The morning of the orthodox martial test arrived with little fanfare. Tae-Won stood at the entrance of the vast testing grounds, his heart heavy with memories from his past life. Ten years ago - or rather, ten years in the future that would never be - this had been the day everything went wrong. His first and last appearance at the orthodox martial tests had ended in such spectacular failure that it had set him on a path of weakness and shame.
[System Notice: Current Status:
- Physical condition: 89% of optimal
- Qi circulation: Stable
- Original intention detected: Performance suppression]
[System Notice: WARNING - Suboptimal strategy detected]
[System Notice: Timeline analysis: Critical divergence point]
[System Notice: Recommended action: Display full combat capability]
Tae-Won's eyes widened slightly. "You can read my true intentions?" he muttered under his breath. For a moment, he had been planning to hold back, old fears from his past life surfacing.
[System Notice: All mental and physical parameters monitored for optimal performance]
[System Notice: Reputation reward available for dominant display]
[System Notice: Advanced martial art technique unlock pending performance evaluation]
A slow smile spread across Tae-Won's face. "In my past life, nobody knew what I could do because I failed before I could show them anything. Fine then. This time, I'll show them who Jin Tae-Won truly is."
The testing ground was packed with disciples from all major clans. Nobody paid him much attention - he was just another unknown face, a junior disciple making his first appearance. His siblings were there too, their expressions neutral. They had no expectations, good or bad. Not yet.
The basic forms came first. Tae-Won moved with deliberate precision, each stance perfect, each transition fluid. Whispers started as people began noticing this unknown disciple's unexpected skill.
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[System Notice: Form execution: 98% accuracy]
[System Notice: Timeline divergence initiated]
[System Notice: Reputation gain initiated]
The sparring matches were randomly assigned. Tae-Won's first opponent was Liu Wei from the Thunder Fist Clan - just as it had been in his past life. Last time, he had been overwhelmed in seconds. This time, as they squared off, the system provided rapid analysis:
[System Notice: Opponent analysis:
- Relies on overwhelming force
- Right side slightly slower
- Qi control: Unrefined but powerful
- Exploit recommendation: Speed-based counters]
Liu Wei charged forward with a thunderous cry, his fist crackling with qi. In Tae-Won's past life, this moment had paralyzed him with fear. Now, he saw every flaw in the approach.
Moving with lightning precision, Tae-Won stepped into Liu Wei's guard, his counter-strike so fast it seemed to leave afterimages. The crowd gasped. Nobody had expected this level of skill from an unknown disciple's first appearance.
"Who is that?" The whispers began. "Which sect is he from?"
"Jin Clan's third young master? I've never even heard of him before..."
Each movement was a declaration of strength that his past self had been too afraid to show. Liu Wei, despite his reputation, couldn't land a single clean hit.
[System Notice: Combat effectiveness: 94%]
[System Notice: Timeline successfully altered]
[System Notice: Advanced technique unlock progress: 75%]
The match ended with Tae-Won's decisive victory, and the silence that followed was thick with surprise and speculation. His siblings stared with wide eyes - this was their first glimpse of their brother's true capabilities. They had thought he was just a useless cultivator with no potential. The clan elders present began whispering urgently among themselves, reevaluating their dismissal of the third young master.
As he walked off the combat platform, Tae-Won felt a weight lift from his shoulders. In his past life, this day had been the beginning of his downfall. Now it would be remembered as the day Jin Tae-Won first revealed his strength to the world.
[System Notice: Performance evaluation complete]
[System Notice: First impression successfully established]
[System Notice: New technique unlocked: Azure Dragon's Flowing Strike]
[System Notice: Congratulations on altering your fate]
Tae-Won smiled. This was only the beginning. This time around, the martial world would know exactly what he was capable of from the very start.