Ohirtieth day, Adrian opened his eyes.

  Sweat dripped down his face, his body weak from the endless effort, but in his gaze burned a newfound crity.

  He had succeeded.

  His trol wasn't perfect, but it was enough.

  He could now guide Qi at will, without breathing teiques, without external crutches.

  He had taken the first step oh of Infinity.

  o's voice echoed in the silence.

  "Not bad."

  Adrian exhaled, a mix of exhaustion and satisfa washing over him. But before he could fully enjoy the moment, o spoke again.

  "Before you officially begin your cultivation, there's something you should try."

  Adrian straightened, his curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"

  "Qi isn't just for cultivation—it has applications even before you step into the first realm. You've gained trol over it, but you haven't explored what you do with it yet. Let's start with something simple."

  o tinued, "Try guiding Qi to your eyes and ears. With enough focus, you should be able to sharpen your perception."

  Adrian did as instructed, carefully direg a thin stream of Qi toward his eyes. At first, nothing seemed different, but then—

  The details of his surroundings sharpened.

  The woodeure of the bed he sat on became more vivid—the tiny grooves, the barely visible imperfes in the grain. His gaze shifted to the cupboard across the room, where he noticed faint scratches and marks that he had never paid attention to before.

  Then he looked outside the window.

  The familiar ndscape beyond—trees, distant rooftops, and open fields—suddenly appeared clearer, more defined. He squinted, his vision log onto a bird perched far away on a high branch. Every feather was visible, the subtle shifts in its posture now perceptible.

  His eyes widened. "I actually see that far?"

  "Naturally," o replied. "Now, try eling Qi to your ears."

  Adrian followed the instru, fog his Qi toward his auditory senses.

  At first, all he heard was the usual—his owhing, the faint rustling of the trees outside. But then—

  A distant versation, too far to make out fully, but present heless. The chirping of is, the flutter of wings as the bird took flight. Sounds that had once been mere background noise now stood out with startling crity.

  "This is…" He trailed off, almost in disbelief.

  "Basic applications," o corrected. "But useful. Now, let's move on. Circute Qi throughout your body—see if you notiything."

  Adrian plied, allowing Qi to flow through his limbs. Almost instantly, the deep exhaustion that had settled into his muscles lightened. His fatigue didn't vanish, but it became far more manageable, his body feeling lighter, more energized.

  He ched his fists, testing his strength.

  "It's like… my body isn't as tired anymore."

  "Exactly," o said. "Qi reduce fatigue, allowing you to train longer. Now, let's refine your trol. Try fog Qi into your hands."

  Adrian directed the energy toward his fingers. His movements, still slightly shaky from the exhaustion, steadied almost immediately. He reached for a wooden brush oable and twirled it between his fingers—eaent smooth and precise.

  "This will make writing, drawing symbols, or even wielding ons feel effortless," o expined.

  Adrian was beginning to uand.

  "Now, try spreading Qi thinly across your skin," o instructed. "It should provide minor resistao temperature ges."

  Adrian focused once more. Soon, a faint warmth enveloped his body. The air, which had previously sent a slight chill down his spine, now felt distant, insignifit.

  A slow grin spread across his lips.

  "This is amazing…"

  "Keep in mind," o said, "these bes may seem impressive now, but once you officially begin cultivation, they will bee nothing more than minor veniences. However, the trol you've developed will give you an advantage."

  Adrian's eyes flickered with intrigue. "An advantage?"

  "For every teique you learn, Qi trol is essential. The more plex the teique, the greater the precision required. Because you've already developed fine trol, you'll have an easier time learnieiques, evehat are sidered difficult."

  Adrian's mind raced. If that was true, then this training had given him more than just a foundation—it had given him an edge.

  A spark of excitement ignited in his chest.

  A small smirk pyed on Adrian's lips.

  "Now," o tinued, "you are ready."

  Adrian ched his fist, feeling the energy shifting within him.

  "The's begih of Infinity."

  o answered without hesitation.

  "Now, I will impart to you the first chapter of the Path of Infinity."

  Adrian's eyes sharpened as he listened.

  "This teique will guide you in sing your body with QI and pressing it repeatedly tthen your foundation."

  The moment o finished speaking, a surge of information flowed into Adrian's mind. His body tensed for a brief moment before he absorbed the knowledge. It was unlike anything he had entered before.

