Two figures could be seen lying on the hard ground their body bruised - the aftermath of their intense clash.
"Darn! You've improved a lot. If it wasn't for the little upgrade I went through, I would have lost." Zephyr said, staring at the misty sky.
'I lost again... but I could tell, I performed better than the last time. If it wasn't for his formed dantian... maybe I could have won.' Alex thought.
Seeing the power of a fully formed dantian, he couldn't help but sigh softly. "If there was a way to form one through another means, I would gladly do so."
"Don't think too much about it," he felt a hand on his shoulder, turning to his sides. He saw Zephyr squatting beside him with a wide smile.
"Whatever happened back there with the teacher, forget about it, I'm pretty sure you will get over this obstacle."
"Thanks, you've been a great help to me," Alex replied with a faint smile.
"That's what friends are for, right?" He said, and with a slight pat on his shoulder, he stood up. "Alright, I'll be going now."
Alex bidding him goodbye walked into the hut towards his room. Grabbing a bottle of water, he sat on the bed thinking about the day's training.
Sigh.
"This isn't going so great. My dreams of joining the military are going down the drain with the way everything is going. But I won't give up that easily! I promised to avenge your deaths!"
Thinking about his family, he couldn't help but wonder how Zoe was doing right now. After a long sigh, he dropped the empty bottle of water and lay on his bed.
~~~~
Zoe had asked Sam a question, one that brought back some memories he had sealed away.
Flashes of scenes, blood-dyed streets, and strewn up bodies appeared before him. "No!" He muttered, forcing those past memories back.
Zoe stared at him with eyes filled with pity. She could see the pain in his eyes golden brown eyes. "Why don't you teach me about... this magic," she said after a long silence.
Sam shook his head, finally gaining control of himself, "You want to learn magic?" He asked with a smile.
"Yes!: She said with a determined expression, 'With this maybe I can get to be with Alex and help him!' She thought.
"It isn't as simple as you think, but I can teach you. Just that you will have to keep it a secret between us."
"Meet me here at night time if you truly want to learn magic."
"OK," she said, getting off the chair. With a smile at him, she walked into the building excitement evident in her eyes.
Sigh.
Staring at the distant horizon for some minutes, he stood up and walked into the building, heading to his room.
~~~~
Alex woke up staring at the dark area through the curtain. Getting off the bed, he walked outside, the cool breeze caressing his face.
"I slept that long," he thought, walking to his usual training spot. Settling down, he brought out the scrolls containing the techniques.
'The iron body technique focuses on defence.' He was on the third page of the scroll. The iron body has a total of five pages, each with various cultivation methods.
"I hope I will be able to advance to the fourth page." He thought as he settled down. With the scroll open down, he crossed his legs and, with one of his hands, lifted himself off the ground. Swiftly, he was off the ground, his face pointing downwards, and his rest body suspended amidst air.
His other hand was placed behind his back, and slowly, he started feeling the energy within, moving it around his body. After an hour of moving the energy nourishing his meridian points. He slowly lifted one leg, arching his back as he bent it towards the back of his head.
He remained in that position for a long time with no movement, only is light breathing could be heard in the field. He could feel his muscles, bones, and flesh getting revitalized.
Time flew by with the day further getting dark. Alex finally opened his eyes, slowly returning back to his lotus form, and then got off the ground.
Looking at the dark hut with dim lights glowing across some parts of the walls, he felt a foreboding feeling of loneliness.
"I guess a night exploration would do," he said to himself, heading towards the main city. The cool atmosphere, along with the gentle breeze, made the walk a refreshing one. On getting to the city gates, his mouth opened wide, staring at the marvellous sight before him.
"Wow! This... is beautiful," he said softly. In the city, the tall buildings emitted various colourful lighting along with various characters lighting up the streets. Entering through the gate, he saw the streets bustling with people. Some eating tantalising dishes in a high glass stand with others carrying out various activities.
He walked forward, his eyes taking every scene before him. He got to a shop stand where various meat stakes were out in the open air, its tantalising scent causing his stomach to rumble.
"A few bronze coins would get you one," the seller said with a smile.
Alex, with a shake of his head, continued forward. He didn't have any money on him. He could see some students from the academy enjoying themselves in the area. "This is truly amazing!"
Standing under a large platform not far from Alex were two individuals, with one saying a few words to the other. "Hey, isn't that the guy Borin has been searching for?"
"Yeah, I think so," the other replied, squinting his eyes. From his looks, he had taken a couple of drinks and was slightly drunk.
"C'mon, let's have some fun," he said, walking forward. The other guy shaking his head held onto his him, "This place is too crowded to do anything, why don't we follow him and see if we can get the opportunity to take him to a quiet place."
"Alright, that will do. Let's hurry. we can't avoid losing him," he said with a burp, "Damn... I'm already getting hot down there," he said with a slight smile.
Alex continued to explore the city, each sight leaving him amazed and speechless. Sadly, he couldn't get anything for himself, "Maybe next time... I will come prepared," he thought as he decided to head back.
With the little device and the holographic map, he could easily navigate his way back home. He decided to take a short path, after passing through the gate. He followed a lonely path, which led to a forest with dense trees.
"Ahhh! This guy is truly a fool!" The guy said loudly as he followed after, entering the forest and licking his lips.The other guy followed after with a slight smile, gracing his face.