Chapter 26: Strength through Endurance

Seated cross-legged in his small room, Adrian exhaled slowly. The first refinement had given him a taste of what was possible—his body had grown stronger, his senses sharper. But this was only the beginning.

Now comes the second refinement.

He closed his eyes and guided the energy within him. At first, it was warm, spreading gently through his body. Then, as the refinement deepened, the warmth turned into pressure. His muscles tensed, his bones felt like they were hardening.

Hours passed in deep focus. When the strain became too much, he paused, taking a short break to regain his breath.

Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a small pill and swallowed it. It dissolved instantly, filling his empty stomach. It didn't make him stronger or heal his fatigue, but it was enough to keep hunger at bay.

After resting for a while, he resumed. The process repeated—refine, endure, rest.

By the time he was done, more than a day had passed and it was a bright morning. He opened his eyes and flexed his fingers, feeling the new strength in his grip. Testing his body, he clenched his fist and punched the air. A faint shockwave spread out.

Two refinements down. His body was changing.

After a short rest, Adrian stepped out to visit his friends. The sect grounds were busy as always, filled with disciples training, chatting, or preparing for missions.

Near a stone pavilion, he found Liu Feng, Jiang Hao, and Wei Ren.

Liu Feng grinned. "Look who decided to show up."

Jiang Hao smirked. "What, too busy cultivating?"

Adrian sat down with them. "Something like that."

Liu Feng sighed. "Still no luck sensing Qi."

Jiang Hao shook his head. "What's strange is that after the first disciple, no one else has sensed it. You'd think at least a few more would have by now."

Wei Ren nodded. "It's a little unusual. But we just have to keep trying."

Adrian didn't comment. He had already sensed Qi, but he was keeping it hidden. Instead, he simply said, "It'll happen when it happens."

Their conversation drifted to other things—training difficulties, outer disciple missions, and rumors.

Eventually, Adrian returned to his room.

Something felt odd.

The first disciple had been taken away by the sect, but no one else had sensed Qi since. 

He let out a quiet breath, shaking the thought away. No use dwelling on it. Whether it meant something or not, he had his own path to walk.

The day passed uneventfully, the usual routine of training, small talk, and brief moments of rest filling the hours. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the courtyard grew quieter. Adrian returned to his quarters, the faint glow of moonlight casting long shadows on the walls.

Lying on his mat, he stared at the ceiling, mind drifting between scattered thoughts. Tomorrow… the third refinement begins.

With that, he closed his eyes. The night passed in silence.

—

As dawn broke, a cool breeze drifted through the courtyard. The faint chirping of birds signaled the start of a new day. Adrian sat up, stretching his limbs.

Today, he would push further. Today, the third refinement awaited.

Adrian sat cross-legged in his room, steadying his breath as he prepared for his next refinement. The familiar warmth of Qi surrounded him, flowing gently through his meridians. His body had adjusted slightly from the previous refinement, but the process was still grueling.

As soon as he guided the energy into his meridians, the burning sensation returned, spreading through his limbs. He clenched his jaw and focused, allowing the energy to cycle repeatedly, tempering his body little by little. Time passed without him noticing.

After a long period of refining, his body grew exhausted. His muscles felt heavy, his breathing uneven. He paused, stretching his stiff limbs before leaning against the wall to rest. His stomach growled faintly, but he ignored it, closing his eyes for a short break.

Once he felt slightly recovered, he resumed refining again, enduring the pain and pressure. It was a slow, demanding process, but he pressed forward, knowing each refinement would bring him closer to true strength.

By the time he completed this refinement, the night had long passed, and the first traces of morning light filtered through his window. He opened his eyes, feeling the difference in his body. His muscles were firmer, his senses sharper, and his strikes felt more explosive.

He slowly clenched his fist, testing the strength in his grip. I'm definitely stronger than before.

His stomach tightened in hunger, a reminder of how much energy he had used. He reached into his robes and pulled out a small pill. It wasn't meant to enhance his cultivation—just something to fill his stomach. He swallowed it dry, feeling the emptiness fade as the energy settled within him.

After a brief moment of rest, he stood up, stretching his limbs. It was time to head out.

—

The outer disciple courtyard was bustling with activity. Disciples practiced their techniques, exchanged news, or rushed toward the mission hall. Adrian made his way toward the training grounds, where he spotted Liu Feng striking a wooden post with full force.

Jiang Hao leaned lazily against a wall, watching, while Wei Ren sat on a nearby bench, his eyes thoughtful as always.

"Adrian!" Liu Feng grinned, stepping away from the post. "You finally showed up. What have you been up to?"

"Training," Adrian replied simply. "And you?"

"The same," Wei Ren answered. "But it feels like we're making no progress."

Jiang Hao clicked his tongue. "No surprise there. None of us have sensed Qi yet."

Adrian remained quiet, but something felt strange. It had been a while since the first disciple was taken away, yet not a single other person had sensed Qi.

Before he could think further, a group of disciples walked past, talking amongst themselves.

"I heard missions have increased again," one of them said.

"Yeah, my brother's an inner disciple. He told me the sect has been sending people out more often."

"Hah, probably just the sect making sure we're all working hard."

"Maybe. But I also heard that even core disciples are taking more missions. The sect might be adjusting its resources."

As the conversation among the disciples faded into the background, Adrian leaned against the wooden railing, his thoughts lingering on what he had just heard.

Increased missions? Scarce resources? He frowned slightly. It wasn't unheard of for sects to go through periods of resource shortages, but the timing felt strange.

The sect had always maintained a stable supply for its disciples. Even outer disciples like him, who were at the lowest level of the hierarchy, had never faced any real shortages. If anything, the sect often encouraged disciples to take missions, but now it sounded like they were becoming a necessity.

Maybe the sect is expanding? If the sect was trying to grow stronger, they would naturally require more resources to support their elite disciples. The core disciples and inner disciples held the real power—if they were consuming more resources, that could explain the increased missions.

But something didn't quite fit.

Even if they needed more resources, wouldn't they prioritize inner disciples first? Why would outer disciples notice the effects so soon?

He tapped his fingers against the railing, lost in thought. Could it be that the sect was preparing for something? A large-scale event? A war? That seemed unlikely. Conflicts between sects weren't uncommon, but outright war was rare.

No, it's probably nothing.

He exhaled, shaking his head. He was overthinking it. There was no reason for him to concern himself with matters far above his level. Right now, his focus should be on his own cultivation.

Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, he turned away and made his way back to his quarters.

It was time to start the fourth refinement.

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