The battlefield was a graveyard of shattered swords and spilled blood.
Demon disciples surrounded a bloodied figure on one knee—his robes torn, his breathing ragged. Behind him, a crude set of runes flickered from a failed formation, and beside him, several broken gadgets sparked uselessly.
"Give up, trash," sneered one of the demon disciples. "No one's coming to save you."
And yet, just as they raised their blades—
A saber cleaved through the air.
BOOM!
A shockwave sent the assailants flying. From the dust emerged Li Xuan, his eyes cold, his killing intent suffocating.
"System," he growled. "You woke me from cultivation for this?"
Long Chen's voice echoed inside his mind, dry and amused.
["That brat? You'll see. I never wasted time on dead weight. Save him, and you'll gain a weapon that can crack armies."]
The injured disciple stared in disbelief. "Why… why save me?"
Li Xuan ignored the question and stepped forward. "Shut up and live."
With brutal precision, he carved through the remaining demon disciples. Their tricks—illusions, curses, corpse puppets—were all wasted against Li Xuan's blade.
When the dust cleared, only corpses remained.
The weak disciple collapsed. "I'm useless… I can't fight like you. I built some armor once but it broke…"
Long Chen snorted.
["Then build better. I'm uploading a modified schematic to the system—one I gave Guo Ran back in my day. If this brat has any brains, he'll make it work."]
System Update:
—Blueprint Uploaded: War God Modular Armor (Mark I)—
—User Eligibility: Disciple Ren Qing (Pending activation)—
—Stat Boost: +10,000% Physical Strength (if integrity holds)—
Li Xuan looked down at the disciple. "What's your name?"
"…Ren Qing."
"Good. From now on, you're under me. Don't ask questions. Build. Fight. Survive."
—
Three Days Later
Ren Qing emerged from his isolated work camp.
Gone was the weakling in torn robes. In his place stood a hulking figure clad in jet-black armor, pulsing with faint light. His presence was like a siege weapon—clumsy, brutal, but impossible to ignore.
BOOM!
With a single punch, he cratered a boulder the size of a house.
"Holy shit," muttered one of Li Xuan's brothers. "He's… one of us now?"
Li Xuan watched silently, then smirked. "No. He's a whole new beast."
—
System Notification:
—New Legionnaire Registered: Ren Qing—
—Assigned Role: War Engineer / Frontline Breaker—
—LCP Gained: +120 (Successful Rescue & Integration Mission)—
Long Chen's voice returned, sardonic and smug.
["Told you. Sometimes power hides under rust. You just need to polish it with blood and pressure."]
—
System Status:
• Cultivation: Early Foundation Establishment (23%)
• Long Chen Points: 491 / 1000
• Skills: Face-Slapping Divine Art, Dragon Soul Saber, Predator's Pressure, Phantom Step
• Allies: Legion (13 Core Members)
• Notable: Ren Qing (Armored Beast)
• System Controller: Long Chen
• Simulation Room: Active
• Mission Hub: New Tasks Available
• Note: Consequences Still Apply