Chapter 4: Nerd Finally Sees Some Action

Chapter 4: Nerd Finally Sees Some Action

"Hey, Liu Feng!" A young man with a large belly called out, rushing to sit next to me in the bustling cafeteria. Even that short dash through the cafeteria seemed to leave him breathless. "I didn't see you anywhere in the tournament stands?"

Despite his weight, I was surprised he was tired. After all, he was a cultivator too.

Maybe this was a side effect of a martial technique he might be practicing.

Unlike the emptiness of the week before, the cafeteria was filled with hustle and bustle. It now resembled a mess hall, abuzz with conversations about cultivation, and some used the time to read while they ate. A few peculiar guys even balanced themselves on sticks while dining.

Perhaps that last one was some sort of training method?

"I was using that time to rest," I replied to the plump youth.

Since I had Liu Feng's memories, I should know who this guy was as they apparently were friends. However, Liu Feng had not bothered remembering the guy's name.

Liu Feng had assumed he would be out of the Outer Sect after the tournament and would be a useless waste of time to bother remembering the name of some no-name loser. At least that was what Liu Feng considered him. This was kind of ironic because, by that view, Liu Feng himself should also be a loser.

But I wasn't here to judge how much of an asshole the previous owner of this body was. He had his faults and was young. At least he hadn't gone around making enemies, or bullying people who would have come for revenge down the line.

"I almost didn't recognize you with the short hair," the fat guy said.

At that moment, an overwhelming sensation surged through me, and the world around seemed to freeze. A rush of adrenaline flooded my veins, causing my heart to skip a beat, then another, until it seemed to hang suspended in the air, its rhythm silenced momentarily. The faint hum of life's constant motion faded into a distant echo, leaving only a profound silence in its wake. Every detail, every nuance, became magnified in the clarity of that suspended moment.

Had he noticed anything strange? Liu Feng was known to take care of his hair.

"Anyway, the tournament was exciting. It's a shame that most of us couldn't get through, but the participants this year were above average. Even some of those who lost were taken in by the Outer Elders as personal disciples," he sighed and shook his head.

"Yeah, shame," I nodded.

It seemed like no one gave a shit about me cutting my hair. They barely even noticed, which kind of made sense. I was just paranoid about it, and even Liu Feng had rarely talked with people from the outer sect.

The closest person to Liu Feng in the outer sect had been this chubby guy, and even then he wouldn't have gone as far as to call him a friend. At best, the chubby guy was an acquaintance but often acted more like Liu Feng's errand boy. Liu Feng had been more concentrated on training so he could enter the inner sect and make real friends, his thoughts, not mine.

He was kind of stupid for thinking that. What made Liu Feng think the people from the inner sect would look at him in a better view than he looked at the outer sects?

Though I didn't agree with his ideals, I could understand where he came from. Liu Feng grew up in the Liu Clan where he always had to kiss ass to get cultivation resources. He had grand dreams, and there was no low he wouldn't stoop to if it helped advance his cultivation. Sadly even that demeanor was nothing special amongst cultivators.

"How many passed the exam to go into the inner sect?" I asked.

"Bin Bao passed by winning the tournament, and Wen Da due to the talent he displayed," he sighed, jealousy reeking out of his voice. "Hundreds of participants, and only those two passed."

Neither of those names sounded familiar. I shrugged, "Did anything else happen?"

"Well, you know, just the usual. At least the tournament was tame this year. Only three people got their cultivation broken, and only one was killed in an accident," he shrugged. "Also, one of them who had their cultivation broken started a blood feud between his and the opponent's clans on the outside."

What the hell? They were really something... What could I even say to that?

Thankfully, I hadn't participated too much in that whole mess. There was a good chance I won't participate in the tournament even in the next year.

Getting my cultivation broken didn't sound good, and even if I won, there was a good chance some of my defeated opponents would take offense and call thirteen generations of his ancestors.

