The following day,
the training began.
But the first day…
was suspiciously simple.
There were no arenas.
No oppressive pressure.
No shouting elders.
Instead, a single booklet was distributed to the students.
Its cover was dull brown,
the title written in plain letters:
"How to Control Internal Energy."
Jin picked up the booklet, flipped through its pages with boredom, then raised his head and muttered sarcastically:
"...What kind of nonsense is this?"
Beside him, Xing Yuan calmly closed his own booklet.
Jin glanced at him.
"That was only a few seconds."
Xing Yuan replied plainly, without raising his voice:
"I memorized it."
Then added coldly:
"You don't have to believe me."
Jin stared at him for a moment…
then smiled—a strange smile, filled with unsettling excitement.
"If I weren't like you…
I wouldn't believe it either."
For the first time since they met,
Xing Yuan's expression changed.
His eyes widened slightly.
Not loud surprise—
but silent shock.
A Different Understanding
Nearby, a plain-looking boy sat hunched over, reading the booklet with extreme focus, as if it were a sacred scripture.
Jin turned toward him.
"Are you starting to understand it?"
The boy lifted his head hesitantly.
"No… it's full of strange terms."
Jin chuckled lightly, then pointed to the ground in front of him.
"Just sit first.
Close your eyes… and imagine the energy inside your body."
The boy hesitated…
then followed his instructions.
Minutes passed.
Jin looked around with little interest, observing the other students.
Some were beginning to truly grasp it.
Others already possessed a dantian from the start, confidence clear on their faces.
Then he turned to Xing Yuan.
"Why aren't you doing anything?"
Xing Yuan replied with complete indifference:
"Because I don't have internal energy to begin with."
Jin's thoughts froze for a moment.
How in the heavens… did he endure the tests?
Even I struggled—yet he has no energy at all?
After a while, the plain boy suddenly opened his eyes, shock filling his face.
"Thank you, brother…
Those few words helped more than a whole booklet full of explanations."
Jin laughed.
"What's your name?"
The boy replied shyly:
"Liu Fan."
Jin asked calmly:
"Why did you come to a place this bloody?
You don't look like someone seeking battle."
Liu Fan lowered his head.
"I just want to become a fighter…
To earn money, and support my mother and siblings."
Jin didn't respond.
He stared at the ground in silence.
One seeks to protect his family…
Another seeks revenge…
Everyone carries their own burden…
Then he asked himself silently:
…And what about me?
Do I truly need power to find my family?
Night — The Shortcut
At night,
the students returned to their dorms.
Jin sat at the far end of the room, silent as always.
Xing Yuan sat beside him—
and this time, Liu Fan joined them as well, having been assigned to the same room.
Jin suddenly broke the silence.
"Do you want to shorten the process?"
Both of them looked at him.
They answered in unison:
"Yes."
Jin looked at Liu Fan first.
"You'll need some time to build your foundation…
but I promise, we won't drag it out."
Then he turned to Xing Yuan.
"As for you… you're a genius.
But I don't know if you can form a dantian anytime soon."
Xing Yuan's gaze darkened.
The anger wasn't directed at Jin—
but at something far deeper.
At those who slaughtered his family.
He spoke in a low, sharp voice:
"What do you mean?"
Jin replied calmly:
"I'll help you gain power.
Are you ready?"
Xing Yuan answered without hesitation:
"I'll do anything."
Then he asked:
"But the price?
What do you want in return?"
Jin answered immediately:
"Nothing."
Then added with a faint smile:
"I already have everything I need."
He took out a small box from his storage ring and opened it.
Inside—
two energy pills.
"One contains roughly ten years' worth of energy."
He looked at them both.
"Are you ready?"
Liu Fan shook his head quickly.
"No… I don't want to take the risk. I'll wait."
But Xing Yuan—
extended his hand immediately.
Jin asked seriously:
"Do you know how the energy will circulate?"
Xing Yuan replied coldly:
"I'll figure it out."
The Unexpected
They sat in a corner of the room.
Jin placed his hands on Xing Yuan's back.
"I'll support you if needed.
Take the pill… and begin."
Xing Yuan swallowed it.
The energy began to circulate.
Jin sensed it instantly—
and began feeding his own energy in.
But—
Xing Yuan kept drawing.
Pulling…
and pulling…
The circulation inside his body was terrifying—
far beyond what Jin had anticipated.
What is this? How?
He learned the method today—and he's already forming it?!
Half an hour passed.
And for the first time in months…
Jin's energy was depleted.
Xing Yuan stood up calmly, as if nothing had happened.
He checked himself briefly, then said:
"So… this is what energy feels like?
It wasn't that different."
Jin stared at him in disbelief.
What had just happened…
was nothing short of a miracle.
This wasn't absorption—
this was consumption.
Perhaps…
his talent surpassed even Jin's.
Jin glanced around quickly.
Everyone was asleep.
He asked quietly:
"So… do I have ten years' worth of energy now?"
Jin replied, slightly out of breath:
"No…"
Then added with faint bitterness:
"You drained me instead."
He paused, then said:
"Maybe…
you now have nearly seventy years' worth of energy."
End of Chapter