The moon hung heavy in the night sky, casting a pale light over the secluded training grounds behind the Qin family's estate. The sound of labored breathing echoed through the still air as Qin Yu stood, blood seeping from a cut on his shoulder. His body ached, and exhaustion threatened to drag him down, but his eyes burned with determination.
Before him stood the Phantom Assassins, their expressions cold and unmoving. Each of them towered over him in power and skill. Their Earthly Ascension Realm aura weighed heavily in the air, suffocating and overwhelming. Qin Yu was still at Peak Qi Condensation, and the gap between them felt like an unbridgeable chasm.
Yet, he fought.
"Again," he said, his voice raw from the effort.
The assassins moved without hesitation, their strikes faster than lightning. Qin Yu barely managed to raise his defenses, his Qi faltering under the pressure. Each blow sent shockwaves through his body, forcing him back, step by step. His arms trembled under the weight of their attacks, and every block left him gasping for air.
Pain blossomed across his chest as an assassin's blade grazed him, his body sent reeling from the force. He crashed to the ground, dirt kicking up around him. Blood dripped from his lip, but still, he forced himself to rise.
Every night had been like this for the past weeks. Relentless. Brutal. The gap between them wasn't something he could close easily, and each defeat was a reminder of how far he still had to go.
Days turned into weeks, and Qin Yu's routine became a vicious cycle of pain and perseverance. He had received quests from the system that rewarded him with cultivation resources—Qi pills, manuals, and techniques that gave him an edge. But the real progress came from facing defeat after defeat at the hands of the Phantom Assassins.
Each time he faced them, he learned something new—whether it was the angle of their strikes, the rhythm of their movements, or how to conserve his Qi more effectively. Slowly, inch by inch, he began to improve. The cuts and bruises lessened. His footwork became sharper, his strikes more precise.
But no matter how much he improved, the gap in power remained glaringly obvious. They were in Earthly Ascension—a realm five levels above him. And though he had pushed himself to his limits, he could barely fend off a few strikes before he was overwhelmed.
Two months later, after weeks of grueling practice, Qin Yu felt a shift during his meditation. His Qi, which had been swirling within his dantian, started to condense, taking on a more solid form. The air around him grew thick, and he could feel the pressure mounting in his chest.
His breathing quickened, sweat dripping down his forehead as his entire body trembled. The energy inside him surged, pushing against the barriers within his dantian. It felt like his body was being torn apart from the inside, the pain almost unbearable. He gritted his teeth, focusing all his willpower on controlling the flow of Qi.
The breakthrough was right there—just within his grasp—but it demanded everything from him.
With a final surge of effort, the barrier shattered, and his Qi solidified. The sensation was overwhelming as his body flooded with new power, and in that moment, he knew—he had reached the Core Formation Realm.
He let out a deep breath, his body collapsing from exhaustion. For a ten-year-old, achieving Core Formation was nothing short of a miracle, an impossible feat that no one his age should have been able to reach. But this was only the beginning.
The inn was bustling with activity when Qin Yu walked in, his posture calm and collected despite the strength radiating from his body. He had come here for a moment's respite, but his peace was short-lived as a familiar voice cut through the noise.
"Qin Yu!" Zhang Ming, one of the more notorious young masters from a prominent family, sneered at him from across the room. He sat with a group of young nobles, their expressions ranging from amusement to disdain.
Qin Yu glanced over, his gaze sharp but otherwise uninterested. He had little patience for arrogance.
Zhang Ming, clearly not satisfied with being ignored, stood and made his way over. His steps were heavy with swagger, and the air around him pulsed with his Qi. "I see you've been hiding, Qin Yu. It's a shame. I thought you'd have learned your place by now."
Qin Yu didn't respond. Instead, he calmly sipped his tea, as if Zhang Ming didn't even exist.
Fury flashed in Zhang Ming's eyes. "You dare ignore me?"
With a burst of Qi, Zhang Ming lunged, his fist aimed straight at Qin Yu's face. But in a blur of motion, Qin Yu sidestepped, tripping Zhang Ming and sending him crashing into the table behind him.
Gasps filled the room as Zhang Ming's guards sprang into action. But before they could get close, the Phantom Assassins appeared, blades already pressed against the guards' necks. Their movements were too fast for anyone to react to, and the room fell into stunned silence.
Qin Yu rose from his seat, his movements calm and deliberate. He slid a chair toward the remaining nobles, seating himself before them. His gaze was cold as he addressed them.
"Introduce yourselves," he said, his voice like steel.
The nobles, previously filled with arrogance, stammered as they obeyed, their confidence shattered by the scene that had unfolded.
After the brief encounter at the inn, Qin Yu returned to his training. The days passed in a blur of sweat, blood, and relentless effort. Each side quest from the system provided him with the resources he needed to advance—rare Qi pills that enhanced his cultivation, ancient techniques that honed his skills, and insights into the deeper aspects of his Qi.
By the third month, he had reached Peak Core Formation, a realm that would have taken others decades to achieve. His progress was extraordinary, but it came at a great cost. His body ached constantly from the strain, and his mind felt stretched thin from the endless cycle of pushing his limits.
In the fourth month, Qin Yu began to feel the signs of another breakthrough. The energy within his dantian was becoming too much for him to contain, the pressure building with every passing day. His training became even more intense, the system pushing him to complete increasingly difficult side quests.
One night, during a particularly brutal training session with the assassins, it happened.
His Qi surged, and his body trembled as the energy within him condensed once more. His mind was a blur, and the pain was almost unbearable. But this time, Qin Yu was prepared. He had been through this before. He focused every ounce of his will on controlling the flow of energy, guiding it toward his dantian.
With a final push, the barrier shattered, and his Qi transformed.
He had reached the Nascent Soul Realm.
The power was overwhelming, coursing through his veins like a raging river. For a moment, he felt invincible, but reality quickly set in. Even with his newfound strength, the assassins still easily overpowered him. They were on a completely different level, and Qin Yu knew he still had a long way to go.
The next morning, a maid from the Qin family's main residence arrived at his door. She bowed respectfully, holding out a letter.
"Young Master Qin," she said softly, "I have a message from the Celestial Lotus Sect. The tournament is in five days. You are to prepare."
Qin Yu took the letter, his gaze sharpening with resolve. The months of training had brought him incredible strength, but now, it was time to test that strength in the real world.