At the Body Tempering stage, we didn't have Qi yet, so breaking the cultivation essentially meant breaking the body in ways that someone would no longer be able to advance as a cultivator.

I would rather spend my time reading and talking with interesting people than starting feuds and getting my cultivation crushed.

"You dare!" Suddenly, someone yelled and stood up on one of the tables. "I will have your whole Yuchin Clan killed by tomorrow!"

"Come and try it, you Tang bastard!" Yelled out someone else, putting his hand on the sheath of his sword.

Yep, this was the time for me to get out of here.

Standing up, I walked toward the counter, delivered my tray of leftover food, and asked, "Can I have two hot cups of tea? Make them as hot as possible.."

The server behind the counter nodded and handed me a tray with two still-steaming cups of hot tea while taking my own.

"Thank you," I smiled.

The man behind the counter had a small smile of his own. He nodded while handing over my previous tray to the dishwashers and turned back to me, "Have a nice day."

"You too."

I had never seen any of the other fellow cultivators who dined in the cafeteria thank them. Those who worked in the kitchen might be mortals or Body Tempering cultivators at best. But it was always a good idea to respect the people who made your food.

As someone who had briefly worked in the service industry as a part-time job after high school, the service staff sometimes got their revenge against rude customers.

The yells and hollering in the distance alerted everyone else to what was happening, and soon disciples crowded around the two bickering disciples.

Unlike them, I walked the opposite way and out of the dining hall while being careful no one knocked down my teacups.

Once outside, I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the fresh morning air. After staring at the towering library in the distance I went down the stairs with a smile.

Even if, in the future, I never got that far in cultivation, I would at least end up with amazing glutes by walking up and down stairs so many times.

...

Once again, my rule of never even being in the vicinity of trouble worked, and I arrived at the library without being hassled or starting a blood feud.

The journey up and down the stairs had become easier. All this walking had amounted to something, and I was barely winded.

People went in and out of the library, and I had to look around until I caught sight of the old janitor putting some books on a shelf.

Like the cafeteria, the library was packed with people now that the tournament was no longer ongoing.

I waved at the old janitor and put his cup of tea on the empty seat of the long table. I took my cup of tea and walked away while he smiled and sent me a brief nod.

I crouched down, closed my eyes, and concentrated on the thighs.

The book said a bunch of things with little meaning about how someone should concentrate all their strength on their thighs. So that was the only body part I focused on, and by the time I opened my eyes, my thighs had bulged up to almost twice their size.

"What the actual fuck?!" I released my hold on the ground and shot forward like an arrow.

The world around me blurred, and the air stung my eyes.

I put my arm up to cover my eyes, and the next thing I heard was the crunching sound of a tree breaking and the pain in my forearm.

I came to a skidding halt and looked at the trail behind me as I tried to stop myself.

There was a broken tree, and where I had kicked off from were two holes on the ground with cracks around it.

"Damn! This is amazing!"

Rushing Bull Step wasn't flashy compared to many other movement martial techniques, but it was useful and compatible with my other techniques.

"They call this not flashy?" I grinned.

I felt like a damn anime character, kicking off the ground and causing the earth below me to crack. Well, it didn't crack as the dirt had just shifted to make it look like that, but still!

It took a while for the excitement to die down, and when it did, the numbness on my thighs, the pain in my forearm I had bashed against the tree, and the tension in the joints behind my knees finally settled in.

Slumping to the ground, I massaged my thighs as they felt like I just had a horrifying leg day at the gym.

But despite the pain, this was exhilarating in some ways. This was the first time I had used the technique, and the more I did the more my body would get used to the movements and my muscles would grow to adapt to it. Meaning I would be able to grow stronger and faster!

I stared at the broken tree, "It almost looks like I punched through it like last time..."

Wait... what if?

Standing up once again, I brushed the dust off my clothes. The broken trees were a stark reminder of the first super-powered punch I had unleashed in this world. The tingling sensation and excitement still coursed through me whenever I recalled it.

