Blossoming Path

The days passed with an ease that felt almost unfamiliar, a calm that belied the chaos we’d endured just a few months ago. The second-class disciples of the Verdant Lotus Sect had become a steady presence in the village, their teachings a quiet boon. Able-bodied adults and curious children alike flocked to their drills, learning not just self-defense techniques but the basics of cultivation. Lan-Yin and Wang Jun were particularly instrumental, rallying even the most hesitant villagers with promises of strength and confidence that extended beyond the training grounds.

Of course, putting wooden swords and blunted spears into the hands of children and untrained adults came with its share of... incidents. It wasn’t long before the disciples’ roles expanded to include patching up the inevitable scrapes, bruises, and occasionally sprained wrists that came with enthusiastic but clumsy sparring sessions. But they weren’t just warriors; they were healers too. Each carried a satchel at their hip, stocked with an assortment of medicinal goods. Powders to stave off infections, and small clay jars of salves for burns and sprains seemed to appear out of nowhere whenever someone stumbled too hard or swung their staff the wrong way. Their efficiency was remarkable, their hands moving with practiced ease as they mended the bumps and cuts of their trainees.

But they didn’t stop there. The disciples insisted on teaching the basics of first aid alongside their combat drills. Bandaging a wound properly, recognizing signs of infection, and even basic pressure points to stop bleeding—all of it was woven into their lessons.

As one disciple put it, “What good is strength if you don’t know how to recover from its consequences?”

And then there was the wine.

I smirked to myself at the thought. Nearly every disciple carried a flask of medicinal wine in their satchels, ostensibly to disinfect wounds or ward off illnesses. I’d watched them dab it on cuts and scrapes with a flourish, the sharp, heady scent filling the air as they muttered about purification. It worked, sure.

But let’s be honest—it wasn’t just about healing.

“Medicinal wine,” I muttered under my breath one day as a disciple poured a generous splash onto a scrape. “The cure for wounds, colds, and sobriety.”

The disciples' patrols, meanwhile, ensured a sense of safety that allowed us to focus on developing the village.

For me, though, the calm was an illusion. My days were anything but restful.

I stood barefoot in the middle of a blazing circle, the heat from the coals beneath my feet radiating up my legs. The flames danced erratically, licking the air around me as I moved through the prescribed forms of the Dance of the Thousand Flames, a training method from Elder Ming's former sect.

'I don't know what psychopath invented this, but they were a genius.'

Sweat poured down my back despite the winter chill, the sharp contrast between fire and frost an ever-present reminder of the harshness of this training.

It wasn't just a dance; it was a trial. Every movement demanded precision, every shift of weight a gamble between balance and pain. My qi flowed through me in a protective sheath, mimicking the unpredictable flickers of the flames that surrounded me. Each step burned a lesson into my body: light on your feet, adapt, never stop moving. The flames were not just an obstacle but a teacher, their relentless heat honing my control.

"Form tighter!" Elder Ming’s bark cut through the roaring fire. His tone was sharp, a lash against the sluggish edges of my focus.

I gritted my teeth and adjusted, pulling my arms in closer to my body as I twisted through the next step. The flames surged at my hesitation, a stray ember brushing too close to my exposed skin. A quick burst of qi canceled it out before it could bite deeper. The heat was constant, oppressive, but I couldn’t let it win. Each breath was a fight for control, and each heartbeat carried the weight of Elder Ming’s unrelenting gaze.

“Faster, Kai! If your brain can’t outpace your feet, you’ll be ash before dawn!”

My limbs ached, my lungs burned, and my head pounded with the effort of channeling fire qi to combat the flames, all while maintaining the rapid footwork that kept me from getting scorched. It was more than a physical challenge—it was a mental one. The synchronization of mind and body had to be absolute, my focus sharp enough to pierce through the heat haze that threatened to cloud my thoughts.

But even through the haze, something stirred.

As my body adapted to the fire’s relentless assault, something clicked. My movements grew lighter, and the coals felt less like an enemy and more like a partner in this grueling dance.

