Morning sunlight slowly spread across the village.
After the celebration the previous night, the village had returned to its normal peaceful rhythm.
Roosters crowed.
Farmers prepared their tools.
Smoke rose gently from kitchen fires.
Lin Tian stood near the edge of the village, watching the mountains in the distance.
The quiet wind moved through the tall grass.
To him, the natural world of this planet felt… simple.
Yet beneath that simplicity, he could sense faint spiritual energy flowing through the land.
It was weak compared to the cosmic forces he once studied.
But it was alive.
Footsteps approached from behind.
"Senior Lin!"
Lin Tian turned slightly.
Chen Yu jogged toward him, carrying a wooden staff across his shoulder.
He looked energetic and excited.
"You're awake early," Chen Yu said.
"I do not require much sleep," Lin Tian replied calmly.
Chen Yu scratched his head.
"Right… cultivators are different."
He looked toward the mountains as well.
"For us villagers, mornings start with work," he added. "But I actually came to ask you something."
Lin Tian waited.
Chen Yu hesitated for a moment.
Then he spoke seriously.
"Senior… could you teach me cultivation?"
The question hung in the air.
Lin Tian observed the young man carefully.
Chen Yu's posture was nervous but determined.
"You wish to become stronger?" Lin Tian asked.
Chen Yu nodded immediately.
"Yes."
"Why?"
The question seemed simple.
But Chen Yu did not answer right away.
After a moment, he spoke quietly.
"Yesterday… when those riders attacked, I realized something."
He tightened his grip on the wooden staff.
"I couldn't protect anyone."
His voice carried frustration.
"My parents. My neighbors. The village."
He looked directly at Lin Tian.
"I don't want to feel that powerless again."
Lin Tian studied the emotion in the young man's eyes.
Determination.
Responsibility.
Fear.
All mixed together.
Across countless worlds, Lin Tian had seen the same motivation again and again.
The desire to protect.
It was one of the strongest driving forces in intelligent species.
"You believe strength will solve that problem?" Lin Tian asked.
Chen Yu thought for a moment.
"Maybe not completely," he admitted. "But it's better than being helpless."
Lin Tian looked back toward the mountains.
In truth, teaching cultivation to a human was trivial for him.
But he had another thought.
Teaching someone would also allow him to understand this world's cultivation system more directly.
After a moment, he spoke.
"Very well."
Chen Yu froze.
"Really?!"
"Yes."
Chen Yu nearly dropped his staff in excitement.
"Thank you, Senior!"
Lin Tian raised one hand slightly.
"But first, I need to understand something."
Chen Yu quickly straightened.
"Yes?"
"Show me how cultivators in this world train."
Chen Yu blinked.
"You mean… basic martial practice?"
"Yes."
Chen Yu nodded eagerly.
"Okay! I learned some basic staff techniques from my father."
He stepped into the open field near the village entrance.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Yu lifted the wooden staff.
Then he began demonstrating a simple routine.
Step.
Turn.
Strike.
Sweep.
The movements were energetic but somewhat rough.
His footwork lacked precision.
His breathing was uneven.
Still, the effort behind each strike was sincere.
Lin Tian watched carefully.
Every muscle movement.
Every shift of balance.
Every small flow of energy inside Chen Yu's body.
After a few minutes, Chen Yu finished the routine and wiped sweat from his forehead.
"How was it?" he asked hopefully.
Lin Tian considered his answer.
"The technique is inefficient."
Chen Yu laughed awkwardly.
"I figured…"
"Your center of balance shifts too often."
Chen Yu blinked.
"Wait… what?"
Lin Tian stepped forward.
"Hold the staff again."
Chen Yu obeyed.
Lin Tian gently adjusted the young man's stance.
"Your feet should be positioned like this."
He shifted Chen Yu's left foot slightly backward.
"Your weight distribution should remain stable."
Then he lightly moved Chen Yu's grip on the staff.
"And your hands should be here."
Chen Yu tried the stance.
Immediately he noticed something surprising.
"This feels… stronger."
Lin Tian nodded.
"Now strike forward."
Chen Yu swung the staff.
The sound of the strike cutting through the air was noticeably sharper.
Chen Yu's eyes widened.
"That was faster!"
Lin Tian continued calmly.
"Your body contains potential energy. Proper movement allows that energy to flow efficiently."
He paused.
"In this world, that process is called cultivation."
Chen Yu listened with complete focus.
Lin Tian then demonstrated the motion himself.
He picked up a nearby wooden branch.
His movements looked slow.
Simple.
Almost casual.
Yet when he swung the branch forward—
WHOOSH.
The air itself seemed to split.
Chen Yu stumbled backward in shock.
"That… that was just a branch!"
Lin Tian lowered it calmly.
"The tool is irrelevant."
Chen Yu stared at him with awe.
"Senior… how long would it take for me to reach that level?"
Lin Tian considered the question honestly.
"For you?"
"Yes."
"Several decades."
Chen Yu's face dropped.
"Decades?!"
Lin Tian then added,
"Unless your training method improves."
Chen Yu's eyes lit up again.
"You mean… you'll teach me properly?"
Lin Tian nodded.
"Yes."
Chen Yu suddenly bowed deeply.
"Master!"
Lin Tian paused.
Then he shook his head.
"You may call me Senior."
Chen Yu grinned.
"Okay, Senior Lin!"
At that moment, neither of them noticed a distant figure standing on a hill overlooking the village.
A man wearing dark robes watched silently.
His sharp eyes studied Lin Tian's movements from afar.
He had arrived during Chen Yu's training demonstration.
And what he saw had made his expression extremely serious.
The man murmured quietly to himself.
"So… the reports were true."
He turned and disappeared into the forest.
"Iron Ridge City will want to know about this."