The next morning, the whole sect was buzzing with rumors.
"Li Ming mastered the Heavenly Steps in one night!"
"I heard he flew twenty meters in a single move!"
"No, no, you’re wrong. My uncle said he vanished like a ghost!"
Li Ming rubbed his eyes as he walked out of his room. He hadn’t slept much because he kept rolling off his bed after trying the scroll again.
"I hate this Heavenly Step thing... I only wanted to walk normally," he muttered.
But to the disciples watching from afar, his tired face looked different.
"Look at those dark circles under his eyes..."
"He must have trained all night without stopping!"
"Unbelievable. Such dedication!"
Li Ming yawned and stretched. "I just need more sleep..."
The disciples gasped.
"Did you hear that? He doesn’t even need rest!"
On the training field, Elder Qin was waiting.
"Li Ming," the elder called, "show us your progress with the Heavenly Steps."
Li Ming’s heart dropped. "Again? Elder, I think... I’m better at sleeping than stepping."
Elder Qin’s brow twitched. "Stop joking and show us."
A crowd of disciples gathered, whispering with excitement.
Li Ming sighed, looked down at his feet, and mumbled, "Alright... but don’t blame me if it looks bad."
His foot hit a loose stone. He spun, flailed his arms, and stumbled forward like a drunk chicken.
When he stopped, he was standing right behind Elder Qin. This text is hosted at N0velFire.ɴet
"AHHH! He appeared behind Elder Qin!"
"Too fast! I didn’t even see him move!"
"Heavenly Steps... mastered!"
Elder Qin’s eyes widened. "How...? Even I didn’t notice him until he was right here!"
Li Ming blinked. "...I slipped."
But of course, nobody believed him.
Later that day, a group of core disciples approached him. They were tall, proud, and full of arrogance. The leader smirked.
"Li Ming, we challenge you! Prove your strength to us!"
Li Ming froze. "Uh... can’t we just play cards instead?"
"Cards?" The core disciple snorted. "Don’t mock us! Show us the Heavenly Steps!"
Li Ming scratched his head. "Alright... but don’t laugh."
He took a step forward. His sandal strap snapped.
"Wahh!" he shouted, stumbling. His body twisted, spun, and he accidentally kicked the leader’s chin.
The leader flew ten meters into the air and landed head-first in a barrel of water.
The other core disciples went pale.
"He... he knocked him out with one step!"
"The Heavenly Step is too terrifying!"
"He even combined it with a hidden kick technique!"
Li Ming waved his hands. "No, no! My sandal broke!"
But it was too late. The story spread like wildfire. By evening, the entire sect was saying:
"Li Ming has combined the Heavenly Steps with a secret killing art."
"They call it... the Sky-Kicking Step."
Li Ming wanted to cry. Why does everything keep getting worse...
That night, Li Ming tried to sneak to the library again. Maybe he could exchange the scroll for something simpler, like "Basic Breathing for Beginners."
But as soon as he arrived, the librarian bowed deeply.
"Master Li Ming! Congratulations on your breakthrough with the Heavenly Steps. The elders say you may now choose another advanced scroll."
Li Ming panicked. "No, no, no! I don’t want another hard one!"
But everyone in the library was watching, eyes shining with admiration.
If he picked something simple, they’d think he was insulting them.
So, trembling, he reached for another scroll. The title read:
"Thunder Palm – Smash the Heavens in a Single Strike."
The librarian gasped so loudly he almost swallowed his beard.
"Heavenly Steps and Thunder Palm... you’re walking the path of legends!"
Li Ming’s hands shook. "I’m walking the path of headaches..."
The next day, disciples were already gossiping.
"Did you hear? Li Ming chose Thunder Palm!"
"Heavenly Steps for speed, Thunder Palm for power..."
Meanwhile, Li Ming was hiding in his room, holding the new scroll.
He read the first line: Gather lightning in your palm.
He stared at his empty hand. "Lightning? Where do I even buy that...?"
That night, thunder rumbled outside.
Li Ming poked his head out of the window. "Oh! Free lightning!"
He held up a metal pan to catch it.
The next morning, smoke curled out of his room. His hair stood up like a porcupine.
The disciples gasped.
"He... he must have trained Thunder Palm all night!"
"Even his hair is glowing with lightning qi!"
"A genius beyond heaven!"
Li Ming groaned. "I just got fried..."