And then, that familiar chime echoed in my mind.

You feel a surge of power coursing through your veins. Your muscles ripple and your bones creak with newfound strength.

Your Body has reached Qi Initiation Stage - Rank 1

About time!

“Enough!” Elder Ming’s voice cracked through the air like a whip. I didn’t hesitate. With a final leap, I broke free of the circle of flames, landing on the frost-kissed ground beyond. The winter chill slammed into me like a wall, the sudden contrast drawing a gasp from my lips.

Patting down the remaining embers that clung to my robes, I pulled on my outer garments with shaking hands, the cold biting into my sweat-soaked skin. My legs trembled slightly from the exertion, but there was a strange clarity in my mind, a quiet triumph that hummed beneath my exhaustion.

I clenched and unclenched my fist, feeling a sense of harmony with my body that I didn't before.

With that, my overall cultivation rank to the second level of Qi Initiation stage! My body was always lagging behind, but now all three categories have gone past the mortal realm.

Elder Ming approached, his expression unreadable as always. He crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping over me critically. “You’re improving,” he said at last, his tone begrudgingly approving. “But don’t let that go to your head. The flame is still far from mastered.”

I exhaled, letting the weight of his words settle as I felt the dull ache in my muscles. But there was a flicker of pride within me. Pride that couldn’t be denied. “Still,” I said, managing a small grin. “I’ve come a long way, haven’t I? Feng Wu said it’d take me three or four years to get to the second rank of Qi Initiation. But here I am, not even a year later.”

Elder Ming tilted his head slightly, his sharp eyes narrowing. “You think you’re some kind of prodigy now?” he asked, his voice tinged with dry amusement.

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“Well,” I started, letting the grin widen, “I mean… maybe? Isn’t that what this means?”

Without a word, Elder Ming crouched low and began drawing in the dirt with a nearby stick. He etched a short, straight line. “This is you when you started,” he said. Then, just beside it, he drew a significantly longer line. “And this is you now.”

I nodded, feeling a swell of pride at the visual.

But then, with deliberate slowness, Elder Ming drew another line—a ridiculously long one that stretched far past the first two, nearly to the edge of the training ground. “And this,” he said, his tone dry as the winter air, “is my sworn brother. Back when we were children, years younger than you are now.”

My grin fell. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Elder Ming straightened, brushing dirt from his hands. “Comparisons are a dangerous thing, Kai. They can motivate you or crush you. And you’re not the only one growing stronger.”

I huffed, crossing my arms as I glared at the absurdly long line in the dirt. “Alright, point taken. But still, you have to admit, I’m not doing so bad.”

His expression softened, but only slightly. “You’re doing well,” he admitted, “but the path ahead is far longer than you realize. And others aren’t standing still. You know that.”

Feng Wu’s voice echoed in my mind, a reminder of just how far I had yet to go.

'At your current level, it would take about three or four years of rigorous cultivation to reach the second rank of the Qi Initiation Stage.'

Feng Wu had been at the fourth rank of Qi Initiation then. By now, he was likely at the fifth, or even breaking into the Essence Awakening stage, growing with the rising qi throughout the region. The same could be said for the rest of my friends in the Verdant Lotus.

And my enemies.

I clenched my fists, the triumph I’d felt moments ago giving way to a sharp determination. Elder Ming was right. I couldn’t afford to grow complacent. This was progress, yes, but it was only a step on a path that stretched far beyond the horizon.

I glanced back at the faint glow of the coals in the training circle, their light flickering against the encroaching night. “I’ll just have to keep moving,” I muttered, more to myself than to Elder Ming. “No stopping, no settling. I’ll catch up, no matter how far ahead they are.”

Elder Ming gave a faint hum of approval. “Good. Now stop wasting energy talking and go recover. You’ll need your strength for the next session.”

I gave him a half-hearted glare but turned to leave, my mind already churning with plans for what came next.

But just as I said those words, another notification appeared.

