Li Xuan returned to his room without saying a word to anyone. His mind buzzed with Elder Qiu's voice.
"Stay weak… or die."
He closed his door gently.
The room was silent, except for the faint sound of wind slipping through the cracked window. A thin beam of sunlight landed across his bed, cutting the darkness in half.
Li Xuan sat down slowly.
His ribs still hurt. His shoulder was swollen. His body felt like it could collapse with one wrong movement.
But his eyes were sharp.
He couldn't stop now.
Not after hearing the truth buried beneath Elder Qiu's words.Not after realizing his father wasn't killed by war… but by fear.
Li Xuan straightened his back and closed his eyes.
—Good, the Grand Immortal said. You must train now, while your mind is clear. Resolve is a valuable state. Use it.
Li Xuan breathed slowly, guiding the faint strand of warmth down toward his stomach. He felt the semi-broken knot of coldness waiting for him—the barrier that had trapped him for ten years.
He pushed gently.
The warmth moved forward.
Crack.
Another tiny piece fell away.
Li Xuan's breath trembled.
Again.
Crack.
A second crack ran deeper across the blockage.
His forehead began to sweat. His body shook slightly, but he didn't stop.
Again.
Crack.
A third crack split through the knot, this one louder—felt more than heard.
A wave of heat spread through his chest. His legs tingled. His arms warmed up from inside, like fire crawling under the skin.
—Very good, the Immortal said. You are moments away from loosening the blockage completely.
Li Xuan gritted his teeth, pushing one last time.
Crack—
This time the sound was sharp and clear, like a stone breaking under pressure.
Then it hit him.
A rush of warmth surged through his entire body, flowing through his chest, his arms, his neck, even down to his fingers and toes. His breath caught in his throat, and he gripped the edge of his blanket to steady himself.
His eyes snapped open.
Air suddenly felt different.Lighter.Sharper.Alive.
Inside his chest, the cold knot that had haunted him for years was… no longer solid.
Still damaged. Still there. But now soft, broken into pieces like crushed ice melting slowly.
He had done it.
He had torn down more than half the blockage.
"Grand Immortal…" Li Xuan whispered, his voice shaking.
—You have taken the first real step, the Immortal said with a rare hint of pride. You opened your body to Qi. You are no longer a cripple.
Li Xuan exhaled hard, staring at his hands.
They looked the same—thin, pale, bruised.
But he felt the faint flow inside them, like a weak river starting to thaw after winter.
For ten years, this feeling was impossible.Today… it was real.
He practiced breathing again, letting the warmth move slowly through the cracks. It didn't hurt. It felt like something inside him had finally woken up.
Minutes passed.
Then his stomach suddenly growled loudly.
Li Xuan froze.
He wasn't used to this sensation. His appetite had been poor for years; his body never demanded much.
But now?
—Your body is burning energy faster than before, the Immortal explained. That is normal after breaking a blockage. You need food.
Li Xuan hesitated. "But… I don't have much."
His monthly allowance was small. Most disciples got better meals from the dining hall. He always got the leftovers.
He opened the small wooden box where he kept dried buns and rice crumbs. Two small buns remained.
He ate slowly, chewing each bite carefully.
Even the plain taste felt different. His stomach felt warmer after each swallow.
After eating, he sat again on the bed.
The quiet flow of Qi inside him felt steady now—just a thin stream, but for Li Xuan, it was more than enough.
He closed his eyes again.
He wanted to push further.
He wanted to break the final layer of the blockage and open his dantian completely.
But—
—Stop, the Immortal said firmly. If you continue today, your body will break. Rest. Let the cracks settle.
Li Xuan opened his eyes reluctantly.
"…Alright."
He lay down slowly, staring at the cracked window. Outside, the sunlight faded into an orange glow across the mountain peaks.
He lifted his hand.
The same bruised hand he always had.But now it felt… useful.
"Grand Immortal," he whispered, "was my father really strong?"
There was silence for a moment.
Then the Immortal answered,
—Your father was strong enough to stand where others knelt. That is why they feared him.
Li Xuan's chest tightened.
—If you continue on this path, the Immortal said, one day you will stand even higher than him.
Li Xuan nodded softly.
He didn't close his eyes yet.
He watched the fading light until it disappeared, leaving nothing but shadows on the floor.
In the darkness, he whispered:
"I will become strong."
No one heard him.
But his voice did not waver.