Surrounded only by trees, I turned away from the shattered trunk and crouched, pulling my fist backward. Like a bullet, I shot forward, though the wind pressed against my eyelids like a pressurized hose. Closing my eyes, I gauged the distance between myself and the tree, initiating the Piercing Fang Fist.

My punch collided with the solid tree before I could fully extend my arm, a testament to the inherent challenge of estimating distance without sight. An explosion followed, accompanied by the crash of multiple trees. When I opened my eyes, a trail of destruction lay before me.

"Holy shit! Awesome!" I exclaimed.

"So this is what they meant by saying some techniques were compatible," I chuckled, attempting to suppress the mad cackle bubbling in my throat. The last thing I needed was for potential observers to think I was deranged.

Of course, I hadn't fully unleashed the potential of the Piercing Fang Fist. Imagine the power when that happened!

"I gotta try again!"

Crouching down, I face-planted into the ground, tasting grass. "Huh?"

As the excitement waned, the fatigue and muscle cramps from utilizing such a potent technique set in. The movement had sent my body into shock.

Despite the painful muscle cramps threatening to bring tears to my eyes, only one thought persisted: I couldn't attempt that technique combination again today.

Should I even bother returning to the dorms tonight? It was evident that no one cared. Even if I wanted to return, I doubted my legs could carry me.

With those considerations weighing on my mind, I slumped back and attempted to fall asleep on the grassy ground. The setting sun gave way to a starry sky.

Would there be a level of cultivation where one could reach the stars? Some said that cultivation was endless. Well, I wasn't going to find answers to such questions tonight.

The soft-cool wind brushed through my body, bringing a comfortable sensation as the grass beneath felt more inviting than any modern mattress. Sleep enveloped me effortlessly, a welcome respite from exhaustion.

Sometimes, exhaustion made sleep a wonderful experience.

It felt like the blink of an eye when sunlight gently kissed my face, rousing me from slumber. "Damn, I was too tired to even dream," I muttered groggily.

Standing up, I stretched, finding that yesterday's painful muscle cramps had faded into dull aches.

I also reeked of grass and needed a change of clothes. Fortunately, the sect provided a place for outer disciples to exchange their dirty or destroyed uniforms for fresh ones.

Should I return to the dorms like this? I needed a shower, but the hassle of bathing in this world involved lugging a large tub of water up the mountain to the shower rooms. It would be simpler to use one of the many ponds scattered around.

Moreover, I was finding excuses to return to training as soon as possible. Yesterday had been exhilarating, moving at such speeds. However, I needed to acclimate my eyes to the wind pressure first... one thing at a time.

Ensuring I had everything, including the book on the Rushing Bull Steps, I prepared to find a pond.

With a single jump, I landed on a tree branch, and then another jump brought me atop a tree. Surprisingly, I maintained incredible balance without stumbling, a skill unique to cultivators.

I should try shit like this more often. Though techniques and other wonderful things had kept me quite busy.

There was no rest needed when having fun!

In the distance, several clear ponds shimmered nearby. It didn't take long to find one with crystal-clear water.

As I approached, I paused and called out, "Is anyone in there?"

I looked around and ensured no jade-like beauty lurked nearby. By xianxia clich standards, encounters with such characters often led to them attacking the protagonist. The protagonist would survive by sheer dumb luck, and later would be revealed she was many levels above him. As for me, I would never survive such a thing, considering the vast power discrepancy.

There was no way I would allow myself to die due to something stupid like that after just arriving in this world.

Disrobing, I stood naked as the day I was born... or as Liu Feng was born. After confirming privacy once more, I dipped into the clear pond. The water's chill, exacerbated by the morning air, bit at my skin, and a chill went through my body. But I quickly got used to it.

Leaning against the pond's edge, I relaxed with the cold rocks pushing against my back like a comforting massage.

Doing something I love every day. Was this what it felt like when those people blabbed about doing what you love, and it would feel like you never worked a day in your life?

It would be a blessing if these days lasted forever.