Chapter 5 ( more pain )

  In a modest wooden house near driftwood brook, the scent of fresh caught fish lingering in the air. Old Bao sat across from his children. The dim lantern light flickered against the wooden walls, casting long shadows.

  Lan xiaoyan, only twelve, sat straight back. Understanding the weight of his father's voice.

  His younger sister lan xiaomei sat beside him fidgeting with the hem cloth of her sleeve.

  Old Bao rubbed his callous hands together before speaking.

  "Listen, you two… I made a deal with the Grand Harmony Sect." His voice steady but his eyes held uncertainty.

  Xiaoyan's face turned serious." What kind of deal? father."

  Old Bao exhaled slowly

  "I have found an undiscovered island, one not found on any maps. I have told an elder about this, and in exchange, he agreed to let you both take the sect's test. Not as outer disciples, but as candidates for the inner sect."

  Xiaoyan and xiaomei both their eyes widened.

  " The inner sect?"

  They both had dreamed of cultivation but this was beyond their expectations.

  Xiaoyan narrowed his eyes

  "But what is the catch"

  Old Bao chuckled, ruffing his son's hair.

  "Smart boy. The elder agreed on one more condition... I go with them on the expedition to that island."

  Silence filled the room

  Xiaomei gripped her father's sleeve.

  "But father! You are just a fisherman. Although you have completed bone tempering. What if it's dangerous?"

  Old Bao gave a tired smile. "It will be dangerous. The elder suspects a sea serpent guards the island. But an opportunity like this doesn’t come twice. If I don't take this chance, do you know how many years it would take for you two to get into the inner sect?"

  Xiaoyan’s jaw tightened. "Then let me go instead."

  Old Bao laughed heartily. "You think those elders would take a scrawny brat like you on a dangerous mission?" He patted his son's shoulder. "No, my boy. My hands are old, but I still have enough strength to steer a boat. I’ll be careful."

  Xiaomei sniffled. "You better come back."

  Old Bao softened, pulling both of them into a tight embrace.

  "Of course I will."

  He looked at them both.

  "I was too weak to protect your mother during the beast tide… and I lost her because of it. I won’t make the same mistake with you two."

  "You two will enter the sect, become strong, and stand on top of the world. That's all a father could wish for."

  Both siblings looked at each other. They knew that there was no point in arguing with him now.

  Nothing will change his mind.

  Xiaomei’s fingers tightened. “You promise you will come back safely?”

  Old Bao smiled, ruffling her hair. “Promise.”

  But deep inside, he knew there were no guarantees.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

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  It's been 7 days since Adam has begun starving himself. He now lays in his cave motionless. He looks like a man who is dying from starvation. His body is like an emaciated corpse.

  "Hungry.. so hungry.. thirsty as well..I'm so damn tired.."

  You might be wondering how he is already this bad. Didn't he complete body tempering.

  A strong body needs more fuel. Food alone isn’t enough. It draws Qi from the air, but to absorb Qi, the channels must be open. Adam’s method? Total deprivation—for seven days. No food, no water, no sleep. Only suffering.

  "Don't... close.... eyes.... Don't..... close..... eyes"

  "If you drift off to sleep now"

  "...."

  "You will not open them again"

  His eyes were red and his lips cracked from dehydration.

  "Why..... are.... my.... Qi channels..... not open yet"

  "......"

  "......."

  ".........."

  "............"

  "Oh"

  "......."

  " something is happening"

  "......"

  "I can feel something opening up"

  Red takes a light crystal from the shards present and puts it on Adam's hand.

  "Do you want me..... to absorb the energy in the crystal?"

  "Ok then"

  Adam starts to absorb the light crystal's Qi.

  " Oh...OOOH!"

  "YES.. YES"

  "I CAN FEEL IT. ALL OF MY QI CHANNELS HAS OPENED."

  Adam redirected the light Qi towards the upper dantian.but the light Qi seemed to forcefully go towards the middle dantian.

  "Why is it going towards my middle dantian!?"

