The m, Adrian sat in silence

  For the first time in two weeks, he didn't immediately begin training.

  Instead, he stared at the empty space before him, deep in thought.

  Something had been on his mind for a while now—something he couldn't ignore any longer.

  Cultivation was important. Strength was necessary. But if he wao survive in the long run, he needed more than just power.

  He needed knowledge. Information. es.

  The sect wasn't a pce where he could rely oalent alone. He had to uand its inner ws, the people within it, and where he stood among them.

  And for that… he o i with others.

  Adrian exhaled, rubbing his temple.

  He had been so focused on training that he had isoted himself entirely.

  Maybe it was time to ge that.

  Adrian was not a social person. He didn't seek panionship, nor did he care for the bonds that most would form in a new enviro because in the modern world he had always been alone due to his nature and he didn't mind that at all. But he wasn't ignorant.

  The Evernight Sect had gathered disciples from variions, many of whom had no prior es to one another. In su unfamiliar pce, it was only natural that they would seek friendships for security. Adrian had no i in such things, but he did have an i in trag progress.

  If someoo report their cultivatiress to an elder, he o know about it. That way, he could pare their speed of advao his own. He had memorized the faces and talents announced during the awakening ceremony—now, by keeping track of how quickly they advanced, he could estimate the true differences in talent.

  Was he progressing too slowly? Too quickly? This information would help him gauge his p the sed adjust his approach if necessary.

  With that thought in mind, Adrian stepped out of his courtyard and made his way toward the on gathering areas.

  It was time to make some "friends."

  And right now, the best way to gain information was to blend in.

  — — —

  Many new disciples would naturally froups to feel safer in an unfamiliar enviro. Adrian decided to take advantage of this.

  Walking toward a group of disciples chatting in the courtyard, he approached them with a calm, posed expression.

  The momeepped closer, the group turo look at him.

  One of them, a youth with a strong build and short bck hair, raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I don't think we've met yet. Were you assigo a different area?"

  Adrian nodded slightly. "I was… caught up in trying to sense Qi and lost track of time."

  At that, a few of them chuckled in uanding.

  A lean youth with sharp eyes smirked. "You too, huh? We've all been struggling with that. No one's mao sense Qi yet."

  Adrian's eyes flickered with surprise. Still?

  He had assumed that at least one of them would have sensed Qi by now, but not a single one had? This realization made him more aware of how abnormal his talent was. Though he didn't let it show, he inwardly resolved to ceal his abilities even further.

  Another disciple, a tall youth with a calm demeanor, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, some of us have goo the instructor, but he only gives guidance—he doesn't directly help us se. It's frustrating."

  Adrian hummed in respohat does sound frustrating."

  The broad-shouldered youth grinned. "Well, since you're here, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Liu Feng."

  The sharp-eyed youth smirked. "Jiang Hao."

  The tall one ined his head. "Wei Ren."

  Adrian nodded. "Adrian."

  There ause.

  "Adrian?" Jiang Hao blinked. "That's… a peculiar name."

  Liu Feng scratched his head. "Yeah, I don't think I've heard a name like that before."

  Adrian shrugged. "It's the only name I have."

  The group exged gnces before chug. "Well, it's unique," Wei Ren said.

  The versation soon shifted to casual topics. Some of the disciples gossiped about a particurly beautiful female disciple, while others debated whether sensing Qi was even real sinone of them had do yet.

  "The instructor keeps saying it'll happen naturally, but I'm starting to wonder if he's just messing with us," Jiang Hao grumbled.

  Liu Feng ughed. "Maybe he's waiting for one of us to go crazy with frustration before helping."

  Adrian chuckled along with them, blending into the group naturally. Though he had no real i in the gossip, this iion served its purpose—he now had a work to gather information.

  — — —

  Adrian resumed his practice, but now with a new mi.

  Instead of isoting himself pletely, he made sure to dedicate some time each day to the sect, listening to passing versations, and iing with others.

  His training progressed slowly. Qi was stubboring his trol, but he didn't let frustration cloud his focus.

  He adjusted, refined, a pushing forward.

  Iween his training sessions, he spent his breaks moving through different areas of the sect, making casual versation, subtly pig up bits of information. Most discussiorivial, but some might be useful in some ways.

  By the seveh day, Adrian decided it was time to try something new. Instead of simply sensing Qi outside his body, he focused on guiding it inside. He thought it would be easy, sihe Qi flowed so freely in the open air. But as he reached out, he felt a strong barrier. His skin, flesh, and bones all pushed the energy bao matter how hard he tried, the Qi would not pass through his outer yer.

  On the eighteenth day, he tried again with a slightly different approach. He rexed his mind a bit more and adjusted his posture, hoping that a geouch would help. Still, the Qi hesitated at his skin and would not go further. It was as if his body naturally stopped the energy from entering.

  During the wo days, on the eenth and tweh, Adrian practiced repeatedly. He focused on direg the Qi inward, but every attempt met the same resistance. His body remained a firm barrier. Even though he worked hard, nothing ged—he could feel the Qi gathering near his skin, but it wouldn't move inside him.

  Owenty-first day, however, there was a small sign ress. As he trated, he noticed a slight movement: the Qi began to push just a little through his skin. It was a very small shift, almost like a ripple on the surface, but it was there. Enced, he tinued his practice the following day.

  By the twenty-sed day, the ge was a bit clearer. The Qi was able to move through his skin more easily, though it still seemed to stop at the boundary. Adria a mix of excitement and caution; he khat this was only the first step toward true trol.

  Owenty-third day, Adrian focused on making the Qi go deeper. With careful thought and effort, he mao guide it past the skin and into the flesh. It was a very slow, uneven flow at first, and he had to work hard to keep it moving along his muscles.

  The day, the twenty-fourth, he repeated his efforts. This time, the Qi moved more steadily into his flesh. It was still not perfect, but the energy was beginning to find its way through the soft tissue, like a small stream carving a path.

  Finally, owenty-fifth day, everything came together. Adrian sat down, closed his eyes, a his will guide the Qi with a quiet determination. Slowly, he felt the energy flow not just into his skin or flesh, but through his entire body. The Qi moved along his natural els as if it had always belohere. It wasn't a powerful surge yet, but it was smooth and steady—just the breakthrough he had been w for.

  Satisfied with his progress, he left his training ground for a short walk, making his usual rounds. By now, some disciples greeted him first, a few even engaging him in longer versations. He listened more than he spoke, filing away every piece of information, however small.

  Then, without lingering, he returo his training.

  __ __ __