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, leaving them hazy and mysterious.

Chu Bai stood before his family's weathered wooden door with a small, patched bundle on his back.

Through the doorway, he saw his parents moving about in the dim glow of an oil lamp. Warmth welled up in his heart.

He stepped inside and bowed deeply to them as they bent over the table, tidying up. His voice carried an uncommon solemnity.

"Father, Mother. I'm going into seclusion by the river for the next month to prepare for the selection. I'm afraid I won't be home often to help."

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

A little awkwardly, he rubbed his calloused hands against his apron and gave a simple, encouraging smile. "Go on, then. Your mother and I can handle the farmwork. Don't worry about it. We have enough to eat at home, and your younger siblings are sensible enough to lend a hand."

Li Qing, busy at the stove, hurried over with a steaming cloth-wrapped parcel and pressed it into Chu Bai's arms before he could protest. It was warm, filled with a mother's care.

"I just made these flatbreads, with a little diced salted pork inside. Take them for the road. Don't skimp while you're away. Eat when you should, drink when you should. Your health is what you have to rely on. If you need anything, come home and get it, even in the middle of the night."

Feeling the weight and warmth of the parcel in his arms, Chu Bai felt his eyes grow hot.

He nodded, his voice a little hoarse. "I know. Take care of yourselves, Father, Mother."

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 temporarily set aside his miscellaneous classes at the Academy and taken a month's leave from the Zhao Residence. Now nothing distracted him. He had entered a state of fierce concentration, almost to the point of obsession.

Deep in the reeds beside the Three-Bath River.

This place had become Chu Bai's private Martial Training Ground.

The river murmured, and 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 small boat bobbing on the water. With a low shout, he pressed the index and middle fingers of his right hand together and pointed into empty 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 biting chill. Even the surrounding air seemed to congeal.

"Go!"

At a stir of his Divine Sense, the three needles shot out like arrows loosed from the bowstring, tracing dark-blue paths through the air.

Two pierced yellowed reed leaves drifting down from above with perfect precision. The leaves had not even had time to change course before the needles passed through them.

But his control over the third was weaker. It veered off in midair, struck a piece of deadwood floating on the river, and burst into a fine spray.

Chu Bai frowned as he watched the spray disperse. Rather than lose heart, he felt his fighting spirit burn brighter.

Dividing my attention three ways is still a bit much. Distributing Divine Sense is like playing a zither. There can't be the slightest delay or deviation.

His practice had not stopped once during this period.

At first, he could barely form a single water needle, and it took three breaths to gather the power. Now he could cast instantly and control three at once. His progress had been astonishing.

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 trace of spiritual energy with Subtlety.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and went over his mistake again and again in his mind.

That last shot failed because my spiritual energy output wavered. The third needle ran out of power, and my Divine Sense followed half a beat too late...

After making his adjustments, 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 its faintest tremor, as though all three were extensions of his fingers.

He repeated the exercise until the whole 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, cold sweat covered his forehead, and his body swayed slightly.

At the Qi Refining First Layer, he had enough Spell Power for roughly five full-strength Spirit Water Needles.

To keep his practice effective, he limited himself to three each time, holding two in reserve for emergencies. After all, that strange fish might not be the only one in the Three-Bath River.

"Time for a pill."

Chu Bai took from his robe the little celadon bottle he treasured and tipped out a Qi-Replenishing Pill that carried a faint herbal fragrance.

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

He tipped his head back and swallowed it.

The pill reached his stomach and became a warm, surging current that swiftly filled his depleted dantian. Going from utter emptiness to sudden fullness felt like parched earth receiving sweet rain. His meridians ached faintly as they were forced open, but with the pain came an indescribable comfort and sense of strength, as though every cell in his body were cheering.

Pushing myself to the limit hurts. Draining myself each time feels like dying once over, but the results are real.

Chu Bai felt his meridians grow 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, once most of his Spell Power had returned, Chu Bai turned his gaze to the calm river.

"I'm hungry. Might as well practice my aim."

He stood and swept his hawklike gaze over the water, searching for prey.

Refraction shifted the apparent position of anything beneath the water, and fish moved nimbly. Hitting one would be far harder than striking a stationary reed or a falling leaf. It would put his ability to anticipate its movements to the test.

Suddenly, the water rippled ahead. A plump carp leaped from the river, apparently snapping at an insect on the surface, its scales flashing silver in the sunlight.

"Now!"

Chu Bai's eyes narrowed. His right index finger flicked, quick as lightning.

Three water needles flew out in a triangular formation, cutting off every escape route the carp had.

With a soft sound, the middle needle pierced its belly dead center, drawing a spray of blood. The carp had no time even to struggle before it floated belly-up, rocking gently on the ripples.

"Got it!"