The early morning sun bathed the village in a soft, golden light,
Casting long shadows across the quiet streets.
Kellan sat cross-legged on the grassy hill behind Elder Wei's home,
His eyes closed, the sound of the gentle wind rustling through the trees blending with the steady rhythm of his breath.
Today, he would begin cultivating—his first real step toward strength.
In his mind, the [Temporal Breathing Technique] was crystal clear.
The technique had left an indelible imprint on his consciousness,
And though the words from the scroll had vanished, the knowledge remained.
Every instruction, every subtle movement of Qi, was vivid in his thoughts.
Kellan inhaled deeply, feeling the cool air fill his lungs.
He focused, remembering Elder Wei's instructions.
"Feel the flow of time around you, Kell.
Time is like a river, ever moving, but subtle.
Once you learn to sense its current, you'll be able to harmonize your Qi with it.
That's the essence of the [Temporal Breathing Technique]."
Kellan focused his awareness, searching for the intangible current of time Elder Wei had spoken of.
At first, all he could sense was the usual flow of Qi around him
The invisible energy that pervaded the world.
It was faint, barely detectable to his inexperienced senses.
But then, beneath the surface of that energy, he felt something more
A subtle, ever-present rhythm, like the ticking of a distant clock.
Time.
He concentrated harder, letting his breathing sync with this natural rhythm.
His chest rose and fell, slow and deliberate, as if time itself was guiding each inhale and exhale.
Gradually, he felt a shift within his body,
A gentle tugging sensation as his Qi began to circulate in harmony with the flow of time.
For a moment, everything else faded away
The distant chirping of birds, the rustling leaves, even the faint sounds of the village waking up.
All that remained was the steady pulse of time and the Qi slowly weaving through his veins.
Kellan could feel the Qi entering his body from the surrounding environment, flowing into his bloodstream.
According to his understanding of the Blood Solidification Realm,
The first level involved refining the blood—strengthening it, purifying it, so that it would carry more potent Qi throughout the body.
This was the foundation of all future cultivation.
He focused on his blood, visualizing it moving through his veins like a river.
The Qi he absorbed through his breath began to merge with his blood,
Each inhale drawing more energy into his system, each exhale releasing impurities.
The process was slow, but Kellan could feel a faint warmth spreading through his chest,
His pulse quickening as the Qi began its work.
The [Temporal Breathing Technique] was helping him absorb Qi more efficiently,
Allowing him to gather and refine energy faster than other cultivators might at this stage.
But it also required patience and concentration.
It wasn't an aggressive technique—it didn't force Qi into the body;
Instead, it guided the Qi gently, aligning it with time's flow.
Minutes passed, though to Kellan, it felt like only moments.
The warmth in his body grew more intense, his blood surging with energy.
He could feel his veins expanding slightly, accommodating the strengthened flow of blood and Qi.
His heart pounded in his ears, each beat sending a pulse of energy through his entire body.
Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his chest, as though his blood was pushing against an invisible barrier.
Kellan gritted his teeth, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
This was the moment of breakthrough—he knew it instinctively.
The first level of the Blood Solidification Realm required pushing past this resistance,
Forcing the body to adapt to the refined energy coursing through it
He steadied his breathing, focusing his mind on the technique,letting the natural flow of time guide him.
And then, he felt it—like breaking through an invisible barrier.
The resistance in his chest began to ease.
His blood flowed more smoothly now, the Qi fully integrated with it.
The pain subsided, replaced by a feeling of lightness, as though his body had become more attuned to the world around him.
Kellan opened his eyes.
The morning sun was higher in the sky now, its warmth enveloping him like a comforting embrace.
He flexed his fingers, marveling at the newfound strength coursing through his body.
Though the change was subtle, he could feel it—his blood was stronger, his body more resilient.
He had reached the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm.
A smile crept across his face, but it quickly faded as he remembered Elder Wei's words from the day before.
"I don't need you to be the strongest—I just want you to be safe."
Kellan stood, feeling the energy pulsing within him.
The road ahead was long, but this was only the beginning.
He had a responsibility now—not just to himself, but to Elder Wei,
To the village, and to the mysterious past he still didn't fully understand.
He needed strength, not just to protect, but to discover who he truly was.
Looking down at his hands, Kellan clenched his fists.
"I won't stop here."
Yet something felt strange.
"Do other people reach the first level this fast?" he wondered aloud.
From the stories he had heard in the village, the first step into cultivation was supposed to take weeks, sometimes months of grueling effort.
Yet here he was, feeling his blood surge with refined Qi after just one morning.
Was this normal, or was something different about him?
The [Temporal Breathing Technique]… did it really suit him that well?
"And my strength…"
Kellan flexed his muscles and took a step forward, testing his newfound power.
He punched the air, his fists slicing through it with a speed and force that startled him.
He sprinted across the hill, his feet barely touching the ground.
"Is this how it normally is?
Is this the strength of a person at the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm?"
Unbeknownst to him, at the moment of his breakthrough,
His eyes shimmered with a faint golden hue, just for an instant.
The Qi around him trembled, swirling as if drawn to him by an unseen force.
The disturbance faded as quickly as it appeared,
Leaving no trace except for the lingering sense that something had shifted in the natural order.
"It's fine," he muttered.
"As long as I'm becoming stronger."
He smiled to himself, excitement bubbling up inside.
"Now that I've reached the First Level of the Blood Solidification Realm,
I'll be able to tap into the offensive power of the [Temporal Breathing Technique]."
They say at its peak, a cultivator specializing in this cultivation technique could bend the flow of time in battle,
Making their strikes faster than the eye could see.
Weaker than others?
He was starting to doubt that.