Chapter One: First Arrival at Cloud Sea Sect

When Chen Qi’s vision returned, he found himself standing on a broad plaza. All around him, dozens of people looked just as bewildered, scanning their surroundings with curiosity.

“These must be the other contractors of the Budding Space,” Chen Qi surmised silently.

He glanced about and was most struck by a man nearly two meters tall: his clothes were loose, fashioned from the hide of some unknown beast, muscles rippling like rocky peaks beneath the fabric, and in his hand he gripped a spiked mace.

As everyone remained silent and restless, information flowed forth from the Budding Space.

...

Entering World: Azure Star Continent
World Difficulty: C+ (Easy)
Setting: Martial World / Abundant Spiritual Energy
World Introduction: The Thirteen Nations of Eastern Sway lie upon a peninsula in the southeastern region of Azure Star Continent.
Among them, the Cloudsea Sect, located in the southern mountains of the Fishsun Nation, commands the Cloudsea Province and influences the surrounding lands, arousing the deep wariness of the Fishsun royal family.
As an ordinary citizen of Cloudsea Province, you possess a yearning for mastery. After enduring countless hardships, you have finally become a servant disciple of the Cloudsea Sect, hoping to learn the true path of martial arts.
Main Quest: Advance to Outer Sect Disciple
Warning: Do not mention anything regarding the Budding Space in this world. Failure to comply will result in erasure by the space!
Notice: This is a multiplayer world (peaceful). Killing other contractors or chosen ones yields no rewards and will mark you as a criminal. Killing marked contractors or chosen ones will drop a Bloody Chest.
Notice: Do not leave the bounds of the Cloudsea Sect. Doing so will greatly increase world difficulty!
Warning: Death in this world results in death for the chosen one!
Main quest begins!

...

Seeing that the contractors would not immediately fight, Chen Qi quietly returned his pistol to his storage space. He hadn’t brought a blade simply because he lacked universal points, and Earth’s weapons could not be brought here.

While everyone exchanged uneasy glances, a sturdy middle-aged man approached from the front. His physique was less imposing than the giant’s, but he radiated a sense of restrained power.

He spoke in a voice like rolling thunder:
“You are now servant disciples of our Cloudsea Sect. While completing your daily tasks, I hope each of you will soon become outer sect disciples!”

He proceeded to explain various rules and regulations for servant disciples. Chen Qi listened with half an ear, keeping the rest of his attention on his quest interface.

[Main Quest: Advance to Outer Sect Disciple]
Quest Description: Advance to outer sect disciple of Cloudsea Sect as soon as possible
Quest Information: As a servant disciple, you yearn for swift advancement. The grand competition for servant disciples in fifteen days is your best opportunity, though not the only one. Rewards for the main quest are tied to the time of advancement.
Quest Duration: Thirty natural days
Failure Penalty: 2,000 universal points
(If universal points are insufficient, random equipment and items will be sold. If nothing remains and points are still lacking, you will be subjected to a nightmare trial.)

...

Chen Qi mused that the Budding Space was rather forgiving—not like some novels he’d read, where failure meant instant obliteration.

Still, disrupting the rhythm of growth—even if one survived—would likely lead to death in the next world.

The sturdy man from Cloudsea Sect finished his explanation and, after scanning the servant disciples, strode away without another word.

Chen Qi summarized the information given:

First, as servant disciples, they were forbidden from entering most areas of the Cloudsea Sect; trespassing would bring punishment.

Second, daily life, purchases, and even hiring martial instructors within the sect required “contribution points,” which servant disciples could earn through their duties.

Third, every five days, the sect would send someone to provide three hours of free instruction to servant disciples. Only four days remained until the next session.

“Let’s see what tasks are available,” Chen Qi thought, making his way toward the task hall.

To his surprise, everyone else had the same idea, and the crowd surged toward the hall.

Thanks to his superior agility, Chen Qi reached the front of the line and quickly entered the hall.

Scanning the available tasks, he chose to clean the outer sect disciples’ martial arena, reasoning that frequent contact with them would provide valuable information for his mission.

Fifteen minutes later, clad in the prescribed dark yellow servant disciple uniform and armed with cleaning tools, Chen Qi stood within the martial arena.

He worked at a leisurely pace, all the while observing the average standard of the outer sect disciples.

Unlike the servant disciples—especially the veterans—the outer sect disciples exuded a potent aura of blood energy. Their limbs were thick, bodies robust—clearly capable fighters.

At that moment, Chen Qi’s eyes brightened as two outer sect disciples began sparring. He abandoned his cleaning, sidling closer for a better look, his tool waving absentmindedly.

One disciple wielded a blade, the other struck with clawed hands.

The swordsman’s long blade danced in a seamless web of steel, drawing Chen Qi’s rapt attention. His own movements stilled as he watched.

He noticed that with every attack, the outer sect disciple’s blood energy seemed to swell, and the clash of blade and claw echoed through the air.

Chen Qi reasoned that the explosive strength of their blood energy must approach fifteen points; his own twelve points, even at full force, would likely leave him numb in a direct clash.

This realization added to the pressure of completing his main quest.

On the stage, the swordsman drove his clawed opponent into a corner. Victory seemed imminent, yet the swordsman remained unhurried.

Chen Qi saw him take a deep breath; as his chest and abdomen expanded, the bluish blade in his hand was suddenly suffused with blood energy.

“Clang!”
The clawed disciple, relying on superior agility, managed to block the strike with both hands.

But as the crimson blood energy erupted along the blade, he was thrown back as though struck by a car.

The swordsman, still full of vigor, adjusted his breathing for another attack. The clawed disciple, not bothering to rise, called out anxiously:

“Senior Ao, I concede!”

The two bowed to each other and left the stage.

“How can I unleash such a strike?” Chen Qi’s eyes burned as he recalled Senior Ao’s breathing and sword technique, pondering how to imitate him...

Lost in the afterglow of that strike, Chen Qi failed to notice someone approaching from behind.

A heavy hand clapped down on his back.

Startled, Chen Qi shuddered as an emotionless male voice sounded behind him:

“A mere servant disciple dares to slack off—neglecting his duties?”