The Spirit Vessel had finally reached its destination. It had departed at dawn, and six hours ter, by mid-afternoon, the ramp lowered. The newly recruited disciples stepped out onto a broad nding, where the vast grounds of the Evernight Sect spread across the Northern Region—t mountains shrouded ile mist and lush valleys that spoke of a strength ay.

  Guided by an elder who had apahem on the vessel, the group was led along a short corridor into the outer courtyard. There, waiting patiently, was another elder—a guardian for the main branch. With a respectful nod, the elder from the vessel quickly departed with those assigo the affiliated branches, leaving the main branch disciples in the care of Elder Li Tian.

  Elder Li Tian stepped forward and addressed the assembly in a clear, authoritative tone.

  "Greetings, new disciples. I am Elder Li Tian, and I will be yuide during these early days at the Evernight Sect. In this outer courtyard, you will begin your journey as main branch disciples.

  Each of you will find in your room a ste box taining your sect robe, a jade slip engraved with your name and in the pill bag you will find pills with prescription. The jade slip is ented to provide you with one cubic meter of ste space—it will only activate when you first ehe Cultivation Realm. Until then, keep it safe, for it also holds the resources you need for your initial training in the first realm.

  In your room you will also find a copy of our basic teique manual. Si is mid-afternoon now, do not study or practice with it yet—simply take it with you. Tomorrow m, you will be taught how to begin your training and y the foundation for your journey."

  Elder Li Tian tinued, "Those assigo an affiliated branch have already been taken to a separate area, where they will receive instrus specific to their path. For the rest of you in the main branch, remember that the Evernight Sect values strength and potential. Use these tools wisely and follow our rules as you begin your training."

  He cluded, "That is all for now. Return to your assigned rooms ale i well, for tomorrow you will begin your formal training and be informed when the phase of your jourarts."

  After Elder Li Tian finished his instrus, Adrian made his way directly to his assigned dwelling. As he approached, he saw a small house with a modest courtyard. A ly carved sign bearing his name hung above the entrance, firming that this was his new home. Though simple, the structure was built with quality and care.

  In his room, Adrian surveyed his new belongings. Remembering the Elder's words, he first ighe robe, a small bag with the size of a poud directly reached for the jade slip. He held it in his hand and attempted to activate it in a small way, but, as the Elder had expined, nothing happened without entering the Cultivation Realm. It felt smooth and cool—just a normal piece of jade, i for now.

  Satisfied that it behaved as expected, Adrian therieved the robe from the ste box. The robe, a pristine white garment styled in the cssic fashion of cultivation tales, carried subtle embroidery that marked it as a symbol of the Evernight Sect.

  Adriahe robe aside and turned his attention to the pill bag. He noticed a small slip of paper attached to it, covered i writing. Curious, he pulled it free and began to read.

  It rescription describing a special pill. Acc to the note, a single pill could keep a person from feeling hungry for aire day. It also warhat taking too many at once could harm the body. Adrian's eyes lit up in amazement.

  "How something so small have such a big effect?" he asked, turning to o. "Is this the work of cultivation?"

  o's voice resonated calmly in Adrian's mind. "This is the wonder of alchemy. Through the right teiques and ingredients, a cultivator refine pills that help with hunger, healing, or even improving one's strength. Alchemy is a powerful tool oh of cultivation."

  Adrian ran his fingers over the pill bag, thinking about the skill and knowledge it took to create something so impressive. "Alchemy sounds incredible," he said, "but I'm guessing it takes a lot of study and practice?"

  "Indeed," o replied. "For now, focus on your cultivation. Once you grow stronger and have a solid foundation, you lears of alchemy if you wish."

  Adrian nodded, a small smile f on his lips. He could already imagihe possibilities. "I'll do just that," he said. "After I advan my cultivation, I want to explore alchemy and see how far I go."

  With that resolve in mind, he carefully tucked the pill bag away, feeling a surge of excitement for the path ahead.