Quest: Body Refinement (Breakthrough)

- Take on the Black Tortoise's Tribulation.

Accept? (Y/N)

That was odd.

I tilted my head, trying to remember the last time the Heavenly Interface gave me an option to accept or decline a quest. I dove deep into my Memory Palace, looking through the small sapling which congealed all my knowledge of the Heavenly Interface into one area.

Aside from my first contract, I don't think it ever did.

It was odd that the interface hadn't given a quest for me to breakthrough into the Qi Initiation stage, but rather only when I arrived.

Hesitation gripped me. My eyes lingered on the notification, and for a brief moment, I thought about asking Elder Ming what he thought. His insight had guided me this far, after all.

But then, I shook my head.

Since when have I ever been the sort to turn down a challenge?

Let it be known Kai Liu never turns down a quest!

The moment I confirmed, the world seemed to twist. A crushing weight slammed down on me, dragging me to my knees before I could even gasp. My elbows hit the frozen ground hard, the shock of impact rippling through my arms.

“What the—!?” I wheezed, my voice strained under the sudden pressure. My chest felt like it was caving in, my limbs trembling as though my pill furnace had been dropped on my back.

The frostbitten ground blurred beneath me as my vision wavered. Every breath was a battle, each inhalation shallow and painful. My qi flared instinctively, but even that felt sluggish, as if the energy within me was being smothered by an invisible force.

“Kai!” Elder Ming’s voice cut through the haze. His presence loomed over me, but I couldn’t lift my head to meet his gaze.

“What... is this?” I choked out, my body refusing to move.

Sub-quest accepted: The Black Tortoise's Tribulation

Objective: Punch and leave a visible dent in the ancient Banyan tree outside of Gentle Wind Village while carrying the weight of the Black Tortoise shell.

Conditions:

The Black Tortoise shell is bound to you and cannot be removed until the challenge is complete.

The shell is invisible and intangible to others.

You must rely solely on your own strength to complete this challenge.

Shell?

Can't be removed until the challenge is complete?

Just my luck.

I managed to get myself into a comfortable position with Elder Ming's help. After laying me down on my back, I explained the situation to him.

Elder Ming crouched beside me, his hand hovering near my back without touching. His expression was calm, but his eyes held a flicker of something I couldn’t quite place; concern, maybe? Curiosity?

“Interesting,” he muttered. “The Black Tortoise’s Tribulation, you said?”

I barely managed a nod.

“Foolish boy,” he said, though his tone lacked its usual bite. “You accepted a quest involving a celestial tribulation without knowing what it entails?”

“I didn’t think it’d feel like this!” I hissed, my arms shaking as I tried to hold them up. The weight pressed down harder, pinning me in place. As though the weight of the Two Star Pagoda Pill Furnace was bearing down on me. Perhaps this was why the quest was only presented to me now.

It was the bare minimum I needed to even survive.

Elder Ming sighed, standing to his full height. “Of course, you didn’t. But now that you’ve started, there’s no turning back. The tribulation has begun.”

“Great,” I muttered through gritted teeth. “Care to offer some... sage advice while I get crushed to death?”

“Endure,” he said simply, folding his arms. “If you can’t withstand the weight of this trial, you have no business advancing further. You're good at that, aren't you?”

“Endure,” I echoed bitterly, my fingers digging into the frozen dirt. “Yeah, thanks for that profound wisdom.”

The faintest smirk ghosted across his lips. “Good luck.”

I didn’t have the energy to glare at him. The weight wasn’t just physical; it pressed against my mind, my spirit, as if testing every fiber of my being.

'Fine. If this is a test, I’ll pass it. I always do.'

"But... is this normal? Even before the Interface? Have you ever heard of a tribulation like this?" I asked Elder Ming.

He stroked his chin thoughtfully, his sharp eyes narrowing as he stared at the space just above my shoulder, as though he could see the invisible weight crushing me.

"No," he admitted finally, his tone unusually grave. "This isn't normal. I’ve heard of tribulations, but they occur at far higher cultivation levels and are more... dramatic.”

