The quiet hum of the deduction system echoed through Su Yuan's consciousness like the soft grinding of gears within a celestial engine.
He watched in stillness.
Behind the ethereal interface, the fragmented soul power of over fifty users spun like galaxies, converging at the heart of a blueprint he could now see clearly:
A skill shaped not by mysticism, but deliberate structure.Grounded. Efficient. Unromantic.
National Martial Arts (Beginner) was no divine miracle—it was a foundation.A template of body mechanics, breath control, and fundamental muscle awakening, designed to tap into the latent potential of the human physique.
[Deduction Complete – National Martial Arts (Beginner)][Grade: E+][Category: Martial / Physical][Effect: Increases strength, flexibility, and core stamina by up to 8.6% over 30 days of consistent training. Enables chi perception upon mastery.]
Su Yuan opened the system shop interface. It had been dormant until now.
He navigated through the configurations, selecting the first-ever item to populate the catalog.
[Skill Upload – National Martial Arts (Beginner)]
Listing Status: PublicUnlock Price: 100 SNCConditions: Non-refundable. Practice data will be monitored anonymously.
He hesitated for a moment.
This was the first skill meant to be bought, not gifted.
He thought of the users—still forming habits through daily log-ins, their currency trickling in bit by bit.The currency had no meaning… until now.
"Let's see how far they'll go for power," Su Yuan whispered.
He clicked confirm.
The world trembled—just slightly—as a system-wide announcement shimmered across every user's SoulNet panel.
[ SoulNet Update Notification]
New Skill Added: National Martial Arts (Beginner)
Enhance your physical strength and stamina through structured body refinement.Unlock cost: 100 SNCRank: F+Category: MartialProgress is monitored and rewarded in future tiers.
In dozens of quiet places across the city, users stared at the message in silence.
Their panels flashed with the familiar blue light, now accompanied by the faint, glowing icon of a locked scroll.
A few gasped.Some frowned.Most didn't quite understand yet.
But one boy—Chen Mu, age 16—leaned in, eyes wide.
"A skill… you can buy skills?"
He opened his balance.
[SoulNet Currency: 14 SNC]
Still far, far from the cost.But something deep in his chest lit up.This was no longer a strange app. It was a pathway.
Another user—Wen Jiayi, an out-of-work nurse—checked her balance silently.
[SoulNet Currency: 42 SNC]
Her hands trembled slightly.
She thought back to the strange warmth she'd felt when practicing the previous gifted skill—Primary Shockwave Technique.It had helped clear the fog in her mind. Her depression had lifted… just slightly.
And now, she had a goal.
"One hundred…" she whispered."I'll get there."
She tapped the sign-in panel again, even though it wouldn't reward more for the day. Her fingers lingered, hungry.
In the SoulNet control core, Su Yuan watched as reactions rippled out—not just in words, but in emotions, intent, micro-signals of focus.
The urge to grow was being awakened.
He switched to a deeper monitoring panel.
The Feedback Strength metric had increased slightly.
More users were holding SoulNet in their minds.More of their soul resonance flowed naturally to the core.The system was becoming… anchored.
Yet, as encouraging as it was, Su Yuan remained calm.
"They're not desperate enough yet."
The martial arts skill was bait.A trigger. A quiet storm on the horizon.
Soon, users would start comparing currencies.Some would obsess. Others would cheat.And a few would see beyond the power… to the network beneath.
He watched the feedback gather at the base of the Martial Arts node in his interface.
If they trained it well…If they truly practiced…
He would grow stronger, too.
A message blinked at the bottom of his system view.
[Passive Soul Feedback from Practicing Users: +0.83 Units Collected]
The SoulNet was no longer just connecting.
It was looping.Sustaining.Feeding.
And it was only the beginning.