Lin Li poked at the ball of energy, expecting a reaction — any sort of reaction — and waited in vain, as none came. Of course, he hadn't literally poked at the ball of energy, for it resided within his body. Instead, he had used his senses, offering a metaphorical probe.

  But still, nothing.

  Now, he sat despondently on his bed, sighing and shaking his head.

  How utterly unfortunate.

  Not only had he lost his cultivation, but he had lost it at the worst possible moment — when he had needed it most. He had been running from what was now abundantly clear: a surefire death.

  Lin Li sighed once more, slumped on his bed, and stared at the ceiling. He had been poisoned, and he had no one to bme but himself. Perhaps caution truly was the key to a long life.

  Just as he shouldn't have stolen evidence from the wolves, he also shouldn't have consumed the pill. Had he been more prudent, his chances of survival would have been much greater.

  But as they say, there was no use crying over spilled milk.

  No, he wasn't going to cry. He was simply going to curl up and reminisce about his days on Verdant Vale Peak — one of the seven peaks of the Verdant Peak Sect — because it was certain now that he would be dismissed as a disciple. Without his cultivation, and well past his prime, what other fate could await him?

  Suffice it to say, Lin Li was feeling morose.

  "Seriously though," he muttered absentmindedly, "how can it be possible to lose one's cultivation?"

  It was an unprecedented event, one Lin Li would've never imagined possible. But here he was, lost like a mb and with no cultivation to speak of. It wasn't that losing one's cultivation was impossible, but more that it had never happened before.

  Lin Li couldn't help but wonder, his thoughts giving rise to a morbid curiosity about whether his sect would still choose to keep him so they might study his uniqueness. Even the barest notion of such filled him with shudders — not just because it was cruel, but also because his sect was entirely capable of such cruelty.

  Yet none of that could truly expin the loss of his cultivation. To understand Lin Li's reluctance to accept this reality, one must first understand how cultivation worked.

  Mortal Foundation Realm.

  The first major realm on the path of cultivation. It did exactly as it said, building a foundation for a mortal to initiate their journey. This foundational block would support a cultivator's cultivation for the rest of their life. Needless to say, it was an important realm to take note of.

  In this very first realm, a cultivator began by tempering their body — thus called Body Tempering Realm. From the skin of their teeth to the organs within, they tempered it all. This allowed for greater Qi permeation and toughened the body so it could withstand the strain of storing and utilizing Qi.

  Then came the realm of Bone Refinement, where the cultivator toughened their bones and cleansed their marrow. It was an important realm, and one where impurities were expelled through their pores, granting a smooth texture and supple, yet resilient skin.

  The realm to come after, and the one Lin Li had been at, was known as Meridian Opening. It basically allowed for the opening of Qi channels called meridians that formed a network throughout the whole body. Since the meridians themselves were linked to every existing part of the body, they were used as a sort of channel to import Qi to every part of the body.

  And the st realm, known as Dantian Establishment, was where a cultivator would create a nexus for Qi within their body — a storage meant to act as a reserve where Qi could be not just stored but also used in the subsequent stages of cultivation.

  These four realms formed the basis, a foundation for the next major realm called Qi Gathering Realm. In this realm, a cultivator was able to actively absorb and store Qi within their dantian. The very act would enhance their physical capabilities far beyond the norm.

  However, this foundation was something that couldn't be shaken. A cultivator might run out of Qi, but their dantian wouldn't colpse; their meridians wouldn't close, and their bones wouldn't grow brittle. Reversal simply wasn't supposed to be possible.

  At least, not until today.

  Lin Li sighed and pulled his body upright, his shoulders slumped and his eyes worn down.

  He looked down at his hands, opening and closing his fists while staring at nothing in particur. He wondered if he should make a run for it, maybe move somewhere far away. It was unlikely the sect would bother chasing down a mere Trial Disciple. But then again, he wasn't entirely sure what the sect was capable of.

  Shaking his head, he let out another sigh.

  Suddenly, a thought occurred to Lin Li. He pulled his legs into a sitting posture, closed his eyes, and focused inward.

  The mass of energy — still as a calm ke — floated at the center of his body. And with a start, Lin Li realized it was using his dantian. Why hadn't he noticed it before? He could only attribute it to the confusion and shock of losing his cultivation.

  Nonetheless, there was great significance in the energy using his dantian. It meant he had already established his dantian and could now store Qi. The only problem was that Lin Li cked the benefits of the earlier stages.

  "But if I were to cultivate again, I could break through to the peak of the Mortal Foundation Realm in one go," Lin Li muttered, suddenly feeling excited. "It might take time, but no bottlenecks would exist for me."

  With each passing second, his resolve grew firmer, until finally, Lin Li decided that he wouldn't give up. He couldn't give up — for his dream was to live among the Immortals and stand above the heavens.

  He would get past this, no matter what.

  Drifting_Embers