"Like the Spirit Ascension Stage?" I managed to croak out, each word escaping between shallow breaths.

He shook his head slowly. “No. Higher. At the Earthly Transcendence Stage.” His words carried a weight of their own, sinking into me like stones.

I blinked through the haze of pain. "Earthly Transcendence?" The words felt foreign on my tongue, like an elusive legend pulled from the pages of Liang Feng’s novels. My mind swirled, trying to reconcile this mythical stage with the crushing weight pinning me down. "That’s... real?"

“Yes, though not here,” Elder Ming said, his voice firm. “It’s exceedingly rare even in the mainland. Only the most elite cultivators, like sect elders of top sects, have a chance of reaching it. And even then, the heavens view them as a threat to their authority.”

“What happens?” I asked, the strain of the shell momentarily eclipsed by curiosity.

Elder Ming’s gaze darkened. “The heavens respond with lightning tribulations. Bolts of celestial fury strike to obliterate those who dare to ascend. Survive, and you advance to the next stage. Fail, and you risk losing your cultivation or your life.”

A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold ran down my spine. Lightning tribulations. I suppose this was better than that.

“But,” Elder Ming continued, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts, “that’s not something you need to worry about. At the rate you’re progressing, it would take centuries for you to even think about Earthly Transcendence.”

“Centuries?” I groaned, though whether it was from his words or the unrelenting weight, I couldn’t say. “You really know how to motivate a guy. What comes after that stage? Is there one?”

He snorted. “Motivation or not, you need to focus on surviving this tribulation first. Worrying about stages beyond your reach is a waste of time.”

“But this—” I gritted my teeth, pushing against the crushing force to sit upright, channeling qi to reinforce my body and give me some breathing room. “this isn’t normal, is it? You’ve never seen anything like it?”

“Never,” Elder Ming said, and for the first time, there was a flicker of genuine uncertainty in his voice. “I’ve read about many tribulations, seen one with my own eyes. None of them were like this. Whatever this is... it’s new.”

His words settled over me like a second weight, one not from the shell but from the realization that I was in uncharted territory. Whatever this Black Tortoise’s Tribulation was, it wasn’t following the conventional rules of cultivation.

Elder Ming gave me a long, appraising look. “If you make it through this, Kai, it will change you.”

“Yeah?” I gasped, managing a shaky smirk. “Hopefully not into ash.”

He chuckled, a rare sound that somehow lightened the oppressive atmosphere. “That depends on how stubborn you are. Now, stop talking and focus."

I grit my teeth, the crushing weight pressing against my chest as I tried to summon enough qi to stabilize myself. This wasn’t just a burden; it was an all-encompassing trial, testing everything from my physical endurance to my willpower.

As if sensing my struggle, Elder Ming’s voice broke through the haze. “This is going to take weeks,” he said matter-of-factly, pacing around me. His sharp gaze lingered on my trembling arms, the sweat dripping onto the frozen ground. “You won’t be able to train properly in anything else until you’ve adjusted to this weight. We'll pause training while you adjust.”

“Weeks?” My voice cracked, more from disbelief than exertion. “Are you serious?”

“Very,” Elder Ming replied, crossing his arms. “If you're able to complete it, you'll be far stronger. But until then...” He let the words hang, his silence heavy with implication.

I groaned, my face contorting in frustration. “This is going to ruin all my plans! I had progress to make, techniques to master, and now I’m going to spend weeks just trying to stand without looking like an idiot!”

Elder Ming’s smirk returned, faint but unmistakable. “Consider it a lesson in humility.”

Before I could retort, a soft knock interrupted us. The sound was almost polite, a stark contrast to the tension of the moment. Both Elder Ming and I turned toward the courtyard’s entrance.

“Elder Ming, Kai,” a familiar voice called out. Xiao Bao’s silhouette appeared just beyond the threshold, his face still marked with crumbs of food. “There are people here to meet you.”