Rudra stepped back, injured. "I came here by mistake," he said through clenched teeth.
She replied in a cold tone, "I know boys like you very well." As she spoke, she slashed her sword toward Rudra. A sharp beam of light shot straight at him.
Rudra tightened his fists and swiftly moved aside. With a loud sound, the trees behind him were cut into pieces. Seeing this, Rudra's eyes narrowed, anger clearly visible within them.
Rudra had no experience in fighting, nor did he possess any technique or skill to help him battle.
He decided to use the Body Strength Technique. Forming hand seals, the energy within his body surged rapidly. He had now reached a level comparable to those in the third stage of Spirit Awakening.
The girl's eyes widened. She could clearly sense the sudden rise in Rudra's energy. "What kind of technique is this?" she said, stepping back twice.
Rudra attacked swiftly, but his technique was crude and unrefined. Seeing this, the girl said, "A good attempt, but you are still a beginner."
She threw a punch at Rudra. He quickly stepped back. The air around her fist compressed with pressure, and when it struck a rock, it shattered into thousands of pieces. Though Rudra had already retreated, the fragments still hit him. He protected himself and moved ten feet back.
Clenching his teeth, Rudra said, "I can't fight her… I have to get out of here." He turned around and started running at full speed.
His speed had increased significantly. He ran forward rapidly, while the girl smirked slightly and chased after him—flying through the air as he ran on the ground.
"Boy, you are badly trapped today. You will pay for the mistake you made."
Rudra shouted angrily while running, "I didn't come there on purpose! How was I supposed to know someone would be bathing in broad daylight?"
The girl formed a fireball in the air. Rudra glanced back while running and was shocked to see it. She launched it at him. As soon as it hit, Rudra fell to the ground.
"You shameless boy, get up!" she said. But Rudra had already lost consciousness. Due to the Body Strength Technique, his energy had been completely drained.
With a slightly arrogant tone, she said, "You fainted from just a minor attack." She placed her hand on Rudra's forehead, did something, and then left.
Rudra lay alone in the forest.
When he opened his eyes, no one was around. He was completely alone. "Why does my body feel so heavy?" he muttered.
As he focused inward, he sat up straight. His cultivation power felt as if it had vanished—like it had never existed.
"What happened? Where are my powers? Did that girl do something to me?"
Rudra stood up and began walking toward the main gate of the sect. On his forehead was a faint mark—so subtle that no one would notice it.
When he reached the gate, a few disciples were standing there. They asked, "Where are you going?"
Rudra replied, "I am a disciple of this sect. My name is Rudra. I am an assistant disciple."
After checking, they allowed him to enter. Rudra went straight to his hut and fell asleep.
Arnav, who had been waiting for Rudra, didn't even know that he had returned.
He sat quietly in one place. "Rudra, where did you go? If something happened to you, what will I say to Mom and Dad?" His eyes were moist.
Just then, a group of boys in red clothes arrived. "It's been a long time since we beat someone up. Good thing we found you," they said while looking at Arnav.
Arnav clenched his fists in anger. He knew he couldn't do anything against them, so he stayed silent. The boys beat him and left.
Thinking to himself, Arnav said, "The day I become powerful, I will kill them all." Clenching his teeth, he fainted right there.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell upon the earth. Dewdrops sparkled like pearls.
Rudra opened his eyes and got up from the bed. He remembered that Arnav must have been waiting for him, so he decided to meet him and stepped out of his hut.
His eyes were dazzled. The morning sunlight was soft, as if someone had painted colors across the sky.
Rudra went searching for Arnav. While walking on the path, he noticed someone lying at the side.
He approached and said, "What happened to you? Why are you lying here?"
The moment he saw the face, his expression turned to worry. "Brother, what happened to you? Who did this to you?"
Arnav regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and saw Rudra standing in front of him.
"Rudra… where were you all this time?"
Rudra replied, "Forget about me. Who did this to you?"
Rudra carried Arnav to his place, laid him on the bed, and then went straight to the library.
"I have to find out why my powers aren't working," he muttered. He started reading the books there, but couldn't find anything.
He decided to go to another section, but assistant disciples were not allowed there.
Sneaking in carefully, he managed to enter unnoticed. Many disciples were present inside. Hiding from them, he began searching through the books.
After going through many, he found nothing. Exhausted, he sat down quietly. Then he noticed a book about energy sealing.
Rudra's eyes lit up. He opened it and started reading.
There was a method that could bind energy, causing a sadhak to lose their power. Reading further, he thought, "If I want to break this seal, I need to reach the second stage."
Rudra felt troubled. It had taken him two months to break through the first stage. Now, how would he remove the seal on his body?
Arnav had regained consciousness. "Is Rudra really back… or was it just a dream?"
He got up from the bed and started to step outside. By then, Rudra had returned.
"Brother, where are you going? You should rest," Rudra said.
Arnav's body was covered in wounds—something Rudra couldn't ignore.
Arnav asked, "Where were you for the last two months?"
Rudra thought to himself, "I was in the cave for two months… I didn't even realize it. What should I tell him now?"
Making an excuse, Rudra said, "I went a little far away from the sect."
"But you should have told me. I was so worried," Arnav said.
"I'm sorry. I won't do this again," Rudra admitted.
The two talked for a long time. Arnav told Rudra everything that had happened to him.
Hearing this, Rudra was filled with anger. But for now, his only priority was to remove the seal placed on his body.