Chapter Two: Hidden Veins, Revealed Veins

“Yes, Brother Luo!” Li Min nodded. “I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble you further, Brother Luo.”

“All right, then. You may begin.” Luo Tian glanced indifferently at the new servants, then accepted the chair brought from Li Min’s quarters and sat down in it without the slightest courtesy.

The boys could hardly believe their eyes. For a servant disciple to carry himself with such authority was truly astonishing.

Just as Li Min was about to speak, several young men appeared on the mountain path not far away. They were striding swiftly, carrying heavy bundles of firewood on their backs or balancing thick poles across their shoulders, each pole strung with specially made water buckets.

The firewood was piled several meters high on the backs of these servant disciples. In comparison, even those with sturdy builds seemed almost pitiable beneath the weight. The water buckets were as thick as an adult’s waist, each pair fixed to a wooden pole, forming a carrying yoke that could not be disassembled. Each servant bore two such buckets per arm—four in total, and together they must have weighed several hundred pounds.

Someone among the newcomers swallowed audibly in nervousness.

Were these the servant disciples at work? The boys had lived pampered lives at home, free and easy, and had only rushed here when the chance to become powerful cultivators presented itself. Who could have imagined they’d have to do such daunting physical labor?

Immediately, some felt doubt creeping into their hearts.

Luo Tian and Li Min watched silently, saying nothing. Let these youngsters leave if they wished; if not for the limited time and energy of Brother Luo, it would be nothing to recruit a hundred or two hundred boys as servants each month.

If you cannot endure hardship, how can you hope to rise above others? In that case, you might as well stay home and keep dreaming!

“Brother Li, here’s Brother Luo’s firewood!”

“And here’s his water—Brother Luo’s water is with me. I’ll put it in the reservoir now!”

The servant disciples greeted them briefly, quickly sorting their burdens into the area behind the servants’ quarters. Judging by their brisk pace, they seemed not the least bit fatigued.

“Another few dozen? Brother Luo truly has it hard.”

“That’s right. It’s been two years now. Brother Luo is such a remarkable person and has contributed so much to the sect. Who knows when he’ll finally reach the Qi Condensation stage and become an outer disciple?” The new arrivals could faintly hear the older servants muttering as they left.

They exchanged glances, confusion rising in their hearts. Who exactly was this Brother Luo? Not only were outer disciples like Zhang and Li Min—who had already reached the Qi Condensation stage—deeply respectful toward him, but even the servants vied to run errands for him!

“You’re all in luck today! It’s rare that Brother Luo has time—you’ve truly gotten an advantage!” Li Min stepped forward, his tone impatient. “Move quickly and don’t waste Brother Luo’s time! If you wish to rise from an ordinary person to a powerful cultivator, the Body Tempering stage is the path you must take. By using the sect’s Three-Stage Breathing Technique to absorb more of the world’s vital energy, and by constantly refining your bodies and opening nine hidden meridians, you’ll reach the ninth level of Body Tempering and attempt to condense your own vital energy. Now, let me explain the key points of the Three-Stage Breathing Technique. First—”

As Li Min’s explanation drifted to the new boys, Luo Tian’s thoughts wandered. He glanced at the dozens of youngsters and nodded inwardly. Once they mastered the basics and reached the first level of Body Tempering, that should be enough.

The boys listened with rapt attention. To become a cultivator, one had to start with Body Tempering, making the body more suitable for storing and channeling vital energy. Upon consolidating their foundation in this stage, they could attempt to condense their first wisp of vital energy.

Once that wisp completed a full cycle within the body and drew out the hidden energies within, gathering them in the dantian, then they could officially step into the Qi Condensation stage.

To become esteemed outer disciples like Brother Zhang and Brother Li—this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Who would not treasure it?

“Remember my words! The key to the Three-Stage Breathing Technique is that it allows you to absorb the maximum amount of vital energy from the world. As that energy increases, it will naturally drive out all impurities from your body.”

Li Min walked among the cross-legged boys, his voice echoing. “Each hidden meridian you open will strengthen your constitution and grant you an extra hundred pounds of force. Of course, the first hidden meridian is the easiest to open, so when you reach the first level of Body Tempering, your total strength—including what you already had—will be about one hundred pounds.”

“That powerful?”

“Amazing! If I had nine hundred pounds of strength, even my eldest cousin wouldn’t be my match!”

“I must train hard!”

Li Min ignored the chatter and continued, “The human body has countless meridians, crisscrossing in all directions. Besides the nine hidden meridians, the rest are visible meridians. While these aren’t completely blocked by impurities, you cannot simply force vital energy into them at will. Doing so can cause many problems, the worst being a loss of control that could lead to immediate death.”

The path of cultivation required the utmost caution, as if treading thin ice. Recklessness could have dire consequences. The risks of this road were clear enough.

“Then Brother Li, what use are these visible meridians?” a clear, youthful girl’s voice asked. Though she forced herself to be bold, her nervousness was still evident.

Li Min smiled, clearly admiring such curiosity in a newcomer. “If vital energy is your strength, then cultivation techniques are the means by which you acquire it faster. Secret arts and martial skills are the ways you wield that strength.”

Luo Tian watched the boys’ eager faces, as if they were sponges greedily absorbing new knowledge, and he felt a pang of melancholy. When he first arrived in this world, was he not the same? Everything was so new; the gate to wonders was just barely ajar, revealing glimpses of untold beauty, and some mysterious force compelled him to push forward, yearning to see it all.

“When you break through the ninth level of Body Tempering and reach Qi Condensation, you may apply to become outer disciples. You’ll receive the sect’s official robes and identity badge, and be allowed to choose a cultivation technique and a secret martial skill to study. By then, you’ll understand much more.”

At this point, Li Min glanced at Luo Tian, whose face remained calm. The same old doubt resurfaced in his heart yet again. Luo Tian had been a servant disciple for two years now—why had he never managed to break through into Qi Condensation? What a pity.

Could it be, as some whispered, that he simply had no potential for cultivation at all?

Noticing Li Min’s expression, another also seemed to guess his thoughts and sighed inwardly. “Enough. Let them begin. Don’t overthink it.”

Li Min nodded. “Now, try practicing the Three-Stage Breathing Technique as I described. If all goes well, you should all break through today!”

So simple? The boys were startled. Wasn’t advancement in cultivation supposed to be difficult? How could they reach a new level on the very first day with just this breathing method?

Yet none voiced their doubts. Their senior had entered Qi Condensation in under a year, and Li Min surely had done the same. If so, their words must be trustworthy.

One by one, the boys sat cross-legged, closed their eyes, cleared their minds of distraction, and gave their all to the Three-Stage Breathing Technique.