Lin Yue woke up earlier than the birds today. A flicker of resolve burned in her eyes, showing that she was serious and fully committed to starting her training.
The sun had not yet appeared. The sky was still dark, and the cold dew stung her skin. Yet for Lin Yue, this was the most peaceful condition she had experienced since arriving in this world.
No danger.
Not being chased.
Not being imprisoned.
Even so, the girl did not dare to relax or waste time. She tidied her clothes, washed her face, and tied her hair before finally leaving the room.
Outside, her eyes unintentionally glanced toward one of the doors. That room belonged to Yu Han. At last, the young man was able to rest peacefully after being dragged into trouble with her for some time.
Lin Yue let out a relieved sigh and began walking through the vast corridors of the sect once more. Her goal was to find a training ground or something similar.
But there was one problem.
She did not know the layout of this sect at all!
She had never explored the area before, and even if she wanted to ask someone, who would be awake before the birds?
This forced her to wander through the place alone, making her question whether waking up this early had really been the right decision.
So she decided to warm up first, then jog while searching for a training ground. It trained her legs while also letting her tour the sect.
The first place she came across was the Grand Hall, where announcements or meetings were supposed to take place. The place made Lin Yue instinctively shiver, reminding her of a tense trial she had once experienced.
The second place was the cafeteria, which made Lin Yue wonder whether cultivators actually had a habit of eating. They could replace nutrition with spiritual energy, also known as Qi, after all.
Then there was a massive library with several books floating in midair, just like something out of a fairy tale!
There was also an area for forging weapons or spiritual artifacts, complete with large furnaces and anvils. It clearly required great energy and strength, a sharp contrast to Lin Yue herself.
Beside the forging area was a special section for alchemists, with several large cauldrons as the main tools for refining pills.
If she went farther, she could find spirit beasts, an archery range, a duel stage, and more. Lin Yue did not have time to see the rest, as she had already arrived at the training ground where people honed their physical bodies.
Her breathing became ragged. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and sweat dripped from her forehead down her reddening cheeks.
Her stamina was terrible. Truly pitiful.
She regretted rarely exercising in the past.
Yet upon arriving at the training ground, she did not rest. Instead, she continued with more training.
First, she worked on flexibility. This was the part she hated the most.
Next was muscle training, using several difficult positions and movements until her muscles became stiff and sore.
Then came balance training. Standing on one leg atop a beam, she fell several times.
She also did other exercises that would be exhausting to list one by one.
It was not an exaggeration to say this training was a form of torture. It was not overstated. That was simply how it was. Bruises appeared on her smooth skin, and even scratches and blood could be seen as a result.
Elsewhere, Yu Han was sitting under a tree, leaning against it with his eyes half-closed, watching Lin Yue train. No one knew how long he had been there. In his hand, seeds were being peeled one by one at a slow rhythm, as if what he was watching was not a life-or-death training session.
Lin Yue continued training until, without realizing it, the sun was already high in the sky. The day grew hotter, and her skin turned red like a tomato. Yet she barely noticed her pitiful state due to her intense focus.
During the training, several sect disciples watched her with curiosity, as they had never seen Lin Yue before. Most of them only stopped briefly before leaving.
Several hours passed, and her vision began to blur. She had pushed herself too hard. If she continued, she might faint.
This was only the first day, and she did not want to overdo it.
Her eyes searched for a shaded place to rest, and there she found the only tree in the area. With difficulty, she limped toward it.
As she got closer, she realized someone else was already there.
The silhouette looked familiar.
It was Yu Han.
So the young man had been watching her torture herself the entire time? Lin Yue could only give a bitter smile before collapsing onto the ground. Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
"I'm pretty bad, huh?" Lin Yue murmured. It was her first time training, and she was already this bad. She hoped she would get used to it.
Yu Han did not answer for a while. His fingers continued peeling seeds calmly, even offering them to Lin Yue, who immediately refused.
"Actually, you're decent."
His pale hand paused while peeling the seeds. Despite the scorching sun, his skin showed no signs of dryness or dehydration.
"Huh?"
Decent? She was in this condition, and he called it decent?
"You shouldn't torture yourself until you're almost dead," the young man continued.
His words were a bit exaggerated. Was she some kind of hamster that died easily?
"I'm not that easy to kill," Lin Yue said with a heavy sigh.
Yu Han observed her silently, then nodded slightly.
"As it should be."
...
At this moment, Lin Yue was inside the water.
Her slightly puffed cheeks from holding her breath suddenly deflated as her mouth formed an "O," her face filled with shock.
She had discovered something illogical.
Earlier, after resting briefly, she continued her training. This time, breathing exercises.
Lin Yue chose to train in the water.
The Xu Shen Dian Sect provided a pool with a waterfall that connected directly to the open sea, as the sect happened to be located near the coast.
As far as Lin Yue knew, the seas and oceans in this world were dangerous. Not many people dared to cross through sea routes.
However, certain areas were relatively safe, such as the waters near this sect.
This time, Lin Yue did not encounter danger.
Or rather, not yet.
Because misfortune always seemed to cling to her.
What Lin Yue found now was a golden koi fish.
At first, she thought of selling it. Its scales looked like pure gold, and the price would surely be high.
But who would have thought that the fish seemed to read her mind?
"Don't sell me."
"…"
Lin Yue froze.
She had just found a fish that could talk!