Time passed quietly.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks stacked into months without ceremony. Lu Haotian turned ten not long ago, though there was no celebration. No cakes, no gifts. Only his maid remembered and whispered a birthday greeting while handing him an extra steamed bun.
She was nine now, growing a little taller, a little louder, and much more curious.
"You're ten now, young master," she said seriously one morning. "That means you should be stronger."
Lu Haotian nodded. "I'm trying."
Life in the Lu Family followed a fixed rhythm.
Morning training.
Breathing exercises at noon.
Afternoon body refinement.
Night recovery.
At the end of every month, the clan distributed Qi Condensation to all children below the Qi Condensation Realm. One pill per person. No exceptions.
The pill was only mortal-grade, mild and slow, but for most children, it was enough to push them forward.
For Lu Haotian, it had always felt… insufficient.
Until this month.
On the final evening of the month, Lu Haotian sat cross-legged in his courtyard. The pill rested in his palm, dull brown, no fragrance, no shine.
"Is it bitter?" his maid asked, peeking from behind a pillar.
"Yes."
She made a face. "Then don't eat it."
"That's not how cultivation works."
She crossed her arms. "It should be."
He swallowed the pill anyway.
Warmth spread through his stomach, slower than water, heavier than air. The medicinal energy dissolved and began moving through his body, guided by the Starry Sky Body Circulation Method.
Light poured down from the night sky.
Not fast. Not fierce.
Steady.
His skin tingled first, then began to itch. The sensation crawled like ants beneath the surface, uncomfortable but controlled.
The first layer of Qi Condensation focused on the qi entering the body and settling in the dantian. He had spent months refining it, hardening it, forcing it to adapt to light-based tempering.
Now, the pill pushed deeper.
The warmth seeped past the skin.
Into his pores.
Lu Haotian's breathing slowed as sweat poured down his temples. His arms trembled. His back arched slightly.
Pain followed.
Sharp, pulling pain.
Misty qi thickens. Small wisps swirl.. His fingers curled uncontrollably.
This was the second layer.
Most children reached this layer quickly. Their single-element roots guided qi cleanly, strengthening muscles evenly.
Lu Haotian's was different.
Five roots meant five paths.
The medicinal energy split, hesitated, then flowed in all directions at once.
His maid panicked. "Young master! You're sweating too much! Should I call someone? An elder? A doctor?"
"No," he said through clenched teeth. "Stay back."
The pain peaked, then slowly dulled.
His muscles stopped twitching.
The warmth settled.
A faint sense of heaviness spread through his limbs.
When he finally opened his eyes, the stars above seemed brighter than before.
He stood up slowly.
The ground felt… firmer.
He clenched his fist.
Strength answered naturally, without strain.
Not explosive. Not overwhelming.
But real.
Qi Condensation Second Layer.
His maid gasped. "You did it!"
Lu Haotian looked down at his hands. "Yes."
She ran around him in a circle, poking his arm. "You look the same, just that your skin looks noticeably smoother and healthier and your face looks more refreshed, less tired. ."
He stared at her.
"That's good!" she said quickly. "Very good. If you suddenly looked different, I'd be scared."
The next morning, training confirmed it.
His movements were steadier. Sword swings cut cleaner arcs. His body no longer protested after long drills.
Still, when the elders announced progress that week, the difference remained clear.
Most average children had entered the fourth layer.
Lu Chenfeng and his sister were approaching the seventh.
And Lu Haotian stood firmly at the second.
Some elders exchanged looks.
Some sighed quietly.
But Lu Haotian did not lower his head this time.
He knew how hard it was for him to move even one layer.
At night, he lay under the open sky again.
His maid rested beside him, counting stars. "Young master," she said, "if you're slower… will they kick you out?"
He thought for a moment. "No."
"Good," she said, relieved. "Then you can take your time."
Lu Haotian closed his eyes.
Slow was fine.
As long as he kept moving.