The village came to life with the crow of firebirds and the rumbling of wooden carts. But inside the secluded hut near the village's edge, a different kind of awakening was taking place. Sun sat cross-legged, shirtless, drenched in sweat as he gritted his teeth against the screaming ache of his muscles. His arms trembled, fists clenched, breath ragged. But he didn't stop.
[Mission Initiated: Begin Cultivation – Temper the Body]
His system whispered instructions like a patient teacher. Inhale through the nose, fill the belly, tighten the core, hold, release slowly. He repeated the process again and again.
The first stage of cultivation was simple in theory—train the body until it became a vessel worthy of channeling Qi. But in practice, it was brutal. Sun followed the ancient stances and repetitive forms taught by the system. He struck the wooden post outside the hut until his knuckles bled, carried stones up the forest slope until his legs collapsed, submerged himself in icy stream water until his body went numb.
Old Ling watched with growing concern. "What are you doing to yourself?"
"Training," Sun grunted between breaths. "Strengthening."
The old man gave a small, worried laugh. "You're not the same boy I raised."
Sun didn't answer. The memories of Earth were still fresh—his parents' still bodies, the weight of betrayal. That pain fueled him. He would forge strength from suffering.
One night, as the village lay asleep beneath the stars, Sun climbed to the cliffside that overlooked the forest. There, he meditated, letting his breath synchronize with the wind.
Suddenly, the world quieted.
The air felt heavier—charged. His senses heightened. He could hear the rustle of insects in the grass, the distant fall of leaves.
Inside his dantian, a warm spark flickered.
[Body Tempering Stage 1 Complete – Qi Sense Unlocked]
His breath caught. Energy—raw, invisible, alive—swirled around him. He reached out with his senses and touched it.
He felt it.
It felt him.
And in that moment, the divide between dream and destiny vanished.
Sun smiled for the first time in weeks.
To be continued...