Chapter Four: The First Line
The new disciples sat in the spacious courtyard, each one cross-legged on a mat woven with spiritual threads. The atmosphere was solemn, silent except for the sound of the wind rustling the huge sect flags hanging above them.
The elder stood before them and said in a firm voice:
"We will now begin with the first step. Open the First Meridian, the Heavenly Spirit Meridian, extending from the eyebrows to the center of the chest. This meridian is the foundation of communication with the energy of heaven and earth. If you fail to open it… you will never enter the world of cultivation."
He raised his staff and lightly struck the ground, a wave of calming energy flooding the courtyard:
"Close your eyes. Focus your hearts. Let your breathing align with your surroundings. Feel the energy currents in the air. Draw them in, and let their power knock on the door of the First Line."
---
One by one, the disciples began to meditate.
The young man in the luxurious blue robes, the son of an elder, smiled smugly after only a moment. He opened his eyes, light glinting around his chest.
"I managed to open it!" he said confidently.
Another disciple from a grand family took a few minutes longer, but soon she was breathing deeply, her body glowing with a faint light.
The elder nodded contentedly, his eyes scanning the others.
As for Ling Yue, he sat with sweat dripping from his brow, his teeth clenched. He tried to sense the energy around him, but found only emptiness. He tried again, but his chest remained tight, his spirit closed like a cold stone.
Whispers began to spread among the disciples:
"This boy will never succeed."
"Even the simplest step he can't take."
"No wonder he's just an outer disciple."
His heart was about to explode. Each new failure brought back images of fire and destruction in his village. He clenched his knees and closed his eyes tightly.
---
Deep inside, he felt the black symbol on his wrist suddenly ignite. A faint warmth flowed through his body, and he felt as if the door he had tried so hard to open was finally softening.
A gentle breeze of spiritual energy entered his chest, spreading like a small stream, and rushed toward the First Meridian.
His pain was intense, as if his bones were breaking from within, but he bit his lip and didn't cry out.
And suddenly... Crack!
The First Meridian opened.
His chest glowed with a faint but clear light, and his soul trembled. He felt a warm current flowing through him, unlike any sensation he had ever experienced before.
He opened his eyes, and everyone else had accomplished before him. He was the last to succeed.
---
The elder smiled faintly, his eyes a mixture of satisfaction and testing:
"Slow... but he didn't give up. That's what matters most."
While others looked at him with disdain or pity, Ling Yu knew something different in his heart:
This wasn't just a late success... it was the beginning.
Because what helped him wasn't his strength or his talents, but that mysterious stone book.
> "Even if I start from the back... I'll rise to the top."