I like this." Others cultivated throughout the night. He cultivated while sleeping. Outside, someone knocked on the courtyard gate. "All new Outer Disciples, report to the Martial Hall immediately!" "The elders will explain the sect rules and distribute your monthly missions!" The courtyard instantly became lively. His three roommates hurriedly changed into their azure disciple robes. Di Tian slowly stood up. He casually put on his own robe before tying his long black hair behind his back. Looking into the bronze mirror inside the room, he finally saw his appearance clearly. A handsome young man. Sharp eyebrows. Calm eyes. A relaxed expression that made it seem as though nothing in the world could bother him. He nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad." One of his roommates walked past and frowned. "Hurry up." "If you're late on your first day, you'll be punished." Di Tian waved casually. "I'm coming." The four left together. As they walked through the Outer Sect, countless disciples hurried toward the same destination. Some discussed cultivation. Others talked about contribution points. Many newcomers looked nervous. Di Tian simply admired the scenery. "So many mountains..." "So many stairs..." "This sect is huge." His roommate sighed. "Do you ever think about cultivation?" Di Tian answered honestly. "Not really." The three roommates stared at him in disbelief. "...Hopeless." None of them noticed that while Di Tian leisurely walked toward the Martial Hall... His cultivation never stopped for even a single heartbeat. Deep within his dantian... Another strand of spiritual qi quietly condensed. The system continued its endless work. Every breath... Every step... Every heartbeat... Di Tian grew stronger. Without effort. Without stress. Without even thinking about cultivation.

Chapter 3: The First Night