The morning air was crisp as Xu Wang stood alone in the training courtyard. His body still bore the bruises from yesterday’s session with Yang Shen, but his mind was focused on something else—the mission.

  [Mission: Learn Mudhara Qi to Advanced Level. Reward: 100 Gold Coins]

  He clenched his fists. The system had given him a path forward, but he knew nothing about Mudhara Qi. He needed guidance.

  “Mudhara Qi…” he murmured, lost in thought.

  “You’re up early.”

  Xu Wang turned to see Wang Li approaching, her long hair tied back, her expression unreadable.

  “You didn’t sleep, did you?” she asked.

  “I couldn’t,” Xu admitted. “I need to figure this out.”

  Wang Li frowned. “Mudhara… that’s the root chakra, isn’t it? It governs stability, survival, and physical strength.”

  Xu Wang’s eyes lit up. “You know about it?”

  “A little,” she admitted. “It’s the foundation of all Qi cultivation. If your root chakra is weak, your entire cultivation will be unstable.”

  Xu Wang nodded, absorbing the information. He gnced at the system message again.

  [Mudhara Qi: 0% Proficiency]

  He had a long way to go.

  “Then I need to strengthen my foundation,” he said firmly. “But how?”

  Wang Li hesitated before answering. “The best way to awaken the Mudhara Qi is through physical endurance and deep meditation. But… Xu, are you sure you want to do this so quickly? Pushing your body too hard could be dangerous.”

  Xu Wang exhaled sharply. “I don’t have time to wait.”

  A voice interrupted them.

  “Then I’ll train you.”

  Yang Shen stood at the entrance of the courtyard, arms crossed. His gaze was sharp as ever.

  Xu Wang turned to face him. “You know how to cultivate Mudhara Qi?”

  Yang Shen smirked. “Of course. It’s the basis of every warrior’s strength. But if you want to master it, you’re in for hell.”

  Xu Wang stepped forward. “I’m ready.”

  Yang Shen’s smirk widened. “Then let’s begin.”

  ---

  The Trial of Endurance

  Yang Shen led Xu Wang to a secluded area of the Sun Cn grounds—a pce filled with uneven terrain, massive boulders, and a long stretch of stone stairs leading up to a cliff.

  “First,” Yang Shen said, “we strengthen your body.”

  Xu Wang nodded, preparing himself.

  “Carry these.”

  Yang Shen tossed him two massive stone weights, each as heavy as a grown man. Xu barely caught them, his arms shaking under the pressure.

  “You’ll run up and down these steps fifty times. No breaks.”

  Xu Wang inhaled sharply. Fifty times?

  He gnced up at the endless stone staircase. The weight in his hands felt unbearable, but he gritted his teeth and took the first step.

  The moment he did, a shock of pain ran up his legs. His muscles screamed in protest, but he forced himself forward.

  One step.

  Two steps.

  By the tenth p, his breathing was ragged. By the twentieth, sweat poured from his body like rain. By the thirtieth, his vision blurred.

  But he didn’t stop.

  His mind repeated a single thought: I must become stronger.

  When he reached the fiftieth p, he colpsed at the top of the stairs, his body trembling.

  Yang Shen stood over him. “Not bad,” he said. “But you’re only halfway done.”

  Xu Wang groaned. “Halfway?”

  “Now, meditation,” Yang Shen said. “Empty your mind. Feel the earth beneath you. Channel your Qi to your root.”

  Xu Wang shut his eyes, steadying his breath. He could feel the energy in his body, but it was unstable, unformed.

  He concentrated.

  The world around him faded.

  Suddenly, he felt something. A pulse. A deep, primal energy beneath the earth. It called to him, urging him to connect.

  [Mudhara Qi: 10% Proficiency]

  Xu Wang’s eyes shot open. He could feel it—his Qi was awakening.

  Yang Shen smirked. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

  ---

  The Csh of Strength

  As the sun began to set, Yang Shen suddenly got into a stance. “One st test.”

  Xu Wang barely had time to react before Yang Shen lunged forward.

  A fist came flying toward his face. He raised his arms to block, but the sheer force sent him skidding back.

  Xu gritted his teeth. “Fine.”

  He rushed forward, throwing a punch of his own. Yang Shen dodged effortlessly and countered with a sweeping kick.

  Xu barely managed to jump over it, nding on one knee. His body was heavy from exhaustion, but something inside him had changed.

  He could feel his Qi.

  He pnted his feet firmly, drawing strength from the earth beneath him. The moment Yang Shen attacked again, Xu didn’t dodge.

  Instead, he countered.

  His fist shot forward, meeting Yang Shen’s blow head-on. A shockwave burst between them, and for the first time, Yang Shen’s expression shifted slightly in surprise.

  Xu Wang grinned. “I’m not done yet.”

  [Mudhara Qi: 20% Proficiency]

  Yang Shen stepped back, smirking. “Not bad.”

  The fight continued, the air filled with the sound of cshing fists.

  For the first time, Xu Wang felt like he was truly getting stronger.

  ---

  A Night of Reflection

  That night, Xu Wang y in his bed, staring at the ceiling. His body ached, but his mind was alive with excitement.

  He was getting closer.

  He turned to his system interface.

  [Mudhara Qi: 25% Proficiency]

  Still a long way to go. But he would get there.

  Meanwhile, in another room, Yang Rui y in bed, her face burning.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about what she had seen in the streets earlier.

  Xu Wang and Wang Li…

  Her fingers curled around her bnket, and she quickly pulled it over her face, trying to calm her racing heart.

  “What am I thinking…?” she whispered.

  Outside, the moon shone brightly, and a new journey had begun.

  To be continued.......