Chapter 8: Preparations

Xuan tensed for a moment, but then exhaled slowly. This wasn't the first time.

Ever since he had acquired the strange spider-like tattoo on his hand, spiders seemed unnaturally drawn to him. At first, he had been wary, but they never harmed him. They simply crawled toward him, lingered on his skin, and eventually left.

And this time was no different.

The small black and green spider skittered up his arm, pausing for a moment as if considering something, before continuing its slow ascent. Xuan merely watched, the cool night air from the open window brushing against his exposed skin. When it reached his shoulder, it hesitated. Then, just as silently as it had appeared, it turned and scuttled away, disappearing into the unknown.

Xuan let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He didn't understand the connection between himself and these creatures, but one thing was clear—they meant him no harm.

>>>

The days passed in disciplined repetition.

Xuan dedicated himself to refining his control over qi, steadily accumulating more essence within his dantian. The Inner Essence Realm was simple in concept—its goal was to increase the amount of qi one could hold. Yet, in practice, it required absolute patience and meticulous control. Each day, he meditated in the courtyard, absorbig qi, circulating it through his body, and transforming the foreign energy into his own.

At the same time, he honed his martial skills.

Frostbind Chains, while tricky at first, was becoming a natural extension of his movements. His ability to apply the ice diagram mid-strike had improved significantly, allowing him to bind objects mid-motion without needing to stop and focus. The biggest breakthrough had been his realization that he could anchor his opponent's limbs together instead of just linking them to himself, adding a whole new layer of strategy.

Falconburst Kick, on the other hand, was growing into something terrifyingly fast. As he practiced, he found himself instinctively layering the energy spirals to push his speed even further. The rapid acceleration, the pullback, the sheer force—it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

Eventually he even tried applying the Falconburst Spirals to his arm for a punch, but nothing seemed to happen. No matter how much he tried, the technique simply refused to function outside of his legs. It was as if his body rejected the concept altogether.

While that discovery was disappointing, his real problem came from something far more painful.

One afternoon, as he practiced the Falconburst Kick, he decided to test the full force of the technique. He stood before a sturdy tree, gathering qi into his leg and forming the spirals.

A moment later, he launched his foot forward.

CRACK!

Pain shot up his leg as his shin slammed against the tree with full force.

Xuan hopped on one foot, biting down a groan. His shin throbbed, and even though his bones were tougher than an average person's, it still felt like he had just kicked solid stone.

"I should've thought that through..." he muttered, wincing.

His legs weren't invincible. Even if his kick packed an unnatural power, if he harmed himself in the process, it wouldn't be worth it at all.

Realizing the issue, he decided to make a trip to the Ressource Hall. The fact that Xuan kind of missed Big Sis Yue totally wasn't another reason for that decision. Training in solitude every day was as tyring for the mind as it was for the body.

That morning, Xuan arrived at the Ressource Hall.

But when he arrived, there was something different.

His eyes locked onto Big Sis Yue almost immediately—not because she called out to him, but because her usual tied-up hair was now loose, cascading in soft waves over her shoulders, with two loose strands framing her face. The slight change gave her a softer look, making her usual playful smirk seem even more relaxed.

For a second, Xuan just stared. He wasn't used to seeing her like this.

"Hmm?" Yue tilted her head, a knowing smile creeping onto her lips. "What's with that look?"

Xuan blinked, snapping out of it. "It's… different."

Her grin widened. "Oh? And? Do I look prettier this way?"

Xuan hesitated. "You look… nice."

She twirled a strand between her fingers, as if proud of the change.

Yue chuckled, resting her elbow on the counter. Her proud expression swapping in seconds. "Nice? That's all?" She questioned with a darker tone.

Taken aback, Xuan opened his mouth to respond, only to pause as realization struck—she was teasing him.

As if she were a chameleon, Yue's expression shifted back to her usual playful grin in an instant. She laughed, realizing she had been found out. "Haha, alright, what brings you here, little disciple?"

Xuan coughed lightly. "Shin guards. And sturdier shoes."

"Shin guards and shoes, huh?" Yue tapped her chin, her playful smirk fading slightly as she shifted into a more professional demeanor. "Alright, let me check what we have."

Teasing the little core disciple was fun and all, but in the end, she had a job to do. She turned and disappeared into the back room. Moments later, she returned with a sturdy pair of thick leather boots lined with qi-infused fibers.

"These should do," she said, setting them on the counter. "They're reinforced, so they'll hold up better when you're kicking stuff. But…" she paused, glancing back at the shelves behind her. "Looks like we're out of shin guards."

Xuan frowned slightly. "So no way to get them?"

Yue grinned, crossing her arms. "Oh, I never said that. I'll just make them for you."

Xuan blinked in surprise. "You''ll make them?"

"I'm a craftsman disciple, you know," she said, giving him a look as if it should have been obvious. "I don't just spend my time babysitting you newbies at the Resource Hall—I actually make things." She leaned forward slightly. "And since I'm feeling generous, I'll make your shin guards at a friendship price."

Xuan raised an eyebrow. "And what's that gonna cost me?"

Yue tapped the counter lightly, pretending to think. "Well, let's see. The boots are four merit points, and you still owe me two from the salve before." She shot him a smug look. "I should charge you extra for late payment, you know."

Xuan coughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject. "And the shin guards?"

"Four merit points," she said casually. "Which brings your total to… ten."

He blinked. "That's… all of it."

"Yup." She grinned. "That means you're broke again."

Core disciples like Xuan received a monthly allowance of 10 merit points—the primary currency for transactions within the sect. Last month, he had spent all his points on a salve and the dagger he used to kill the Icefang Bear, leaving him broke until this month's allowance came in.

And now, he was about to be broke again.

For a brief moment, he almost wondered if Yue was just using him for money.

But soon he sighed, shaking his head. With the Dawnfire Trials approaching, he needed every advantage he could get.

"Fine," he said. "I'll take them."

"Good choice." Yue slid the boots toward him, then leaned on the counter. "I'll have the shin guards ready soon and bring them over to you when they're done. Be grateful, alright?"

Xuan smirked. "Of course. Big Sis Yue is the best, right?"

Yue's grin widened as she playfully flicked his forehead. "Smart kid."

With that, Xuan took the boots and left, his mind already shifting toward the next step of his preparations.

>>>

The month passed in a blur, and soon, the Dawnfire Trials had arrived.

Xuan stood at the edge of a massive arena, surrounded by dozens of other newcomer disciples. The air buzzed with anticipation, hushed whispers spreading through the crowd as cultivators exchanged predictions and strategies.

At the front of the arena, a sect elder stood, his voice booming across the field.