Rapid Progress

Autumn deepened in Anping County. Morning dew soaked through shoes, bringing a chill that seeped into the bones.

A thin veil of mist shrouded the distant mountains, making them look hazy and mysterious.

Chu Bai stood before the weathered wooden door of his home, a small patched bundle on his back.

Through the doorway, he watched his parents moving about in the dim glow of an oil lamp, busy since before dawn. Warmth welled up in his heart.

He pushed open the door and bowed deeply to his parents, who were bent over tidying the table. His voice carried a rare solemnity.

"Dad, Mom. For the next month, I'm going to seclude myself by the river to prepare for the examination. I'm afraid I won't be able to come home and help very often."

Chu Xianglin stopped what he was doing. He was an honest farmer and did not quite understand what cultivators meant by "seclusion," but he knew his son was doing something important—something that could change his fate.

He rubbed his calloused hands against his apron, looking a little awkward, then managed a simple, encouraging smile. "Go on, then. Your mother and I can handle the fieldwork. Don't you worry. There's enough food at home, and your younger brother and sister are sensible enough to lend a hand."

Li Qing hurried over from the stove with a cloth-wrapped parcel that was still steaming. Without a word of protest allowed, she tucked it into Chu Bai's arms. It was warm with a mother's care.

"I just made these flatbreads. There are some bits of salted meat inside, so take them to eat on the way. Don't skimp while you're out there. Eat and drink what you need—your health comes first. If you need anything, come home and get it, even in the middle of the night."

Chu Bai felt the weight and warmth of the parcel in his arms. His eyes grew hot.

He nodded, his voice slightly hoarse. "I understand. Take care of yourselves, Dad, Mom."

After saying goodbye to his family, Chu Bai turned and strode away without looking back.

He knew that only by pressing forward without hesitation could he live up to their deep hopes for him.

He had set aside his miscellaneous lessons at the Academy and taken a month's leave from the Zhao Residence. Now, with no distractions, he had entered a state of fierce concentration bordering on obsession.

Deep in the reeds along the Three-Bath River.

This place had become Chu Bai's private training ground.

The river murmured, and the reeds swayed in the wind with a soft rustle, as though nature itself were accompanying him.

"Form!"

Chu Bai stood at the bow of a boat bobbing on the water. With a low shout, he pressed the index and middle fingers of his right hand together and pointed into the air.

Spell Power surged through him toward his fingertips like a river bursting its banks. Three dark-blue water needles formed in an instant and hovered there, radiating a bitter chill. Even the air around them seemed to grow still with cold.

"Go!"

At a thought, the three needles shot out like arrows loosed from the string, tracing dark-blue trails through the air.

Two pierced a withered reed leaf drifting down from above. Before the leaf could even change its path, they had passed straight through it.

But his control over the third was weaker. It veered off course halfway through its flight, struck a piece of deadwood floating on the river, and burst into a fine mist.

Chu Bai frowned as the mist dissipated. Far from discouraged, he felt his determination burn brighter.

Dividing my attention three ways really is pushing it. Distributing my Divine Sense is like playing a zither—there can't be the slightest hesitation or misstep.

He had not stopped practicing throughout this period.

At first, he could barely form a single water needle, and even that took three breaths to charge. Now he could release and control three at once in an instant. His progress had been astonishingly fast.

But it was not enough.

In the Dao Academy selection, actual combat was what mattered.

If even one water needle went out of control in a fight, it could mean the difference between life and death. A true expert had to control every thread of spiritual energy with precision.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and ran through his mistake again and again in his mind.

Just now, my spiritual energy output was unstable. The third needle lost power, and my Divine Sense followed half a beat too late...

After making adjustments for a while, Chu Bai rose again, his eyes gleaming.

"Again!"

Three more water needles took shape.

This time, he was more careful. His Divine Sense wrapped tightly around each needle like a tendril, feeling their faintest tremors, as though they were extensions of his fingers.

He repeated the exercise until the entire morning had flown by in monotonous, grueling practice.

Only when the last trace of Spell Power had been drained from his dantian, leaving his meridians hollow and his head spinning, did Chu Bai have to stop.

His face was pale, his forehead slick with cold sweat. He swayed slightly on his feet.

At the Qi Refining First Layer, his total Spell Power was enough for roughly five full-strength uses of the Spirit Water Needle.

To keep his practice efficient, he limited himself to three shots each time and saved two as a last resort. After all, that strange fish might not be the only thing lurking in the Three-Bath River.

"Time for a pill."

Chu Bai took from his robe the small celadon bottle he treasured and tipped out a Qi-Replenishing Pill that carried a faint scent of plants.

The pill was smooth and round, a rich green in color. One look was enough to tell it was no ordinary thing.

He tipped back his head and swallowed it.

The pill dissolved in his stomach into a warm, surging current that swiftly refilled his depleted dantian.

The shift from utter emptiness to sudden fullness felt like sweet rain falling on parched earth. His meridians ached faintly as they were forced open, but with it came an indescribable comfort and solidity, as though every cell in his body were rejoicing.

Pushing myself to the limit like this hurts. Every time I drain myself, it feels like I've died once over—but the results are real.

Chu Bai felt his meridians growing tougher and wider through each cycle of contraction and expansion, and delight stirred in his heart.

That resilience meant greater explosive power and endurance than other cultivators at his level—an unseen advantage they could only envy.

After a short rest, when most of his Spell Power had recovered, Chu Bai turned his gaze to the calm river.

"I'm hungry. Might as well work on my aim."

He stood and swept the water with hawklike eyes, searching for prey.

Refraction would shift where a target appeared to be, and fish were quick and nimble. This was far harder than striking stationary reeds or falling leaves, and it would test his ability to predict their movements to the utmost.

Suddenly, the water ahead rippled. A plump carp leaped from the surface, apparently snapping at an insect that had fallen in. Its scales flashed silver in the sunlight.

"Now!"

Chu Bai's gaze sharpened. He flicked his right index finger, moving as fast as lightning.

Three water needles shot out in a triangular formation, cutting off every escape route.

With a soft sound, the center needle pierced the carp's belly, sending up a spray of blood. Before the fish could struggle, it floated belly-up on the surface, rocking gently with the ripples.

"Got it!"