Chapter 8 – The First Step
Night fell over the Heavenly Sword Sect, the stars hanging like quiet witnesses above the ancient peaks.
On the edge of a serene cliff behind the Heart Sword Peak, Liu Guan Yi sat cross-legged atop a cold stone. His back was straight, his breath steady, yet his face was pale with effort. Around him, the wind stirred gently, carrying faint traces of sword qi and spiritual essence. He had begun his first step into the path of true cultivation—forming the Dantian.
A few paces away, Ji Ning, her white robes fluttering silently, stood with arms crossed. Her gaze was calm, but focused. As his master, she was here to guide the process—but not to interfere. A cultivator's first core could only be formed through their own effort.
Liu Guan Yi's entire body trembled as he drew in the spiritual essences of heaven and earth. Each breath felt like fire, each second like a blade scraping his bones. Inside his body, those formless energies converged at his lower abdomen, gathering to form a vortex—the seed of his Dantian.
"Pain is temporary," he whispered to himself. "Power is eternal."
The agony intensified. His veins bulged, sweat soaked his robe, and his fingers dug into the stone. But his eyes never wavered. Ji Ning, watching from the side, remained silent—but in her heart, she nodded.
"He has the will. Not just the talent."
Hours passed.
And then—suddenly—the pain vanished. The chaotic energy inside Liu Guan Yi's body condensed into a single point, and a radiant warmth bloomed from within. His expression shifted. The tension on his face faded, replaced by a calm, satisfied smile.
He had succeeded.
A Dantian had been born.
Liu Guan Yi opened his eyes. The stars still hung above, but to him, the night felt brighter than ever.
He had taken the first step on the long and cruel road of cultivation.
His journey had finally begun.