  "Well whatever I have to take back the energy I have wasted to recover my body first"

  His body that was emaciated like a corpse started to look alive again.

  "Man, I am soo hungry."

  "Looks like I have achieved the first minor realm. But why did it forcefully go to the mid-Dantian tho?"

  "Whatever there is no point in worrying over something you have no control over"

  "It's time that I absorb all of the Qi inside the light crystals shards"

  Red tugged Adam's leg.

  "No, Red you have already fully eaten one of the big chunks no more for you"

  Red stares at him with puppy eyes.

  "No still not changing my mind"

  Adam starts his absorption process as he sits in a lotus position touching the light crystal chunk.

  "I can feel my mid-Dantian filling up with light Qi"

  "It is starting to hurt a tiny bit and it's increasing as I keep on absorbing...."

  "Then.. let's keep on absorbing till I reach my limit "

  After 63% absorption of the first chunk.

  "I sense a resistance. is this the entrance to the next minor realm?"

  "I can easily break through this"

  While absorbing 16% of the next chunk.

  "More realms that I ascend more the Qi required"

  "I'm only a quarter of the way."

  "..."

  "It is starting to hurt quite a lot now"

  "At first it was like a feeling of pain"

  "Now all of my organs and every fiber of my muscles cells are screaming in agony."

  Now 70% of the second chunk

  "Another resistance, a little stronger than before but still not enough to stop me"

  Adam broke through with low effort.

  Then he immediately clutched his heart vomiting blood.

  " Damn that was bad... It hurts real FUCKING BAD now" panting heavily.

  " I got a feeling that if I absorb any more my dantian might explode"

  "I'm gonna stop here now"

  " I can feel it, my body needs time to adjust to these changes"

  "I'm gonna catch up on lost sleep"

  Adam falls on his back and drifts off to sleep.

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  Old Bao sat on the worn stone steps outside his small home with clay jug of cheap rice wine resting beside him. The past seven days had crawled by like a fisherman waiting for a bite that never came. He had already mended his nets twice, though he doubted he’d need them where he was going.

  His thoughts drifted between excitement and unease.

  Would this expedition bring him fortune or will it be his grave.

  "Old bao, you still here?"

  A rough, mused voice called out.

  Bao looked up to see Elder Chen, a Foundation Establishment cultivator—and more importantly, his longtime drinking buddy—strolling toward him. The elder’s robes were slightly disheveled, and there was an frustrated look in his eyes.

  “Where else would I be?”

  Old Bao grunted, lifting his jug for a sip.

  “Been waiting for seven days. Thought you lot forgot about me.”

  Elder Chen snorted, plopping down beside him. “Get your things ready, old man. We leave in three days.”

  Bao raised a brow.

  “Three days? What took you all so long? Don’t tell me the mighty Grand Harmony Sect got lost in their own halls.”

  Elder Chen sighed and reached for Bao’s jug, taking a swig before continuing.

  “Hah! I wish it was that simple. No, the Grand Elders have been at each other’s throats. Half of them want their own disciples on the expedition, and the other half don’t want to risk sending promising talents into unknown danger.”

  Old Bao frowned. “So what? I thought this was already decided.”

  Chen scoffed. “Decided? Ha! In a sect, nothing is truly decided until everyone stops arguing. And that, my friend, takes time. If you ever join a sect, just know the real fights don’t happen on the battlefield but behind closed doors.”

  Old Bao shook his head. “Sounds exhausting.”

  Yao smirked. “That’s why I prefer drinking with you instead of sitting through those endless debates.”

  He stood up, stretching.

  “Anyway, get ready. The sect leader finally put his foot down. The team is set, and we leave at dawn in three days.”

  Bao let out a long breath, staring at the horizon. “Three days, huh?”

  Chen clapped his shoulder. “Enjoy the quiet while you can. Once we set sail, who knows when we’ll get another moment like this.”

  As the elder walked off, Old Bao picked up his jug, swirling the remaining wine inside. He had three days left in Driftwood Brook before stepping into something far bigger than himself.

  “…Guess I better make the most of it.”