The next morning, Yuyan woke earlier than ever before—earlier even than the sun itself. Her body still ached from yesterday's training, but today she vowed not to collapse so easily. She wanted to take one step forward, no matter how small.
After washing up and eating something light, she rushed to the training ground. The air was still cool with dawn mist, and the crimson courtyard stones gleamed faintly under the morning glow. With no one around yet, she decided to warm up by repeating yesterday's exercises.
First, the boulder. She placed her tiny palms against its rough surface and pushed with all her might. Yesterday she could not budge it at all, but now… it shifted. Just an inch, maybe two, but it moved. Yuyan's lips curved into a proud little smile.
"Better," she whispered to herself.
She tried again, this time holding the stance her father had taught her: back straight, legs steady, breath even. It was exhausting, but she managed to scrape the boulder forward another inch before her arms gave out. She collapsed onto the stone tiles, panting—but grinning.
She forced herself to stop before she wasted all her strength. Instead, she turned to the log from yesterday. It still looked impossibly huge, but she knew it was lighter than the boulder and she could definitely lift it but it is too hard to lift it from the ground. So she Dragged the log upright against the wall, she let it roll onto the supports she had made using stones.she lifted the log dropping it after a while
"That's… improvement," she muttered between gasps, wiping sweat from her brow.
When Lin Jinhai and Fang Zhi finally arrived, they found her already flushed and breathing hard.
"You're early," her father remarked, a little surprised.
"Yes, I decided to start early," she replied with a proud tilt of her chin.
"The young miss's eagerness for learning is exceptional," Fang Zhi said, his professional tone masking the pride in his eyes.
"Mm. Well then, let us begin."
Her father pointed to the boulder. "You know what to do."
Yuyan braced herself, stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around the stone. With a grunt, she lifted it off the ground. Her little body trembled, but she managed to hold it for forty-five seconds—an eternity compared to yesterday's failure. When her arms finally gave out, she fell backward. She expected the crushing weight to follow her, but instead, the boulder hovered above, shimmering with crimson light.
Her father had coated it in blood essence, holding it suspended until Fang Zhi carefully rolled it aside.
"Yuyan, are you alright?" Lin Jinhai asked.
She blinked, dazed, then immediately pointed at the glowing traces around the boulder. "When can I learn that?"
Both men nearly fell over.
"Are you serious right now?" her father asked in disbelief.
"Young miss," Fang Zhi said gently, "perhaps your first thought should be whether you are unharmed, not when you can learn a dangerous technique."
Yuyan kept her resolve. "I'm fine! I was just curious…"
Her father sighed, pinching his nose. "After you pass all nine stages of body tempering and step into true cultivation, you may learn techniques like this."
"I see…" Yuyan's gaze hardened. "Then I'll get there."
Her father nodded once, pleased. "Good. Now—next exercise."
Fang Zhi fetched the wide wooden tray, placing it across Yuyan's extended arms. Yesterday she had lasted only two minutes before collapsing. Today, she breathed steadily, her body shaking but her determination unwavering.
Three minutes… four…
Her arms burned like fire, but she gritted her teeth.
Five minutes.
At last, the tray slipped, clattering to the ground. Yuyan dropped to her knees, drenched in sweat but beaming. "That's… better, right?"
"Better," her father admitted, though his tone remained stern. "But not enough."
———-
The log returned, heavier than she remembered. Yuyan eyed it warily, then bent down, used her trick again, and heaved it onto her shoulder. She staggered three steps, nearly falling. But she didn't.
Six steps.
Seven.
She collapsed, gasping, but she had carried it further than yesterday.
Fang Zhi quickly rushed to steady her. "Amazing progress for only the second day, little miss."
Her father, though less openly enthusiastic, gave the faintest smile. "Not bad. At least you didn't fall on your face this time."
Finally came recovery. Lin Jinhai handed her the jade vial once more. Yuyan bit her thumb, drew a drop of blood essence, and guided the heat through her veins. The burning sensation was still terrifying, but this time she understood how to direct it better.
Warmth rushed through her muscles, easing the pain. She exhaled shakily, marveling again at the miraculous method.
"Every day," her father reminded her, "until your body stops screaming. Only then will you be ready for the next step."
Yuyan clenched her fists, fire in her eyes. "Then I'll keep burning."
Lin Jinhai's gaze softened slightly. For the first time, he believed his daughter might truly endure this path.
⸻
Far from the Xuèyàn clan's safe retreat, high upon the Jade Heavenly Mountain stood the great halls of the Heavenly Dao Sect. Their white jade pillars gleamed with lantern light, murals of divine justice stretching across the walls, and temple bells echoing through the clouds.
To any outsider, it was the image of purity, justice, and protection.
But behind that gilded mask, rot festered.
Upon the high dais sat Sect Master Dao Shenxing, robed in flawless white. His calm, serene face gave the impression of a sage. Before him, elders and disciples knelt with reverence.
"So," Dao Shenxing spoke with authority, "you say when you went to the Xuèyàn clan's current hideout… no one was there?"
"Yes, Sect Master," an elder replied.
Dao Shenxing's smile did not falter, but his tone grew heavier. "Then hear me. The Xuèyàn child yet lives. Lin Xuèyàn Yuyan has awakened."
Murmurs filled the hall. One elder frowned. "Sect Master… she is but a child. The Xuèyàn Clan is shattered. Surely she poses no threat."
Dao Shenxing closed his eyes as though in prayer.
"The Xuèyàn bloodline cannot be underestimated. A child born of two royal Xuèyàn lines? If she grows unchecked, the continent will bleed anew. For the sake of the innocent, for the future of the cultivation world… she must not be allowed to live."
The elders bowed, murmuring words of justice and righteousness.
Only Dao Shenxing's eyes betrayed the cold gleam of ambition as he whispered:
"Send a delegation of the Azure Sky Sentinels. Officially, they will search for the Xuèyàn Clan. In truth… they will erase them."
The disciples prostrated themselves. "Yes, Sect Master."
And as the bells tolled, the world continued to see the Heavenly Dao Sect as paragons of virtue—never knowing that its master's hands were already stained with shadows.
—————
That evening, Yuyan lay sprawled across her bed, her arms aching, her legs sore, but her lips curved in a small smile. She had lasted longer, moved the boulder, and even made her father look twice.
"I'm getting stronger," she whispered to herself, eyes fluttering shut. "Just a little bit each day."
Sleep claimed her quickly, dreams carrying her into a world where she could already lift mountains.
Far above, the stars shone silently—watching, waiting, as destiny slowly began to turn.