As the afternoon sun began its descent, Yang Wei went back into his cultivation.
To be specific, the seventh stage of the Vital Qi Practice – the Steadfast Mountain Posture.
Feet together, arms relaxed, he envisioned his spiritual roots sinking into the earth, each breath a gentle manifestation of resilience and endurance.
Transparent spiritual energy enveloped him, showing just how dense his vital Qi was at the moment.
In the moonlit night, Yang Wei's arms gracefully extended upward, then descended with measured precision, dissipating the vital Qi as they went down.
A strong wind seemed to carry away the energy until it vanished completely.
He opened his eyes.
"I've finally entered the eighth and final stage of the Vital Qi Practice. By tomorrow's end, I should acquire Essence Qi and break into the first level of the Mortal Realm, truly starting my cultivation journey."
Stretching his tired arms, Yang Wei contemplated, "I should make some those Qi-infused herbal tea before deciding whether to call it a night or cultivate overnight."
The difference between practicing magic and cultivation became clearer to Yang Wei as each day went by.
"Cultivation is no walk in the park. Magic demands hard work too, sure, but cultivation is on a different level. Constant dedication, facing trials, and dealing with life-threatening obstacles – it's a different ball game."
Of course, he was talking to no one in particular at the time.
He was simply musing the difficulty levels of the two practices as he decided what style of Qi-infused tea he would make.
With a wry smile, Yang Wei reflected on the constant pursuit of improvement in cultivation.
"A cultivator always has their mind on enhancing their cultivation base. It's a relentless journey. Mages, on the other hand, take a more... scholarly approach to refine their magic. Genetics or race might play a role, but it's a smoother ride compared to the trials of cultivation."
Yang Wei let out a big yawn, shuffled into his humble abode, and whipped up some Qi-infused herbal tea.
Armed with a chair, a steaming cuppa, and a manual tucked under his arm, he stepped back out, whistling a carefree tune.
Plunking the chair down in the courtyard, he plopped onto it, juggling the manual and tea like a pro.
"Say what you want about Lingxi, but she's a studious one," Yang Wei remarked, taking a leisurely sip of his tea before delving into the manual.
Flipping through its well-worn pages, he hunted for a specific topic, muttering to himself.
"Now, where's that bit on Dual Cultivation?"
Another sip of tea, another page turn, until success.
With the manual now folded to his liking, Yang Wei started reading about Dual Cultivation aloud.
"This is a form of cultivation mostly practiced between men and women where the..."
His eyes widened, and he involuntarily spat out his tea.
"And she wanted me to be her cultivation partner?"
Downing the rest of his tea, he shook his head.
"Mu Lin may act like a spoiled child and the occasional seductress, but this... this is a whole new level. Such a rotten woman."
Tossing the empty cup aside, Yang Wei stared into the night sky. "Still, I suppose the occasional dual cultivation wouldn't hurt," he mused. "But imagine if Mu Zhong found out I was cultivating with his sister. That'd be a showdown."
Another yawn escaped him, and he concluded with a nonchalant, "Whatever."
Outside Yang Wei's courtyard...
Jin Tianyu and his gang lurked in the shadows.
Jin Tianyu, the Young Master who had become more of a disturbance to Yang Wei than trouble, turned to one of his cohorts with a perplexed expression.
"Hmm, where's Junior Brother Wu Fengtian? I told everyone to gather here last night, and now he's nowhere to be found."
After asking, the Young Master folded his arms.
The cohort lowered his head, nervously responding, "I'm sure I informed everyone, but maybe we could wait for Junior Brother Wu before making our move... I-If that's alright with the Young Master, of course."
Jin Tianyu, unfurling his folding fan, scoffed, "Hmph! Waiting for him? I don't think so."
His cohorts sensed his irritation, bowing their heads in acknowledgment.
The one who spoke earlier quickly apologized.
"I shall correct myself, Young Master. I didn't mean we need someone like Wu Fengtian to handle such a mundane matter, especially when we have a true dragon of their era like you who has already crossed into the Spirit Gathering Realm..."
Another then praised him out of nowhere.
"Truly, the heavens will tremble when the Young Master reaches the peak of his cultivation."
This was simply to pacify the Jin Tianyu and keep him from lashing out at them.
Frowning momentarily, Jin Tianyu's expression softened.
He closed his eyes, maintaining his haughty demeanor.
"Don't worry about it. Wu Fengtian is just a second-level Mortal Realm disciple. His power is insignificant here."
That was his assurance to his cohorts who nodded in agreement.
"Right as always, Young Master," the cohort affirmed.
"Now, it is time to put that arrogant junior in his place," Jin Tianyu confidently declared.
Swiftly drawing his jian, he skillfully spun the hilt before adopting a poised sword stance.
The Young Master's cohorts readied themselves.
While some assumed fighting stances of varying kinds, some brandished their spirit-refined wooden swords, in preparations to slaughter Yang Wei.
Jin Tianyu took a powerful step, propelling himself high above the towering buildings of the sector in a swift leap.
The spring in his step was as powerful as it was swift.
With quick one-handed mudras, he summoned a pure blue energy between his index and middle fingers, drawing them across his blade to spirit-refine his sword.
The jian now bore an emblem, and a rushing stream of water enveloped it as he moved through the air.
This is the perfect time to attack! I'll kill him in one move!
Closing the distance between himself and the slumbering Yang Wei with incredible speed, Jin Tianyu aimed to unleash a devastating attack.
His water-blade-coated sword struck with sheer destructive force.
It obliterated a five-meter radius upon impact.
Then, the dust settled.
Jin Tianyu chuckled, confident in his attack.
"Now, let's see if any other junior will dare approach any woman in the sect who I, Jin Tianyu, am associated with."
However, a peaceful response came from behind him, where Yang Wei, still yawning, commented, "Oh really, coming from the one true celibacy Young Master? That seems unlikely."
Shocked to the point of freezing up, Jin Tianyu's grip on his jian wavered.
The Young Master couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Was it a flaw in my attack? No, there's no way I could've been that complacent. I'm aware of the swiftness in his reaction time, but it still doesn't add up how he managed to dodge my strike while he was clearly asleep. There's too many unknowns about this junior; he's unmistakably a Vital Qi practitioner, so how exactly can he exhibit such remarkable prowess?
Even the onlooking cohorts, who had just entered Yang Wei's courtyard, expressed their disbelief.
One exclaimed, "He dodged it?!"
Yang Wei casually picked his ear, releasing a sigh before addressing Jin Tianyu. "Look, I promised not to beat you up too badly if you acted stupid again, but promises aren't my strongest suit, you know?" He smirked, adding, "Besides, Huo Zhenwei never mentioned anything against me disciplining a certain arrogant Young Master."
Jin Tianyu clenched his teeth, rising from his knee to confront Yang Wei directly.
"Huo Zhenwei? What's that name doing in your mouth."
Yang Wei nonchalantly flicked some dirt off his pinky finger, blowing it away halfheartedly. He smiled at Jin Tianyu, saying, "Let's not focus on that for now. You wanted to kill me, right? Well, let's get to it."
Jin Tianyu pointed his sword at Yang Wei.
"You dare offend me? You must be tired of living!"