Silence settled over the training grounds.
Not complete silence.
Wind still moved through the open field in long wandering currents, passing over stone pathways and military banners, stirring the scent of dust, cold earth, and iron left behind by countless years of training.
Somewhere nearby, armor shifted softly.
Clink.
Clink.
The sounds were faint.
Distant.
Yet for Lián Xù, the world around him suddenly seemed to drift farther and farther away.
He stood there unmoving.
Then—
his pupils abruptly contracted.
Something burst open inside his mind.
Not pain.
Not exactly.
It felt more like a sealed gate had suddenly shattered.
Information flooded through him in a violent torrent.
Not words.
Not memories.
Instinct.
Movement.
Understanding.
Countless images flashed before his eyes.
Forward stance.
Lower the center of gravity.
Control breathing.
Twist the waist.
Drive force upward from the heels.
Punching forms unfolded one after another like flowing water carving through stone. Every motion connected naturally to the next, forming a complete cycle of attack and defense.
There was no feeling of unfamiliarity.
No sensation of learning.
Instead—
it felt strangely familiar.
As if these movements had existed inside him all along and someone had merely brushed away the dust covering them.
At the same moment—
heat erupted from somewhere deep inside his body.
No.
Heat was too gentle a word.
It felt like molten rivers suddenly tearing through dry land.
Warm currents surged violently through his limbs and meridians, racing across flesh and bone with overwhelming force.
Lián Xù's breathing caught.
His muscles tightened instinctively.
Then—
Ka.
Ka.
Ka-cha.
Soft cracking sounds emerged from throughout his body.
His bones trembled.
His flesh tightened.
Warmth spread slowly from his chest into his shoulders, down his arms, along his spine.
The soreness from training dissolved.
The ache in his legs faded.
The heaviness in his body disappeared.
No—
not disappeared.
Refined.
Like impurities being burned away within invisible flames.
The sensation was difficult to describe.
Painful.
Comfortable.
Destructive.
Gentle.
As though someone had shattered him apart and quietly put him back together again.
Dust near his feet trembled.
Tiny pebbles shifted slightly across stone.
Nearby guards exchanged glances.
Lián Hào narrowed his eyes.
Hm?
Lián Xù slowly lowered his head.
His fingers tightened.
Clench.
Strength immediately surged through his arm.
Not heaven-shattering power.
Not enough to split mountains.
Just—
real strength.
Strength that had never existed before.
His breathing deepened.
His body suddenly felt lighter.
Sharper.
Even his senses seemed strangely heightened.
He could hear banners fluttering in the distance.
Could hear footsteps from dozens of paces away.
Could hear someone's stomach growling among the guards.
Lián Xù nearly became emotional.
IT WORKED?!
I'M CULTIVATING?!
I'M FINALLY CULTIVATING?!
Peak Body Tempering!
Peak!
Peak!!
For exactly three glorious seconds—
Lián Xù saw hope.
Then—
he froze.
The joy on his face slowly stiffened.
"...Wait."
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
He lowered himself onto the ground and sat cross-legged immediately.
Nearby guards exchanged puzzled looks.
Lián Xù ignored them completely.
He closed his eyes.
Spiritual qi.
Come on.
Peak Body Tempering should still gather qi, right?
He followed the breathing rhythm from the cultivation fragment.
Slow inhale.
Slow exhale.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
Nothing.
Not even the slightest movement.
No spiritual qi entered his body.
No warmth gathered within his dantian.
No subtle response.
Nothing.
Lián Xù frowned.
Again.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Again.
Nothing.
Again.
Absolutely nothing.
Silence.
He slowly opened his eyes.
"..."
"..."
"...Seriously?"
The corners of his mouth twitched.
His body had become stronger.
His punches had become stronger.
His constitution had improved.
But inside—
his dantian remained terrifyingly empty.
Like abandoned land untouched for centuries.
Like a dried riverbed beneath a dead sky.
Not even a single thread of spiritual qi floated within.
Nothing.
The morning wind brushed gently across his face.
Lián Xù stared into the distance.
He could physically feel his soul preparing to leave his body.
Prototype system.
Explain.
Immediately.
Before the system could respond—
Lián Hào stepped forward.
His expression remained calm.
Too calm.
"Again."
Lián Xù blinked.
"...Hm?"
Lián Hào raised a hand.
"Breath Gathering."
His voice remained even.
Slow.
Patient.
He inhaled.
The movement looked simple.
Ordinary.
Yet the moment he breathed in, the surrounding air subtly shifted.
Nearby leaves trembled.
Invisible streams of spiritual energy stirred quietly around him.
Like rivers returning to the sea.
The spiritual qi in the surroundings gathered naturally toward him before flowing into his body without resistance.
Effortless.
Natural.
As though heaven itself willingly opened its hands.
Lián Hào exhaled slowly.
"Follow me."
Lián Xù stared for several seconds.
Then obediently copied him.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Silence.
Nothing.
Lián Hào looked at him.
"...Again."
Lián Xù repeated it.
Again.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Again.
Still nothing.
Wind drifted softly through the training grounds.
Military banners rippled overhead.
No one spoke.
Yet the silence gradually became awkward enough to suffocate people.
Nearby guards slowly lowered their eyes.
Even they sensed something was wrong.
Lián Hào stared at Lián Xù.
Then stared longer.
Inside his mind—
"...Impossible."
A memory suddenly surfaced.
Years ago.
Outside a room.
Several physicians stood there with solemn expressions.
One old man lowered his head.
"No spiritual root."
"Impossible to cultivate."
"This child..."
The memory shattered.
Lián Hào's fingers slowly tightened beneath his sleeves.
Anger rose quietly in his chest.
Not toward Lián Xù.
Toward heaven itself.
Toward fate.
Toward whatever cruel thing had decided his younger brother deserved this.
Meanwhile—
Lián Xù looked down at the ground.
Expected.
Honestly expected.
I've already been emotionally betrayed once today.
Can't betray me twice.
Lián Hào suddenly spoke.
"Let's rest."
His voice remained calm.
Too calm.
Then his eyes shifted toward nearby guards.
"Cultivation manuals."
Another glance.
"Spirit herbs."
Another.
"Summon medical experts."
The guards froze.
Then their expressions immediately changed.
Shock.
Understanding.
Excitement.
The First Prince... personally ordering resources?
Nearby soldiers slowly looked toward Lián Xù.
Their eyes widened.
He sees hidden talent?
The Emperor truly possesses some heaven-defying secret?!
Ding.
[Misjudgment detected.]
[Multiple sources detected.]
[+900 Misjudgment Points]
Lián Xù blinked.
"...Huh?"
Ding.
[Reward Granted.]
[Knowledge Chest]
Golden light unfolded before him.
Ancient symbols flowed across darkness like rivers beneath starlight.
Then—
Lián Xù froze.
Because beneath the fragment—
faint hidden text slowly emerged.
"Those without roots..."
Silence.
The blood in Lián Xù's body seemed to stop.
Slowly—
very slowly—
he raised his head.
"...What? What is it?"