Xu Ming burst into the courtyard like a whirlwind.
"Senior Brother Li! I had an idea!" he shouted, waving a fistful of talismans.
Li Chen, who had been meditating quietly under the ancient pine tree, opened one eye. "This had better not involve fire, explosive qi, or—"
"Or breaking the foundation formation?" Xu Ming finished eagerly, already rushing toward the center of the courtyard.
"Yes. Exactly that," Li Chen muttered.
It didn't matter. By the time he stood, Xu Ming had already activated the first talisman. A small circle of sparks erupted, narrowly missing a wooden post, ricocheting into a stack of training dummies, which promptly toppled like dominoes.
"Xu Ming!" Li Chen barked, rushing forward and drawing a faint sword intent barrier around the area. Sparks fizzled harmlessly against the invisible shield. "What did I say about subtle experimentation?"
Xu Ming looked sheepish, but his eyes were alight with excitement. "I want to try a coordinated Chaos Qi strike with multiple talismans. It could—well, probably explode, but it'll also test my control!"
Li Chen pinched the bridge of his nose. "Test your control, yes. Test my patience, no."
Even with the barrier, the sparks continued to pop, crackle, and flare. By the third attempt, one talisman ricocheted off Xu Ming's shoulder and skidded across the courtyard. He yelped, chased after it like a flustered puppy, and collided headfirst into a training dummy. A hollow thud echoed across the courtyard.
Li Chen barely suppressed a sigh. Then, impossibly, a small smirk tugged at his lips.
Still the same chaotic storm, he thought. But… more focused.
Half an hour later, Xu Ming had finally gathered himself enough to sit cross-legged on the ground, panting heavily.
"Senior Brother Li," he said, finally serious, "I… think I can feel it. The Chaos Qi… it's… flowing differently. I can push it, but it doesn't scatter. I think… maybe I'm ready for a breakthrough."
Li Chen raised an eyebrow. "You think? Or you want to be ready?"
Xu Ming's grin faltered for half a second. "I… want to be ready. But yes, I also think I am."
Li Chen sighed, then gestured to the center of the courtyard. "Then let's do this properly. No talismans. No sparks. No explosions. Just qi, your body, and your will."
Xu Ming nodded eagerly, and for the first time that morning, the courtyard was silent. Birds perched in trees, observing cautiously, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
"Focus on the rhythm of your qi," Li Chen instructed quietly. "Let it flow through your five elements. Do not push. Do not force. Listen to it. Bend it, merge it, harmonize it."
Xu Ming closed his eyes, and for several long minutes, nothing happened. Li Chen watched his disciple carefully, noting subtle shifts in posture, tiny changes in breathing, the faint tremor of restrained power.
Then, with a soft exhale, Xu Ming's body glowed faintly. The Chaos Qi around him, once scattered and unpredictable, coalesced into a dense, shimmering aura. The ground beneath him hummed slightly, reacting to his newly organized energy.
Li Chen's eyes narrowed. "Careful…" he muttered, placing a protective formation around the area just in case.
Xu Ming's pupils widened. "I—" A surge of energy burst forth, and for a heartbeat, the entire courtyard was bathed in faint multicolored light, reflecting the five elements within him. Then, just as suddenly, it stabilized.
He opened his eyes, beaming. "I did it! Qi Condensation! Finally!"
Li Chen, suppressing both a laugh and relief, nodded slowly. "Yes. Well done. But remember—control. Stability. You are not allowed to explode any dummies, trees, or breakfast supplies for at least a month."
Xu Ming groaned dramatically. "A month?! That's cruel!"
Li Chen smirked faintly. "I survive only by enforcing discipline. Consider it mercy."
After the breakthrough, Li Chen insisted they take a brief "rest and eat" break. Xu Ming, however, still had leftover energy and tried to carry his newly condensed qi into breakfast—literally. He accidentally overloaded the cooking fire with spirit energy, sending the porridge leaping out of the pot in a spectacular fountain.
Li Chen ducked, muttering, "I should have expected this."
Xu Ming laughed sheepishly, apologizing between spoonfuls, while Li Chen merely shook his head. There was a warmth in the younger disciple's enthusiasm, reckless and bright.
"Senior Brother Li," Xu Ming said, suddenly serious again, "thank you. For… teaching me, for putting up with me, for—"
Li Chen raised a hand. "You'll grow faster if you don't start praising me now. Discipline first. Chaos later."
Xu Ming grinned. "Fine. But promise me… one day, I'll make you laugh without breaking anything."
Li Chen allowed himself a small chuckle. "We'll see, Xu Ming. We'll see."
For the first time in months, the sect felt like a home rather than a battlefield. The heavens had looked away, the borders had quieted, and in this quiet, the chaos of training, laughter, and small disasters became a bridge—teaching not just cultivation, but patience, trust, and camaraderie.
And somewhere in the background, Li Chen realized: sometimes, surviving the lower realm wasn't about power alone. It was about forging bonds—and Xu Ming, chaotic as he was, had become far more than a disciple.
He was… a companion in the storm.