  With these items now in pce, Adrian carefully pced the jade slip oable, ahe robe ly aside, before pig up the training manual and started reading it silently in his and was lost in his thoughts.

  Adrian closed the training manual and sat quietly on his bed, lost in thought. He recalled that the first step on the cultivation path was called Ember Awakening. In this realm, a cultivator must establish a e with a vital energy known as Qi, a force that exists everywhere in the world yet remains unseen and u by ordinary people.

  Not everyone sehis energy—that's why talent is necessary. If a cultivator cks talent, they will never be able to perceive Qi, no matter how hard they try. It is the first and most crucial barrier that separates ordinary people from those who step onto the path of cultivation.

  Even for those with talent, Qi does not simply flow into their bodies on its own. That is why even if they have talent they 't just se. They must folloecific breathing teique—one desigo calm the mind, rex the body, and gradually attuheir seo the presence of Qi. By doing so, they create the initial spark of e, allowing Qi to flow through them for the first time.

  Ohis e is established, the bes are immediate. Because that energy sublimates your body, it refines and strengthens you from within. Your physical strength quickly surpasses normal human levels, your reflexes sharpen, and your body bees more resilient. In addition, you gain the ability to harness raw energy in small, trolled bursts. These improvements form the very foundation for all future cultivation, making Ember Awakening a critical first step on every cultivator's journey.

  After establishing a e with Qi in the first realm, the manual expihat this initial step—called Ember Awakening—only allowed the energy to wash over the body, nourishing it externally and internally. This process enhanced physical strength and reflexes beyond normal human limits.

  In the sed realm, known as Flowing Veins, the focus shifts to direg Qi through the internal pathways. Here, a cultivator learns to el Qi steadily through their veins—reag the heart, lungs, and other vital ans. By guiding the Qi internally, a strong foundation is built, enhang energy trol and capacity. This method not only helps in strengthening the internal structure but also aids in healing. When the body sustains damage, the natural recovery of internal ans is slow; however, by harnessing Qi in this way, eveernal tissues begin to repair themselves over time, providing a gradual but signifit boost to overall resilience.

  In essence, while Ember Awakening provides the initial spark by eg with Qi, Flowing Veins teaches the cultivator to use that energy to heal and strengthen from within—a crucial step ih of cultivation.

  Following this, in the Flowing Veins stage, the focus shifted inward. Now that Qi was accessible, cultivators learo el it steadily through their internal ans, promoting healing and reinf the body's internal structure. These first two realms together id a strong foundation by nourishing both the exterior and interior, but they did not fully develop the els needed for advanced cultivation.

  That challenge came iempered Meridian realm. Here, the true transformation began. In this stage, the cultivator must train the meridians—the internal pathways through which Qi flows—by f Qi through them at high pressure. Using specialized teiques, the cultivator repeatedly stresses these els, gradually refining and toughening them so they effitly duct Qi.

  This rigorous training transforms the meridians from simple duits into fiuned els capable of direg Qi with precision. A well-tempered meridiawork not only boosts the body's natural healing and physical prowess but also ehe cultivator to el Qi outward. With such refined trol, Qi be attached to ons, form protective barriers, or be released in powerful, focused bursts.

  In essence, while Ember Awakening and Flowing Veins prepare the body by introdug and cirg Qi, the Tempered Meridian stage is where raw energy is transformed into a focused, versatile force—paving the way for all higher-level cultivation.

  Adria a surge of eagerness as he read these words, his curiosity tempered by the knowledge that mastering these initial stages was essential. Yet, he also uood the importance of cautioe his burning desire to start practig immediately, he khat he must wait for pruidance before proceeding.

  With a deep breath, Adrian resolved to trust the process. He carefully pced the manual oable and secured his jade slip a robe. Though he was excited to learn and grow stronger, he also maintained his patience, uanding that true progress would e with careful, step-by-step instru.

  As the afternoon light slowly faded, Adrialed into a quiet vigince, ready to face the challenges of the day.

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