Chapter 3: Awakening the Dao Within

Xiao Lan sat cross-legged in his dimly lit chamber, his fingers pressed together in deep thought. The echoes of the morning confrontation still lingered in his mind—not because of what Xiao Bai said, but because of the shift in the atmosphere.

They no longer looked at him as just a joke.

Now, they were uncertain.

That was the first step. Fear doesn't come from knowing your enemy is stronger. It comes from not knowing what they are capable of.

He exhaled, focusing his attention on the true battle ahead—cultivation.

In this world, Dao energy was everything. Power, status, survival—all dictated by one's cultivation rank.

And right now?

He was nothing.

Not even at Bronze Rank, the lowest of the low.

He pressed his palm against his chest, closing his eyes. I need to sense the Dao energy around me…

According to Uncle Fu's teachings, cultivation began with absorption. Dao energy was everywhere—it flowed through the air, the earth, the stars above. But for someone at Ordinary Rank, it was like trying to hear a whisper in the middle of a roaring storm.

Most people took weeks, even months to sense their first strand of Dao energy.

Xiao Lan didn't have that luxury.

He had one advantage—a mind trained in focus and logic from his past life.

He slowed his breathing.

Inhale.

Exhale.

He let his senses expand, reaching out, feeling the air around him, searching for something different—something unseen.

At first, there was nothing.

Minutes passed. Then an hour. His body remained still, his thoughts quiet.

And then…

Something shifted.

A faint presence, like the lingering warmth of the sun after it sets. Elusive, yet real.

Xiao Lan's pulse quickened. I can feel it.

But feeling it wasn't enough.

Now, he had to draw it in.

He adjusted his breathing, attempting to guide the energy into his body. The process was agonizingly slow—the Dao energy resisted, slipping away like grains of sand through his fingers.

He gritted his teeth. No. I won't let go.

With sheer will, he pulled.

The air stirred around him.

A faint warmth trickled into his core.

His veins shuddered as the energy seeped in, clumsy and unrefined, but undeniably there.

Then—pain.

A burning heat spread through his body, like fire consuming dry wood. His muscles tensed, his breathing hitched. His body was rejecting the foreign energy.

I won't stop.

He clenched his fists, enduring the searing agony as the energy slowly settled within him.

And then, suddenly—

A pulse.

Like a single heartbeat.

Xiao Lan's eyes snapped open. His chest heaved, sweat dripping down his face.

His hand trembled as he lifted it, sensing the faint trickle of power within him.

Not much. Barely anything at all.

But it was there.

For the first time since being reborn into this world—he had taken the first step into cultivation.

Xiao Lan didn't stop.

For the next three days, he remained in his chambers, repeating the process.

Failure. Pain. Progress.

Failure. Pain. Progress.

With each cycle, he grew more efficient, absorbing more Dao energy, forcing his body to adapt.

On the fourth night, something changed.

As he meditated, the Dao energy around him stirred more eagerly, flowing toward him naturally. It no longer slipped away as easily—it lingered, sinking into his core without resistance.

And then—

A sudden surge.

A flood of energy poured into him, not in slow trickles, but like a river breaking through a dam.

His entire body shook.

His bones hummed, his muscles tightened, and his skin burned as a new wave of power spread through him.

A loud crack echoed in his mind.

And then—

A feeling of clarity.

A rush of strength.

Xiao Lan's eyes flashed open.

He lifted his palm, feeling the energy circulating through him, his once-empty core now holding a small reservoir of Dao energy.

Bronze Rank.

He clenched his fist, feeling the raw power thrumming within him.

He had done it.

He had broken past Ordinary Rank and stepped into the first realm of Dao cultivation.

And this was only the beginning.

The very next morning, as Xiao Lan stepped out of his chambers for the first time in days, he was greeted with an unwelcome sight.

Xiao Bai stood outside his door, arms crossed, a smirk on his lips.

"Look who finally decided to crawl out of his hole," Xiao Bai sneered. "Hiding in your room for days—what were you doing? Crying?"

Xiao Lan exhaled slowly. He really likes to talk, doesn't he?

He met his brother's gaze with calm indifference. "You need something?"

Xiao Bai's eye twitched. "Hah. Do I need something? No, but I figured you did. You see, Father has ordered all young disciples to participate in the monthly combat trials."

Xiao Lan's eyes narrowed slightly.

Combat trials. A public competition where the younger generation tested their strength against one another.

And the only rule?

No one would interfere.

Xiao Bai leaned in slightly, a predatory grin on his face. "I heard you'll be participating."

Xiao Lan smirked. "Oh? And you came to warn me? How thoughtful."

Xiao Bai's grin faded for a split second before he scoffed. "Warn you? No. I came to watch you fail."

He turned, walking away with mocking laughter echoing in the corridor.

Xiao Lan watched him go, his fingers unconsciously tightening into a fist.

A public trial, huh?

He exhaled, closing his eyes briefly. That's fine.

He had been planning to test his new strength anyway.

Now?

He would have an audience.