  "In Ember Awakening, cultivatuide QI through their bodies, allowing it to se them of impurities. This strehe body and ys the foundation for future growth. Ih of Infinity, you will follow a simir process—but there is an additional step."

  Adrian remained silent, carefully s through the knowledge he had received.

  "After allowing QI to wash through your body once, you must do something different. Instead of simply sing yourself and moving forward, you will press the QI inside your body—again and again—before repeating the sing process. Each cycle will push your body further, refining you to aent others ot achieve."

  Adrian frowned slightly. "How many times?"

  "Twe."

  A pause.

  "…Twe times?"

  "Yes. After each cycle, your body will be purged and refio a greater degree. The more times you repeat the process, the purer and stronger your foundation will bee. This is the reason why the Path of Infinity will allow you to surpass others iure—even at the earliest stages, you will be refined far beyond normal cultivators."

  Adrian closed his eyes. Twe cycles.

  It was clear—this path was not meant for the weak-willed.

  Adrian sat cross-legged, inhaling deeply as he prepared for what was to e. His body tensed slightly, but his expression remained calm.

  "Let's begin."

  — — —

  The moment Adrian guided the Qi into his body, a strange heat spread through him. It wasn't unbearable, but it was unfortable—like stepping into hot water, a warmth that slowly built up inside him. His muscles tensed, his heartbeat quied, and a dull pressure settled in his chest.

  As the energy moved deeper, the warmth turned into a steady burniion. His skin tingled, his bones felt slightly sore, and his body grew stiff. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was difficult to ignore. He took slow, steady breaths, fog on the flow of Qi instead of the disfort.

  Time passed. The warmth pulsed through him, washing over his body again and again, like waves smoothing h stone. He could feel something shifting within—something heavy, something old. And then, slowly, it began to leave him.

  A thin yer of bck sludge seeped from his skin, sticky and foul-smelling. Impurities. The waste that had been hidden inside his body for years. It wasn't painful—just draining, like running a long distand finally stopping to catch his breath. His body felt weaker, but at the same time… lighter.

  Adrian flexed his fingers, testing the feeling in his limbs. His strength had doubled. The difference was subtle but undeniable—his grip was firmer, his movements sharper, his body more responsive. He exhaled slowly, wiping away the sweat and grime.

  "One down."

  Adrian wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked down at himself. His clothes were soaked, his body covered in a thick yer of bck sludge. The smell was awful—earthy, bitter, and slightly metallic. He o wash it off.

  Luckily, there was a well nearby, one of several scattered throughout the se. Everyone had to take care of their own needs, and the sect provided these wells so disciples wouldn't waste time searg for water. He walked over, the air brushing against his damp skin.

  Reag the well, Adrian pulled up a bucket of clear water and poured it over himself. The cold shock sent a shiver through his body, but it quickly became refreshing. He repeated the process until every trace of the bck sludge had been washed away, leaving his skin and strangely refreshed.

  Once dry, he put on a fresh set of clothes and flexed his fingers. He could feel the ge in his body—the lightness, the strength. But he o firm it.

  Adrian took a deep breath and walked toward a tree nearby. It was an old, sturdy thing, its bark rough and unyielding. Normally, a strong human could punch a tree and maybe scratch the bark—but nothing more.

  He ched his fist and struck out.

  Crack!

  The bark splintered under his knuckles, a small dent f in the wood. His eyes widened slightly. That was definitely not normal. Enced, he stepped bad took a deep breath. This time, he used more force.

  BAM!

  A solid dent formed irunk, the bark crumbling slightly where his fist nded. He shook out his hand, feeling only a slight sting—his body was far tougher than before.

  Testing further, he crouched and pushed off the ground with a jump. Before, he could barely clear half a meter—now, he soared up nearly two meters before nding smoothly. His bance erfect, his movements precise.

  This was twice the strength of a normal human. No doubt about it.

  Adrian exhaled slowly. The first refi was a success.

  Adrian stretched his arms, feeling the subtle strength c through his body. The first refi had gone well, and while he could already sehe ges, there was o rush into the sed one just yet. Cultivation wasn't just about refining the body—it was also about uanding the world around him.

  With that in mind, he decided that today, he would see how things were going around the sect. He had been too focused on training tely, barely iing with others. Now was a good time to catch up with the people he had befriended and see if anything important had happened.

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