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The morning passed with Wu Ken completing his chores, accompanied by Zang Ai's voice echoing in his mind. Her commentary ranged from sarcastic critiques of dough-kneading to complaints about noisy pigeons. Despite her sharp tongue, her presence made the weight of his new path feel strangely lighter.
As the sun climbed higher, her tone shifted. "Enough with this parade of mortal distractions," she said. "Your Qi is coarse, your meridians are clogged, and you still move like a startled goat. We have work to do."
Wu Ken paused mid-step, arms full of firewood. "Work? Here?"
"Hardly. Do you expect to grasp the Dao while surrounded by hammering and chicken droppings? We need solitude."
He finished his chores quickly and slipped away under the excuse of gathering herbs. His feet carried him deep into the Whispering Willow Grove, farther than he'd ever dared. The trees grew ancient and quiet, their branches forming a canopy that muffled the outside world.
"This will do," Zang Ai said. "Now sit. And avoid ant hills. Painful distractions are not part of the curriculum."
Wu Ken settled on a patch of moss beneath a gnarled oak. The ring pulsed faintly, and Zang Ai's translucent form shimmered into view, her gaze sharp and unreadable.
"Listen carefully," she began. "You've reached the first star of Body Tempering. That's like tying your shoes before a marathon. There are eight more stars in this stage before you even begin to touch the real path."
She raised a hand, and motes of light gathered around them. "Spiritual Qi fills the world. Cultivators learn to sense it, gather it, refine it."
"You've drawn some Qi into your dantian—a spiritual sea below your navel. Good. But your dantian is a leaky bucket, and your meridians are blocked streams. Our goal is to cleanse and expand those channels, strengthen your core, and prepare you to absorb Qi properly."
She floated closer, pointing at his chest. "Cultivation isn't brute force. It's harmony. It's understanding the flow of energy within and without. A dialogue with the universe. Right now, you sound like a loud grunter. Let's teach you how to whisper."
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