Li Chen awoke to a strange and unfamiliar sensation: the absence of pain.
The world returned to him not in a rush of agony, but as a slow, gentle tide. The deep, grinding torment in his chest had vanished, replaced by a dull, distant ache reminiscent of sore muscles after a strenuous workout. He sat up, an action that would have been unthinkable just days ago, and looked down at his torso.
The intricate, glowing green lines of the [Micro-Vitalization Array] had faded to faint, ghostly marks on his skin, like an old tattoo. The paste had been completely absorbed, leaving no residue. He felt weak, hollowed out, but he felt whole.
"System, status report." His voice was still rough, but it held a newfound strength.
[Acknowledged. Displaying host status.]
Time Elapsed since procedure began: 41 hours. Body Integrity: 47%.Spiritual Core: Fissures sealed. Structural integrity is low but stable. Qi generation has resumed at 12% of peak capacity. Meridian Network: All major blockages cleared. Minor damage remains. Prognosis: Immediate danger has passed. Host has entered a state of recovery. Full restoration requires consistent nourishment and a stable environment for cultivation.
Li Chen let out a long, slow breath. 47%. It was a failing grade by any standard, but to him, it felt like a miracle. He had crawled back from the brink. The immediate, suffocating pressure of survival had finally eased, and in its place, a vast, empty space opened in his mind.
Into that space, the grief he had held at bay for days flooded back in. The faces of his master, of Elder Han, of Sister Mei—they rose unbidden in his memory. This time, he didn't suppress it. He let the cold rage and the profound sorrow wash over him, cementing themselves not as a crippling weight, but as the bedrock of his new foundation.
He would not just survive. He would rebuild. He would seek justice. The path of Formations would not end as a blood-soaked footnote in the histories written by its butchers.
His mind, now clear of the fog of pain, began to work with the cold precision of an architect planning a skyscraper. Survival was phase one. Phase two was strategy.
"System," he began, his tone shifting from that of a patient to a project manager. "We need to take inventory. First, knowledge. The most valuable asset of the Celestial Formation Sect was its blueprints and theoretical research. The Grand Archive is destroyed, but the most critical knowledge would have been kept elsewhere. Analyze the sect layout. Cross-reference with the original Li Chen's memories. Identify the most likely location of a hidden repository."
[Analyzing… Cross-referencing… The Sect Master's private residence and personal workshop had independent, high-level preservation and security arrays. Probability of surviving documents in a hidden chamber: 62%.]
A new objective glowed in his mind. "Second, resources. My rations are nearly gone. I need a sustainable source of food and clean water."
[The sect's primary well is located 200 meters east of this position. Structural integrity of the well-house is compromised but the well itself is likely uncontaminated. Local flora includes three varieties of edible tubers and berries within a 500-meter radius.]
"Third, security," Li Chen murmured, thinking aloud. "This cellar is a temporary shelter, not a base. I need a location that is naturally defensible and resource-rich, a place to lay the first stone of the new sect."
[Long-range analysis requires more energy than host can currently provide. Recommend focusing on short-term objectives.]
The System was right. One step at a time. The first step was knowledge. The secrets of his sect were the only inheritance he had left.
With a newfound determination, Li Chen climbed out of the cellar and into the daylight. The ruins were still a scene of horror, but he looked at them now with an engineer's eye, seeing not just destruction, but salvageable materials and structural data.
He made his way to the wreckage of the Sect Master's residence, a once-beautiful villa now reduced to a splintered wood and collapsed stone.
"System, scan this entire area for hidden compartments or containers protected by independent arrays," Li Chen commanded.
The familiar blue grid overlaid his vision, sweeping over the rubble. For several minutes, it found nothing but devastation. Then, a sharp ping echoed in his mind. A section of what used to be the master's study began to glow with an intense light.
[High-energy preservation signature detected! An object is shielded by a self-sustaining [Five Elements Stasis Array]. Object is located 4 meters beneath the surface, protected by a collapsed load-bearing wall.]
Li Chen's heart leaped. A Five Elements Stasis Array was one of his sect's most powerful preservation formations, capable of protecting an object for centuries. Whatever was in that container, his master had deemed it precious enough to give it the highest possible protection.
He looked at the massive, multi-ton slab of stone and reinforced timber pinning it down. He had no tools, and his body was still weak. But he had the System.
He had a blueprint for survival. Now, it was time to draft a blueprint for recovery. His first project: excavation.