While others celebrated their victories in the arena, Lin Xue's greatest battles were fought in solitude. Her fragmented roots made controlling Qi a constant challenge. Meditation sessions often left her writhing in pain as unstable energy surged through her meridians.
One evening, as she sat cross-legged in her modest quarters, she felt a sharp pang in her chest. The Qi she had carefully gathered scattered violently, causing her to cough up blood.
"Why does this keep happening?" she whispered, clutching her chest.
She spent hours refining the Flowing Ember Technique, a method Sister Mei had taught her to harmonize chaotic energy. Progress was slow, and the pain unrelenting, but Lin Xue persevered. She developed a meticulous routine: inhaling deeply, visualizing the Qi within her as a flowing stream, and guiding it carefully through her fragmented roots.
"Each failure teaches me something," she reminded herself, her voice trembling. "I just need to keep trying."
Her struggles isolated her further. Other disciples viewed her frequent setbacks as proof of her inferiority. "She'll never make it to Foundation Establishment," one sneered. But Lin Xue learned to block out their voices, focusing only on the faint, steady rhythm of her Qi.
To strengthen her body and stabilize her meridians, Lin Xue took up physical training alongside her cultivation. She practiced sword forms at dawn, each swing precise and deliberate. The repetitive motion helped her focus, anchoring her mind even as her body ached.
By the end of each day, Lin Xue was utterly exhausted. But as she collapsed onto her straw mat, she felt a small sense of pride. She was forging herself anew, one painful step at a time. Her fragmented roots remained a burden, but she was learning to work around them, using her determination as a weapon in its own right.